Blanket Munnar Blog

This is the story of a nature lover whose absolute passion for the forests and wildlife made him grow from a wild child to a reputed naturalist and environmentalist.  Having being in sync to the rhythm of nature for years, Charan is an expert in finding and explaining about exotic flora and fauna to Travellers and tourists from all around the world.  For Charan, Environmental conservation and  enjoying the true spirit of nature goes hand in hand. Apart from being part of wildlife surveys in association with the Forest department, he has also marked his expertise as a naturalist for Blanket Hotel in Attukad village, Munnar
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Charan’s curiosity about the secrets of nature bloomed out in his childhood as soon as he saw a group of photographers and ornithologists who were visiting his place. His village, being on the banks of Ashtamudi lake, was a habitat to many birds The young boy was fascinated at these people who were looking through their binoculars and clicking pictures around.  With the help of some the club members, he got see around through the binoculars. Since then, there was no turning back and thus began the story of Charan’s walk through nature.  In his 10th standard, he got an opportunity to participate in a wild life survey in Shenduruny forest, which paved the stepping stones in learning more about nature and becoming a wildlife researcher about which ,he later wrote a book called ‘welcome to Shendurunyforest’.

Charan’s passion and achievements are well said in the story below. He is currently preparing his second book about the wildlife and also continuing his beautiful journey with the guests, gleefully explaining about various flora and fauna of the region.

·         Mr Charan started his career as a naturalist in 1996 by collaborating with the Manishada nature group and actively participating in the census of Dashvalsara neerpakshi , a rare specie which is hardly spotted.

·         Active participator of the Vembanad bird’s survey since 2000.

·         A nature lover by heart, he has been vibrantly working for the protection and welfare of the Shasthamkotta Lake which is supposedly the largest freshwater Lake in Kerala.

·         He has been actively resisting the illegal interference in Ashtamudi Lake which is the second largest lake of the state. Charan works actively to protect the legacy of our traditional fishing methods like ‘kakavaral’ (A rustic way of collecting clam fishes from the Lake) and is against exploitation.

·          His services towards protecting the natural mangroves in Kollam Ashramam Adventure park had resulted in the state biodiversity board taking up the land for preservation.

·         Charan has been working as the coordinator of the Manishada Nation Action Group

·         He is currently the chapter secretary of People for Animals group in Kollam and the secretary of the Quilon Nature society.

·         In his term as the secretary for PFA, Charan played an inevitable role in regulating the torture on captive elephants which has made a big difference in the issue.

·         He in association with an international organization called INTER NICHE organized a seminar in SN College, Kollam to implement an alternative frog dissection software in the state level which had put an end to the torture of frogs for academic purposes in Zoology labs. The change was immediately incorporated into the syllabus of the students.

·         Active participant for a venture that aimed at spotting out the geographical distribution of a rare species  locally known as ashambu laughing thrush /Travancore laughing thrush)

·          He conducted a detailed study on the lifestyle of a bird called Broad tailed grassbird (schoenicoda Platyurus) and researched on the difficulties it faces within the human disturbance  areas of Ponmudi

·         He is a proud member of the team in Kollam that founded progressive greying in the Eurasian Coot (Fulica Atra). This was the second time that the phenomenon had been spotted in India

·         He is currently making a suggestion to the forest department to unify the wildlife sanctuaries in Trivandrum and Kollam states and to named it as the ‘Travancore tiger reserve’.

Even after all these lifetime achievements, Charan is pretty known for his down to earth personality and the vibe of warmth that he spreads around. Numerous trails to be covered by this ‘guardian of nature’ and so are to be written by him, a number of books about nature’s secrets.

The Best way to reach Munnar from Bangalore

 Best Holiday experience at Munnar

It was our first vacation after my brother came from the US and we really wanted to make it special. Since our previous vacations had covered almost all places of North India, this time, we decided to spend some leisure time in one of the southern states. Out of all the places that topped the search list, Munnar in Kerala won our hearts for its amazing scenery and the numerous activities offered. Without any hesitation, we began to check for the best-reviewed places to stay there. A number of hotels flashed by the screen when our eyes caught Blanket hotel which located in Pallivasal, Munnar. The hotel had an amazing view and all the amenities looked pretty good. We called up the reservation desk and enquired about how to reach Munnar from Bangalore. We were informed that we could take a train from Bangalore and get down at Aluva or Ernakulam station, which would take about 11 hours, and from there we could take a cab to Munnar. Or else we could take a direct flight from Bangalore and get down at the Cochin International airport in an hour and take a cab from there. If we were to come by bus, there were direct buses available which had daily service. They told us that the hotel would provide cabs which would be of course, additionally billed .All of our previous trips were in trains and buses and so this time, all of us urged for a road trip. So we decided to drive all the way from Bangalore to Munnar. We took the Palakkad – Coimbatore route and were engrossed in the scenic beauty of the fields and coconut trees on the way. The change of the landscape from the plains to the misty hills was indeed fascinating and in about 9.5 hours, We reached Blanket hotel and spa . It was 3 in the evening and we received a heartwarming traditional welcome with drinks . The rooms were exceptionally clean and comfortable and after a long nap, we woke up and had tea by 6 PM. Many tasty dishes were offered for dinner from their restaurant Belleza De Roca, out of which the seafood items stole my heart. We could see chefs preparing theirs specials in the chef’s corner. After dinner, we strolled through the well-lit beautiful gardens of the hotel and had a gracious family time joking around and chatting.

The next day we woke up to the chirping of birds and the hushing of the waterfalls. After breakfast, we went for a nature walk with a naturalist while my mom decided to remain for the meditation class that was being offered in the hotel. We spotted different species of birds and butterflies and visited the nearby village. It was pure bliss to feel the village vibes in our hearts and the place truly felt like a heaven on earth . We sat at the side of the waterfalls and came back to the hotel after a while. We enjoyed our best at the pool area which had breathtaking view on the other side, with the whole attukad waterfalls, cliffs and the valleys making a heart-throbbing landscape. We decided to give a treat to our exhausted bodies with a customized Kerala traditional massage that was offered in the hotel. The service was really good and the massage was indeed relaxing. After a cup of sizzling tea in the evening, we were taken for cultural performances. The culture of Kerala was indeed unique from what we had seen elsewhere. The unique dance performances and folk songs were one of a kind. After clicking a few pictures, we had dinner and slept peacefully.

The next day, we dedicated the whole time in discovering places near Munnar. We went to Eravikulam National park which had a diverse wildlife to explore, we walked through the tea estates and even got a chance to be a part of tea tasting. Then we visited to the Suicide point, walked through the Mattupetty dam, yelled each other’s names at the eco point, Spotted deer and Elephant at the Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary and saw the sandalwood plantations of Marayoor. It was fun to do street shopping and bought some homemade chocolates, tea and handmade souvenirs. After a long day dedicated to munnar sightseeing, we slept the whole night with the lullaby’s of the waterfalls. Finally, when it was time to leave, it was more like leaving a home away from another home. With heavy hearts, we packed our bags and left the hotel on those graceful hills. On the way back, we went via Cochin to Bangalore. We got down at Lulu mall and drove through the city. Our trip to Munnar was one of our best trips to date and with Blanket, it was ecstatic. We are looking forward to spending our next vacation there, of course with a stay in Blanket.

written by 
Rajesh Roshan

How to Reach Coimbatore to Munnar | The Best way t...

Are you Looking the best way to travel Coimbatore to Munnar, then use this path 
Coimbatore- Pollachi - Udumalapet - Chinnar – Marayoor - Munnar.
Total 160 Kms & will Take 05 hours Travel Time.
Coimbatore to Pollachi- 44 Km
It’s a straight highway from Coimbatore to Pollachi.
The route between Pollachi to Udumalapet one can enjoy the scenic beauty. The huge windmill farms along the way are an interesting sight.
After travelling from Udumalapet it’s about 37 km to reach Chinnar. A place rich in wildlife, it's a protected area that houses many endangered species. Located within the sanctuary, the Thoovanam waterfall is another fantastic attraction of this place. A drive on the Udumalpet-Munnar road gives picturesque views of the Western Ghats. Chinnar is 37 km from Udumalpet and the reserve forests of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (now Anamalai Tiger Reserve) and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary are located nearby. The ride is highly potent to witness animal crossings, as they move vertically towards Amaravathi dam for water and care should be taken not to disturb the animals as well as commuters safety..
From Chinnar to Marayoor its about 9 km and in Marayoor, guest can see Sandal wood forest and terrace farming. Marayoor is also famous for Jaggery. There are lot of Jaggery production Huts on the way..
Next destination on the way to Munnar from Marayoor is Lakkam Waterfalls which is about 15 KM from Marayoor and from Munnar it’s about 25 KM. Its surrounded by Tea Garden and forest.
Move forward from Lakkam Waterfalls the next stopover place is Eravikulam National Park which at a distance of 21 Km from Lakkam .
Enjoy the travel between the Tea plantations until you reach Munnar from Eravikulam National Park.
10.6 Km from National Park to Munnar town.

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Best Way to Reach Munnar from Cochin

(Cochin to Munnar via Aluva , Perumbavoor, Kothamangalam, Neriamangalam, Adimali)

Munnar, popularly called a Beauty Queen of Nature is located 6000 ft above mean sea level enclosed by Tea plantations and wide Mountain Ranges of Western Ghats is about 130 KM from Cochin and it will take 4 hours to reach it by visiting all the sightseeing places on the way.

Starting from cochin the next major city is, Aluva, a municipality and a northern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Aluva is situated around 15 km from the Cochin City center on the banks of river Periyar. The next city after 30 minutes drive from here is the Perumbavoor , which is alike a village and while, moving forward towards Kothamangalam the view of greenery is back all along the sides of road.
 Kothamangalam is known as the Gateway of High range which is 85 km away from Munnar.
The river Periyar, the largest river in Kerala, flows through this taluk. The dams built across Periyar at Edamalayar, Lower Periyar (near Neriamangalam) and Bhoothathankettu for hydroelectricity generation and irrigation purposes are located in the Kothamangalam taluk.  
Driving towards Neriyamangalam from Kothamangalam, the road is extremely good without any potholes. It is on the border of Ernakulam and Idukki districts. The Neriamangalam Bridge, Ranikallu (stone of queen) are of historical importance and Bridge, built across the Periyar river, is often referred as 'The Gateway to the High ranges' as it is on the way to the higher regions of Idukki district, especially Munnar. The bridge was constructed by the Maharaja of Travancore in 1935. Now the bridge is a part of National Highway 49 which leads to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. Neriamangalam gets the highest average rainfall in the state of Kerala. So this place is aptly hailed as 'The Cherrapunjee of Kerala'. The nearest town is Kothamangalam, which is about 17.6 km from Neriamangalam.
 On the way to Adimali from Neriamangalam, the cool breeze and cloud covers the roads and forests. The 45 minutes drive through forest will take you to other world where you can experience the greenery and mountain ranges with huge waterfalls. The first stop over enroute Munnar at Cheyyappara waterfalls which is on the Kochi - Madurai Highway (National Highway49) between Neriamangalam and Adimali and within 2 km (10 min) here comes the next elegant Valara waterfalls 16 km away from Adimali.
Adimali is the nearest major city to Munnar About 30 KM from Munnar and Pepper cultivation is the main agricultural activity of this place. Mainly known for spices plantation in high range.
Road to Munnar from Adimali with lots of turns and twists offers a climbing high hill feel to the travelers. After 22km of travelling, from the Adimali, the glorious Tea
plantaions will accompany travelers on both sides of road for 8 KM until you reach Munnar Town .

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The Best way to reach Munnar from Madurai

(Madurai to Munnar Via Usilampetti, Theni, Bodimettu- Chinnakanal- Munnar). 153 Kms from Madurai to Munnar via NH 85 which has long stretch starts from Tondi point near Bay of Bengal in Tamil nadu and end in Cochin near Arabian Sea Kerala.

Madurai is one of the ancient city which has traces in history back to 3rd Century BC. From Madurai to Usilampetti the untouched villages will follow the travelers on both sides of road and it’s about 40 kms to reach Usilampetti which is a bigger town after Madurai enroute Munnar.

Travelling forward from Usilampetti to reach Theni about 38 Kms in straight line road visualizing the village beauty and plain lands of vegetation and agriculture. Our next main place in way to Munnar is Theni.. Unlike Neriamangalam, Theni can be said as the gateway to high range in another side.

Theni  district is divided into two natural divisions: The hilly areas are constituted by parts of the three taluk's Periyakulam, Uthamapalayam and Andipatti with thick vegetation and perennial streams from the hills on the western side and Cumbum valley which lies in Uthamapalayam taluk. Kolukkumalai Tea estate, Top station View point, Meghamalai Wildlife sanctuary and Tea estates are the major sightseeing places are under Theni District Jurisdiction.

From Theni to Bodinayakanur (Bodi) its 26 Kms drive with turns and twists towards hilly terrain.  Due to the weather and natural environment, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, called the city as "South Kashmir". A town located on the foothills of the Western Ghats and this town is surrounded by (and has views of) the ranges of the Western Ghats on three sides. Theni, the nearest market town is 26 kms from Bodi. It is on the border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Bodinayakanur is a destination for film shooting in Tamil Nadu.

After crossing the Bodi through Kerala Tamil nadu Border need to travel 42kms to reach next place  Chinakkanal which is in Kerala border.Along the road there are two waterfalls, Chinnakanal waterfalls and periyakanal waterfalls. Anayirangal Dam and roads leads to gap road constructed by carving one side of Mountain all are glimpse to our eyes. The breath taking view from Gap road and on both the sides we can see vast tea plantations until you reach Munnar via Devikulam. It’s about 21 Kms from Chinnakanal to Munnar.