My first trip after taking the Club Mahindra memberhsip was to head to Kerala (Munnar and Ashtamudi). I planned a 4 night stay in Munnar and 3 nights at Ashtamudi. Little did I know that these 7 days were going to be the most memorable of my excursions.
We started our journey on a pleasant Tuesday morning and after 5 tiring hours of being driven from the Coimbatore airport, the resort was a very pleasant sight. Our fatigue just vanished!
Pic : Udit Baranwal
A beautiful steward welcomed us in, applying sandalwood ‘tika’ on our forehead, with its fragrant, heavenly aroma. The cottage we were put in was nothing short of beautiful, and presented us an amazing view of the Munnar Lake. Instantly, the shutterbug inside me took over and I started clicking photos.
Munnar is situated 1,800 meters (5,906 ft) above mean sea level and the temperature during our stay remained between 15 o – 21o Celsius.
P.S. My wife likes the winter season and cold places. She now loves me more for I brought her here. 
After dinner, we spent some time at the swing, looking down at the valley in darkness. We realized how small Munnar was. It’s a very quiet hill station and its beauty lies in the tea plantations all around. Perfectly crafted in a symmetrical shape and size that is unbelievable.
Pic : Udit Baranwal
The next morning we headed to Mattaputty Dam, some 50 Kms from the resort and took a speedboat ride in the beautiful lake. What was amazing was the fact that he handled his boat with one hand at top speed and clicked my SLR camera with another at such an ease. Later back at our room, I checked the shots he had taken and they turned out to be the best of whole trip.
Pic : Udit Baranwal
Back at the esort, we indulged into various activities at the acctivity Center and for the first time I played the game of carrom with my wife. Speaking of games, the resort has a ‘giant chess’ and ‘mini golf’. Chess was fun to play and we burst into laughter as my wife outsmarted me and finally beat me.
After 4 days (and a few kgs. more), we bid goodbye to the courteous staff at the Club Mahindra Lakeview Resort.
We headed to the Club Mahindra Backwater Retreat, Ashtamudi. This beautiful resort is situated in the Kollam district in Kerala. Ashtamudi means ‘eight armed’ and is named after eight arms of the Ashtamudi Lake. Here too, even though it took us 7 tiring hours to cover a distance of 300Kms, the effort was worth it.
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Pic : Udit Baranwal
If cottages and the view at Munnar were beautiful, Ashtamudi was a site to behold. The sea started just 15 steps from our cottage and we were thrilled by the excitement. A hammock right in front of our cottage had me and my wife clamour for it!.
Next day we were invited to take a ride in the resort’s own cruise boat ‘Breeze’, which gave us an opportunity to savour the sights of the backwater. Small villages around it, people engrossed in daily activities and using small boats for conveyance was an amazing sight. You can also dine aboard the boat.
Pic : Udit Baranwal
A visit to the Kollam market was all my wife wanted as soon as we had landed here. She had heard a lot about the speciality of south Indian gold ornaments, silk saris, cashew nuts, spices and wanted a bit of everything. Later, we stopped to have a hearty meal at a local restaurant. There is something special about Kerala cuisine that makes even the simplest of dishes a treat. A very common dish, the “Fish Fry” never tasted this good anywhere in North India. The quintessential “Parota”, made it taste even better. It was only here I saw peas being used in chicken curry. I didn’t mind them. I think coconut oil has done the same wonders to Kerala cuisine as olive oil has done to the west.
We also got an opportunity to visit the Quilon Lighthouse. Close to 200 spiral steps later, we reached the top and met with a breathtaking view of the Kollam City covered with coconut trees and water.
Pics : Udit Baranwal
Back home, the nostalgia of our visit began to hit us. 3 days later, as we were chatting over tea and gobbled some Kerala snacks ’Shakravaratti‘ (Banana chips coated with Jaggery), she commended me on our decision. I couldn’t be more happier!
