Yellapatty: Munnar from a Different Angle

If you are an intrepid traveler looking for an offbeat travel destination that is far away from the chaotic tourist trail then let me take you to one of the hidden mountain gateways of this country – Yellapatty and surely you will come back elated. It is a secluded peak in the Kanan Devi Hills of Munnar with its breathtaking picturesque of mountain ranges, green valleys and buffered zone tea gardens.

While you are planning to visit Kerala, I know Munnar will be there in your bucket. Munnar is often presented as a one day tourist destination to be covered among the bouquet of Kerala destinations. But giving a day to Munnar will not be justice because you are not supposed to miss the hidden gems of this land. Normal 1-2 day itinerary of Munnar is easily available now a days, on which I am not being comprehensive, rather I will be taking you to one of the hidden gems of Munnar that you are not supposed to miss if you are in search of something unconventional.

Yellapatty is a small village in the outskirt of Munnar which is around 26km from the main town. Being untouched from the chaotic tourist trail it will be a perfect choice for you if you want to add some adventure to your trip which will be like adding some ice cubes to the glass of wine. You can stay in tents amidst tea gardens with breathtaking view of mountain ranges and tea gardens from your tents, have adventurous activities Jhummering, rock climbing, etc;  and have some thrilling treks exploring the buffered zone tea gardens and forests.

Here I am going to give a brief itinerary that you should follow for your day in Yellapatty. If you are travelling from some other places by cab; I would always recommend you not to make a night stay in Munnar town rather stay in out skirt tea garden cottages. Although the former will be cheaper, but adding some more bucks will give you a lifetime experience which you will be cherishing throughout your life.

Weather and Season: Personally I always prefer to visit Mountains during winter and forests during post monsoon seasons. Then you will get their own beauty. So the best time to visit Yellapatty is during the winters. 

Whom to choose for your tour organizer in Yellapatty:  There are many tour operators in Munnar who are organizing camping activities but you should be little choosy when it comes to services. I had consulted with a few during my travel to Yellapatty and opted for Route 49 Adventure as my tour operator. The best thing that I felt in them is their customization and services. As we were in a big group of 107, but Team Route 49 handled it so swiftly that we didn’t felt any such pressure from the organizing committee.  

Itinerary:

Day 0: Start from your origin and try to reach Munnar within afternoon or evening. I will prescribe you to cover the sightseeing that comes on your way on this day which I am not going into detail. Reach your cottage and have a tight sleep on the lap of Kanan Devi Hills.

Day 1: Today you will be travelling to your main destination –Yellapatty. Post breakfast start for your sightseeing. Keep your bags in hotel if you are carrying any trolley. As you are going for an adventure trek so rucksacks or backpacks will be the only suitable one. The road to Yellapatty diverts from Munnar bus stand, where you will take the road towards Matupetty Dam from the main market.  After covering Matupetty and Echo point, move towards Yellapatty which is an hour drive from Echo point. The road traverses through the forest on one side and Dam on the other and leaving the tea gardens one after another. After a drive of around 30mins you will feel the silence of this place, hue and cry of tourist place will go lower gently as you ascend one after another mountains, slowly the clouds will welcome you with tea gardens on both side. Yes now you have reached your destination –Yellapatty. Route 49 have their own camp site which is a 3km trek from the parking area. Team boys will be there to guide you to the campsite.  (You need to reach the campsite within 2pm). Once you start the trekking to the campsite through the buffered zone tea gardens, with and above the clouds and through the dense  forests  you will start feeling the difference of this place with normal Munnar tea gardens. After a short trek of 3km, you will get a warm welcome from the team who will be ready with hot soups. What can be better than having hot and tasty soups after a 3km trek in such a cold environment? Now Sebin from Route 49 will guide you through the rules and regulations of the campsite, the activities that you will be doing over there. Once the session is over, choose tents and leave for the day’s activities.  Now while coming to tent I must admit that they provide the best tents that I have seen till now. Most of the tents are from Quechua and are of 3-4 people’s capacity. Good quality clean sleeping bags are also there in all the tents. One thing which many of us worry in

camping is about the toilet tent which I can guarantee that they will not upset you in that also as far as I have seen in their services.  Today you will be going through the most exciting activity of this campsite- Jhummering. They will take you to a place where they have made all arrangements. Yes it’s totally safe but thrilling at the same time. 

One thing that I must warn you is the leeches. This place has a lot of leeches so you must check your feet regularly. And as I feel if you are here and not attacked by leeches once, then you are unlucky. After all when you are in a forest you should let them also to welcome you.   Once you return to the campsite you will be amazed to see how the bon fire area is well decorated with chairs circled and wood is about to set on fire in the middle. BBQ chicken will be there for you in the house. I bet you will not think of entering the tent and take rest. Not even once. Just sit there together; guitarist is there for you from the team.  Live music, BBQ on plate, wood is on fire, and your loved ones are beside you. There is immense darkness around you – the darkness in the forest behind you,the darkness in the tea gardens in front you, but there will be an immense brightness of that dark night. The bright faces in the bon fire singing songs one after the other, playing games, leg pulling each other and above all, all of them are busy in making memories. Complete your dinner with some delicious dishes offered by the team. You will be offered your dinner in buffet style. Post dinner is the best time of this campsite. Just sit in your tent with front part open and feel the warmth of this cold night, the starry sky, the mountain peaks in front of you which is drenched by the moon light, the murmurs of the cascading waterfall. Gently you will feel that the sleeping bag is calling you for a tight sleep in the land of Yellapatty. Good night Fellas!

Day 2: Good morning Yellapatty!! Its 5.30am and Sun is peeping from the cleavage of the mountains. You are almost ready for the sunrise, right? Yes you can’t afford to stay in the tent because you are in the sunrise point only. And peak in front of you is drenched with orange yellow light, and above you is the drone. Yes my friend, Sebin is behind there operating the drone and bidding you a very good morning in a style. After the sunrise enjoy the drone shots, Sebin and his team is there with the camera. You need to be in a hurry today, as you have to start your trek within 9.30am. Post breakfast take the fruits that they are giving, carry sufficient water during the trek. The trek distance total is 8km and it will take you to Top Valley one of the magnificent peaks of this area with its majestic view around. The trek starts with forest trails which leads into tea garden. The tea gardens are of core zone, you can even see deer on the way. Clouds are around slowly moving with you and across you, across the tea gardens. These are core zone tea gardens and less explored by tourists. So you can feel the difference with those in Munnar. After around 5km walk through the tea gardens, you will come across a point from where steep hiking starts. Bags should be very light and covered shoe is must in these areas. Guides will be there with you. Sebin will move with all capturing the pictures of the gardens, the villages that you are passing by.  After 3km steep ascend you will conquer one of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats- Top Valley which is at a height of 6420ft above the sea level. The exquisite beauty of the mountains ranges in front of you, and valley below you is totally worth of. Spend some time over here, enjoy the majestic peaks around you, the tea gardens, the villages far below you and in between clouds are moving in a gentle flow.

Now it’s time to bid Good Bye to Top Valley and return back with all the memories that you made. Steep descend of 4km will take you to the parking area at around 3.30pm. Your cab is waiting there for you. Head towards your next destination with all the memories of Yellapatty.  A perfect end to your Yellapatty trip that will be etched in your memory forever.

At a glance:

Location: Yellapatty (Kanan Devi Hills, 26 km from Munnar Bus Stand).

Altitude: 6420 ft.

Activities: Camping, Trekking, Bon Fire, Jhummering, etc.

Time to visit: Winter is the best time to visit this place.

Trekking: Easy to Moderate

Route 49 Adventure: 8281814949 (Sebin)

Charges taken by Route 49 were quite nominal and at par with the services.Directly contact with them.

For any further query refer to my Email Id below.

Anirban Chakraborty

(acanirban90@gmail.com)