Last updated on September 11th, 2023 at 03:09 pm
Munnar-Valparai drive in monsoon is a heavenly experience!
If you can brave the rains, it is best to go to Munnar in monsoon. Less crowds, fabulous greenery, lovely waterfalls, beautiful lakes……all these makes Munnar a marvellous monsoon destination.
We were in Munnar in monsoon of 2014. We recounted our experiences in a series of posts on this blog covering lakes, top station and drives through the ghats. Our aim again was to drive in monsoon and enjoy the nature at its best. We have been doing this for quite some time as a ritual. You may check out our drives in Chikmagalur or Malnad or to Goa in monsoon at the end of this post.
We never expected that Munnar-Valparai drive via Athirappally falls will be another mesmerising monsoon drive. Especially the drive from Munnar to Athirapally Falls. But it was to be. Lovely road. Early morning mist. Greenery all around. Overflowing streams. Glorious waterfalls. Beautiful Ghat roads. Canopy of trees. All these made the Munnar-Valparai one of the most memorable drives.
The route we took – https://goo.gl/maps/LoUfM7cDMS92
Join us as we take you through this mesmerising drive…..
It had rained heavy on the previous night. Typical rain in Western Ghats. Hard. Even when we got up in the morning it was raining. We start our Munnar-Valparai drive via Athirapally falls. The Scorpio is all set to go!
Wet road. Water dripping from trees. Mist and green. We start….
We are immediately greeted by a lovely stream. Last night’s heavy rain had brought in copious water.
From now onwards, we drive along the stream. Sometimes wider. Sometimes jumping over the rocks to form lovely cascades…….
We hit the highway. Soon we are greeted by this beautiful waterfalls. We are not sure about its name. A small hydro-electric project was being built here.
From here onwards the drive gets more spectacular. We virtually drive under canopy of trees. Numerous small cascades flow from the rocks on the road side. As Poorna takes a turn, we are stunned to see this spectacle…….
A lovely waterfall gently jumping over the huge rock. A rain fed waterfall, it is visible only in monsoon.
Another few kilometres of drive and we are greeted by another beautiful waterfalls. A big one. This must be Valara waterfalls.
From now onwards, it s a procession of beautiful cascades along the way. Each one beautiful on their own…
We see a small crowd from the distance. Yes, people are enjoying the lovely cascades of Cheeyappara Waterfalls, the tallest on this road. Gently cascading over numerous steps, it is spectacular.
The lush green forests with mist all around…..
The landscape is lovely. Look at these rocky hills soaked in water!
As we drive past enjoying the spectacular landscape, we are greeted by another waterfalls at a distance. We could see it through the binoculars and enjoy its beauty.
We reach Kaladi, the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya. The temple is on the banks of Periyar river is serene. We stop for few minutes. Since we were wearing shorts, we were not allowed inside. We continue our journey and stop at Athirapally Falls which was at is at awesome best. Please check out all details about Athirapally falls here.
Athirapally Falls – Awesomely beautiful!
After a stopover at Athirapally Falls and lunch, we start our journey to Valparai. We had heard a lot about this stretch from the doyen of road-trippers H V Kumar and we are naturally excited.
We stopover at two other lovely spots at Vazhanchal Falls (below) and Chapara Falls on the way.
The journey from Athirapally falls to Valparai should rank as one of the loveliest monsoon drives. Driving on a lovely road inside thick forest, you climb over the mountains to Valparai which is at a height. Look at the road covered by mist below.
And the cascades….
Then the iconic picture of Twosome!
And more cascades….
Driving on, we were savouring the beauty of the lovely valley when we saw beautiful backwaters of Poringalkuthu Reservoir. We reach the view-point where we find few cars enjoying the fabulous sight of the backwaters below.
The lovely valley view as we drive on top of the hills.
We descend and cross the Kerala border to enter Tamil Nadu. The first sight of backwaters of Sholayar dam. Valparai is another hidden gem in the western ghats. We have had a lovely experience of the place which can be read here.
Valparai – The unexplored wonder!
We strongly recommend you plan a trip to Munnar in Monsoon. We bet you will you will come back with lovely memories!
Travel Tips
- This drive is best done in monsoon. Especially the Munnar – Kaladi stretch. Athirapally Falls and Valparai is beautiful in all seasons.
- The drive from Athirapally Falls goes through some narrow ghat roads.
- If you are planning a vacation to Valparai, please make a day trip to Athirapally falls. This can be comfortably done.
Other Monsoon Drive experiences in this blog
Chikmagalur – Monsoon drive in wesetrn ghats!
Monsoon drive in Wesetrn Ghats – Counting countless waterfalls!
Monsoon Drive to Goa 1 – Awestruck at Amboli Ghat!
Monsoon drive to Goa 2 – Amazed at Anmod Ghat!
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