A Vacation in Kerala — A Dream Come True
I stay in Ahmedabad. The heat of the city is unbearable and I have always wanted to escape to a place with a moderate climate, like Kerala. In fact, Kerala has always been one of my dream destinations. I literally keep gazing for hours on end at photographs of various destinations in Kerala. The swaying leaves of the coconut groves weaving shadows in the sandy beaches, the crystal clear backwaters and humongous houseboats cruising it, lush green hills, acres and acres of sprawling tea gardens of Munnar, dense rain-forests of Wayanad, the list goes on and on. Describing Kerala’s beauty through mere words is simply not possible.

One evening, my close friend came and informed me that she has decided to go to Kerala to spend her vacation. I have always thought that the packages to Kerala were very expensive. Moreover travelling from Ahmedabad to Kerala is kind of difficult and would be full of travel hassles. I voiced my doubt to my friend and she gave me the sweetest piece of news ever! She told me that travel planners in Kerala like Le lagoon Holidays are offering tour packages to Kerala from various places like Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore and Ahmedabad as well! No travel hassles, they will take care of all your travel needs, which include arranging your flight tickets if needed. You will not have to worry about anything. That’s when I decided it’s time for me to realize my dream and head off to Kerala. I quickly browsed through the packages and chose a tour package from Ahmedabad to Kerala. I would be flying to Kerala in two days time along with my friend, on the 27th of January.
27th January 2018: Finally, we reached Kerala. I could see the vast stretches of land with various shades of green from the flight’s window. It was mesmerizing. I have never seen so many different shades of the same colour. It looked as though a beautiful painting had come alive. When we reached the arrival terminal, we could see our travel representative waiting for us. I was so relieved that we didn’t have to wait for long. We were driven to our resort in Kochi, for refreshing ourselves. I was so impatient, the explorer in me wanted to start our trip right away. After having a superb traditional breakfast of appam and stew, we set off to our first destination which was definitely, Fort Kochi.

I had read a lot about Fort Kochi. The multicultural background of the city is very much intriguing. Upon reaching the place, I did find out my answers. Fort Kochi has a strong historical background. It had once been the home of Dutch, French, Portuguese and English people during the colonial period. The influence of these cultures could be seen from street to street. We went to visit the Jewish Synagogue which was one great experience. The intricate paintings of this 400-year-old wonder wake up your curiosity. The detailed paintings depict the stories of Jews and their strong hand in influencing the culture of Fort Kochi. We also visited the Mattancherry Palace, KJ Herschel Street, Dutch Cemetery, the beautiful beach of Fort Kochi and so on. We also had an amazing Keralites lunch from one of the best restaurants in the area. After lunch, we were taken to the Chinese Fishing Nets. Looks like our guide came to know of our love for photography ‘coz Chinese Fishing Nets produces the most photogenic pictures. It took an entire day for us to tour Fort Kochi. There is one thing I understood, this city had much more to it than the books and photographs. We were taken back to our resort. We had a tiring but wonderful day.

28 January 2018: We woke up early in the morning as we had a 4-hour travel to Munnar, the evergreen beauty of India. I just stood still when I reached Munnar; I really needed time to take in the beauty of the place. The azure sky and the lush green hills were so dreamy and beautiful. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off them. We were taken to the Tata Tea Museum where they had artefacts, pieces of machinery and photographs that narrated tales of the rise of the tea plantations. We were also taken to the tea gardens that were a pure feast for the eyes. The Mattupetty Dam was the next in line. The Mattupetty Dam location was in a picturesque spot next to dense forests and a dairy farm which is run by Indo-Swiss Livestock Project. I have never felt so peaceful in my life. The breeze brushing your face, the dense forests in the background, the pristine blue waters of the lake and the clear sky forms a wonderful combination making you feel on top of this world! You could sit there for hours, the place is so beautiful. But I had to leave for the next place in our list, The Eravikulam National Park. Our guide was telling us that a trip to Munnar is never complete without visiting the Eravikulam National Park. Well, he was right. The trip to the park was indeed amazing. We went on a safari in the National Park where we had the luck to encounter the endangered Nilgiri Tahr and various other animals. You could also go for trekking in the National Park with the permission of the concerned authorities. We couldn’t because we didn’t have enough time for it. Munnar is definitely a wonder of Nature and trust me, once you are here you won’t feel like going back. But it was time for us to retreat to our resort in Kochi. It was our last day in Kerala and we had an early flight to catch.
I finally, understood why Kerala is called ‘God’s own Country’. Once you come here you feel that rare connection with nature in this place and I have never felt like this before. I had the best time of my life in Kerala. Well, I am all set to go for a vacation in Kerala again, and I would recommend the same to you. Be it a family vacation or honeymoon trip Kerala is the ideal place. Book your tour package, pack your bags and head off to Kerala.
