It was a rainy evening when our journey began – seven close friends setting out together. Our plan was simple yet special: to witness the legendary Neelakurinji flowers in Munnar, which are said to bloom once every twelve years (though we hear this claim every year!). For us, it was the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
Outside, heavy rain was pouring – the leftover monsoon showers from the devastating 2018 Kerala floods. We also had a guest traveler with us: Ankit from Delhi, whom we affectionately called Anku Bhai. Since he was new to Kochi, he had warned us beforehand about the route to take from Vyttila. But lost in our excitement, laughter, and endless conversations, we missed the turn. That mistake pushed us onto the longer Aluva route – and with that, our grand Munnar adventure began with its very first twist.
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First Stop: Iravikulam and the Search for Neelakurinji
By dawn, we reached Munnar and found a hotel without much difficulty. True to Kerala’s charm, the place was vibrant but carried its share of rustic disarray. After waking up the tired hotel staff (literally pulling up the shutter to get them to attend to us!), we quickly refreshed and set out for our first destination – Eravikulam National Park.
The hills that were once painted with blooming Neelakurinji had become relatively silent. Here and there, a few flowers stood tall, almost as if peeking at us curiously, asking, “Did you finally come?” One of our friends proudly pointed to a flower and introduced it as Neelakurinji. We were overjoyed. We thought – so what if we didn’t see the Nilgiri Tahr, at least we saw Neelakurinji flowers!
Echo Point – and an Unexpected Attack
Next, we decided to visit Echo Point, one of Munnar’s most popular attractions. On the way, we spotted a group of people gathered around a roadside vendor selling fresh roasted corn. None of us were foodies, but somehow the corn looked irresistible.
As we stood there enjoying our hot corn, we suddenly heard the buzzing of bees. At first, just a couple circled us playfully. But within moments, an entire swarm charged toward us. Someone shouted, “Don’t panic! Run!” And so we did – running as fast as we could.
When we finally stopped and looked at each other, we burst out laughing. Everyone’s faces were swollen – the bees had stung almost all of us. Only two friends managed to escape without a sting. Poor Anku Bhai had been stung right on his head! Thankfully, it wasn’t serious, but to be safe, we all headed to a nearby hospital and took precautionary injections. And just like that, our adventurous Munnar trip ended right before Echo Point.
The Final Blow – A Cow’s Surprise
As if the bee attack wasn’t enough, while returning, a cow decided to give our vehicle a solid hit. Luckily, no one was injured, but it was the final unexpected twist to our so-called grand adventure.
The Shocking Truth
Back home, we discovered something that made us laugh even harder. The flower our friend had shown us with such confidence – the one we celebrated as Neelakurinji – was actually just a random wildflower! None of us had actually seen the real Neelakurinji. But to be fair, even he hadn’t seen one before
So, did we really see Neelakurinji? Maybe not. But what we definitely experienced was a memorable, funny, and truly adventurous trip to Munnar – one we’ll never forget.