We started off 2023 with a heart full of memories from the Idukki Painav and Mankulam region. Like always, we wanted to celebrate the new year time by going for a ride. We picked Idukki Dam, Calvary Mount, Anakkulam, etc. to start with. Astonishingly, we ended up exploring a lot more amazing places which we were even not even aware exist.
Table of Contents
December 31st, 2022 – 1st Day
Like always, we started off by 5 AM and headed towards Cheruthoni, Idukki. As one of our usual bungee cords went missing, we bought a new colorful one a day before. We took the Thripunithura-Adimali-Kallarkutti route. Said hi to Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls on the way. Had a tea stoppage at Valara. An early morning ride on this route is priceless. Having tea with the water falling sound in the background is always something we never miss while passing through this place.
We packed our breakfast from home, so we had it at in roadside at Kallarkutti. There was a stream with a lot of rough huge rocks in that area. It was a nice viewpoint as well. It was chilling cold too. We went straight to the Calvary mount area, as our first-day stay was there. Google made us go through some inner paths, which was interesting but it was too steep and a little risky as well. After some de-routes, we reached our destination. The Dream Villa homestay at Calvary Mount was at a very good location nearby the road. The popular Calvary Mount viewpoint and church are just within 500 meters from here. The stay is just Ok’ish though.
Idukki Dam – Cheruthoni Dam
Even though we had to travel back 5+ KMs to the Dam, we were ok with that as we wanted to unload our luggage at the stay before leaving to see places. Just 2 km from Calvary Mount, we saw a board leading to Idukki Dam but it was the exit of a one-way route. While moving to Cheruthoni, we saw the arch dam on the way. And we clicked some photos on a football ground on the way which had a good view of the arch dam as well. I think the Malayalam Movie Maheshinta Prathikaram was shot here.
We traveled through Cheruthoni town and reached the main entrance of the dam. We also saw the bridge which was hugely affected by the 2018 Dam opening, due to the heavy rain and flood situations. A photo of a policeman running through this bridge with a kid just seconds before the dam opening went sensational at that time.
There was boating at the main gate but we chose to walk around and see the dam. Parked our motorcycle near the dam, kept our phone, bag, and everything in the locker, and entered the dam. There were electric vehicles available for people don’t want to walk this 3 to 4 KMs entire stretch of the Dam. The water level was low at this time but looking at the city at one end and the water body at the other end we could imagine how much water the dam is holding.
It’s definitely huge! But I’m still not convinced that if this dam breaks it will wash out the entire Ernakulam district. After passing the first dam we will have to walk through the road by the ride of a rocky hill on the other end, which will reach the arch dam after a 20-minute walk.
Idukki Arch Dam
The Arch Dam is the most amazing and beautiful among the 3 dams included in the Idukki Hydroelectric power project (Cheruthoni Dam, Arch Dam, Kulamav Dam). There is a small shop at the beginning where we will get icecreams, water, and other refreshments. There are also a few resting points and an old toilet building on the way.
The view on both sides is amazing. You can see towns and houses like in a miniature city at one end and there are forest islands and vast water bodies at one end. The arch dam is leading to another rock hill. The path continues into a rock cave which takes us to the other side of the hill. This reminded us about the Kuthiran twin tunnels. The atmosphere was cold inside the tunnel. There was a board at the start asking to maintain silence but the people kept on howling throughout.
On the other side, the walkway leads us to another exit gate. I think it was the first path we saw while coming from Calvary mount. We then walked back after spending some time there. As we were not allowed to take photos and did not even carry cameras with us, we missed a lot of good views and moments otherwise we could have captured.
Vaishali Cave
On the way back we saw a rock path to the top of the second hill. We heard that the path will lead to another cave that opens up to the dam reservoir. This cave was called Vaishali cave as the movie Vaishali was shot here. There are no boards or directions here so I decided to go and check if exactly that cave. I confirmed it first and then came back to Rajna. It was a little steep climb but it was doable with patience.
After a 10-minute climb, we reached the cave and we could see light on the other side leading to the water. We could hear the sounds of bats as it is somewhat dark in the middle portion. It was windy at the other end and we loved the atmosphere, as it was really a good view as well as the wind was soothing. We came back and decided to go back to our room to have lunch.
Our room was still not ready as the Dream Villa, Calvary Mount owner managed things carelessly. After a delay, we had lunch and left to see the sunset from Calvary Mount.
Calvary Mount View Point
It was just 200 meters from our stay. But the road towards the fill was too steep. A Few cars were finding it difficult to go up. We parked our motorcycle in a free parking zone and took tickets from the counter there. The view of the reservoir and the small islands made the place look stunning. The sun was not showing any sign of going down anytime soon so we decided to sit on a rock there and enjoy the view.
There were green tea plantations on one side as well. After some time we decided to go up the hill on the other side. The sun was going down slowly by that time. After going halfway up we saw a slight reddish line of mountains far away. This reminded us of the Grand Canyons in the USA. We have seen it only in photos, but the look of these mountains was not something we have seen so far in our state.
2022’s Last Sunset
Sunsets are very special and we love them completely. The entire sky and the atmosphere changed completely as the sun started to hide under a few clouds. Green tea plantations on one side, reddish mountains on the background, sunset sun on the other, reddish tint on the sky, and the foggy small islands on the reservoir just made the view so unbelievable. This was undoubtedly one f the best sunsets we have seen so far.
The most amazing part is, the sun was gone for a few seconds and it again started showing up for some more time. It was like we are seeing a sunrise and a sunset at the same time. A sunset we will cherish for the rest of our life for sure. The atmosphere became dim by that time but the sky started becoming more beautiful and mysterious. The mix of blueish and red tint made the sky look so cool. It reminds me of another natural wonder, the Northern Lights – Auroras in Norway.
We made a quick visit to the church to confirm the mass time at church. We even met the priest and had a short chat. We also heard the sad news that afternoon that our former Pope Benedict 16 died.
We then went back to our homestay, got freshened up, and had a short sleep as we wanted to attend midnight mass at night. It was the new year that night.
Midnight New Year Mass @ Calvary Mount Church
We started at the church at 11:55 PM and reached there in 2 minutes. While we were entering the church it was 12:00 AM and fireworks started around the church and nearby places. After mass, we got some sweets as part of the new year celebrations. It was very cold outside but that was a different experience.
January 1st, 2023 – 2nd Day
We started our journey last year but it’s just 2nd day of our journey. After getting ready, we had breakfast at a restaurant on the main road and started off at Mankulam. We were not using our phones for navigation much as we didn’t want to risk keeping our phones in the phone holder. We went all the way back to Cheruthoni, Kallarkutty, and Adimali. We had lunch and went towards Kallar, on the way to Munnar.
From Adimali we purchased a memory card for our action camera. We missed shooting our path while going to Calvary Mount. After Reaching Kallar we took a deviation to Mankulam. The roads were smaller but nicely tarred. There was lush greenery on both sides. we even saw some good streams and a small waterfall on the way. Took some quick stops as we liked them so much.
Kuwait City
We stopped by a place called Kuwait City on the way. There was a small shop nearby a rocky forest stream area. Even though there wasn’t much water in the stream, some people were enjoying it. We spent some time there, had tea and some snacks, and went straight to Anakulam.
First, we went straight to the Anakulam elephant viewpoint. There was enough parking space, some shops, and the local people were playing football there. It was unbelievable to think that wild elephants come here at night to drink water and spent quality time. We decided to check in to our hotel and visit the local attractions before sunset.
MSCB Guest House, Anakulam
To our surprise, the MSCB Guest House we booked here was super cool and exceptional in overall quality. We took a quick shower, and an amazing cardamom tea was offered by the caretaker. They offered a local safari in one of their Jeep’s, which will cost nearly 2000 – 3000 INR. We decided to go on our own motorcycle even though it was off-road. A hanging bridge near Kuwait city (Kavathikkad Hanging Bridge) and Muppatharu Kuthu Waterfalls (36 waterfalls) are the places we decided to visit that day. There is also a sunset point on the way.
To get to the Kavathikkad Hanging Bridge we had to take a broken path starting next to the Kuwait City Bridge.
Kavathikkad Hanging Bridge
It was a nice-looking rusted bridge placed to connect a rolling stone stream. Mostly used by the tribals, the locals were seen taking bath, washing clothes, as well as catching fish nearby. We spend around 30 minutes there. There were also some local grocery stores nearby. They warned them about the broken roads towards the 36 Waterfalls. We decided to go as it was ok even though the road was completely broken. It was already started getting dark so we moved to the falls right away.
Muppatharu Kuthu Waterfalls
The no-road condition towards the waterfall was ok but there was a steep concrete road towards the end. It was a somewhat difficult stretch to ride. As we had some experience riding through such roads, we covered this stretch confidently. Upon reaching the falls, there was a jeep full of travelers already enjoying the waters. There is a small bridge right in front of the falls, which is situated in two stages with a lot of levels. It is due to these multiple levels the falls have got the number 36 in their name I think.
The jeep people were drunk and they were drinking in the upper area of the falls when we arrived. We entered the bottom level and spent some time there. The water was cold and the atmosphere was completely different as it was a secluded area. That was an amazing experience, it felt so cool to stand in that running water. The greenery, water, frogs, and sand beneath were really nice.
After 15 minutes, the jeep driver told us that they are leaving and we can move up if we prefer. I went up to see the second level and look at some photos. Rajna stayed at the bottom. Both levels act as natural swimming pools and there are no words to explain the reel beauty and feel of this place. As it was sunset time, it was totally a different vibe. We then left the place after 30 minutes as it started getting dark. We decided to take a quick visit to the Anakulam elephant point to check whether there are any elephants already.
The Wait – Is the Myth Real!
By 7:30 PM we reach back to the Anakulam main area. There were already a lot of people waiting for the elephants. The locals told that elephants reached a day before as early as 8 PM. Till 9 PM we waited for the elephants to enter. Still, there was no sign of any. We started doubting if it was really obvious that these elephants come to this place every day! As we have seen many videos and photos already, we had big hopes to see the elephants so close too.
We bought fried rice and chilly chicken from the nearby hotel and went back to the guest house after 10 PM. The food tasted below average. After 11 PM we again left the stay to see the elephants.
The Elephant Sight – The Myth is Real!
Upon reaching the place, we saw 5 elephants standing in the stream of water! There was one baby elephant as well. To our surprise, there were very less people there waiting for last when the elephants really arrived. To our surprise, there was a group of tribals in a jeep, who came there to see the elephants drinking water in the stream.
After 30 minutes, we were feeling very tired and decided to go back. There was a forest ranger who was telling stories about elephant sightings and all accidents that happened there due to the carelessness of the tourists. He told there will not be any more elephants coming today. And suggested us to leave as there will be drunk groups of people visiting the place late at night. We then went back and slept really well. We heard some explosive sounds at the night as well.
January 2nd – Third Day
We woke at 8 AM, had breakfast from a nearby local restaurant, and visited the Elephant stream again. We entered the group and the stream to see the place where the elephants were standing up close. Elephants actually dug a place and made it shallow. The atmosphere was really cool as the other side of the stream looked calm, unlike last night.
We met a man with his 2 boys in the stream. He was also from Vypin, Manjanakkad, and told us about his experience visiting the place with his family on a Piaggio Ape CNG Auto. They even reached the spot at midnight through roads that marked the presence of elephants last night. It seemed like an unsafe journey, especially with his wife and 2 boys. He even told us about his own experience with having kids late and give us some genuine advice. It was nice talking to him. The one thing I like about people in Vypin and Kochi is that they are very genuine in their characters and are true to hear.
Check Dam and Eco Park
Next, we visited a check dam nearby. The place was good but there was less water and the sun was punishing as well. In monsoon, this place will be outstanding for sure. There was an eco-park next to the elephant stream point. It was like a bamboo forest. To stay in a shady place for some time we entered the place which had a 20 rs ticket. Even though there was nothing special inside instead of a few benches, and the shade of the big bamboo trees, it was a different angle view of the stream.
We met a photographer there who showed us some of his photos, which was magical. We told him that the elephants will only come there at night. He was waiting there in hope of clicking a few photos. It was time for us to leave. We went back to our room, pack our bags, and said goodbye to the caretaker boy. The guy was really amazing in his way of communicating and polite behavior.
Lunch – Meeting the Tamil Riders
Had lunch at a nearby local homely meal point. We met a group of Tamil riders there and it was nice talking to them as well. They were coming from Chennai and had visited many places in Kerala before visiting Mankulam. Unfortunately, they haven’t seen the elephants last night as they came across bad roads and Google Maps punished them by giving them some rough roads as well.
The lunch was tasty. It was definitely good in quality and taste when compared to the main restaurants in Anakkulam. We said bye to the riders and headed back on our return.
The Lakshmi Estate Route
As many people recommended us the Lakshmi Estate route throughout our Journey, we decided to try it even though it was not exactly on our way back to Kochi. The route was actually stranded and there weren’t many vehicles as well. However, the tea plantations and the curvy roads were unique. The roads were bad, which is the only reason why someone decides to ignore this route. After the tea plantations, there comes some residential areas and green open lands with cows and goats gracing. We didn’t have much time as we wanted to reach back home today itself, so we decided to avoid many stops in between, but the ride through Lakshmi Estate was excellent.
We entered Munnar town and saw the popular Eucalyptus Tree Photo Point closed with wire walls around it. After that, we had only 2 stops to have tea. Google showed us some shortcuts by which we reached Aluva quickly. We had Dinner from Slice of Spice, Near High court, Ernakulam, and reached back home by 9:00 PM.
No doubt that this was an amazing tour to start the New Year. Hope we shall come back to Anakkulam again soon.
Other rides:
Ride to Trivandrum to witness the Independence Day Parade
Riding to Marayoor to view the Jacaranda Tree Blossom Season
