Eravikulam National Park | Image Resource: keralatourism.org
As the saying goes, pictures say a thousand words. When I was in college, I was deeply inspired by the movie 3 Idiots to take up wildlife photography as a career. Since then, I have taken pictures of wild animals and birds across the different parts of India. Recently, I travelled to Munnar to visit the Eravikulam National Park. The journey from Vadodara to Ernakulam by the Rajdhani Express was a long, yet comfortable one. From there I reached Munnar by a cab.
My hotel was based in one of the prime locations of the city. My room was a well-equipped one with access to a wide range of amenities such as sofa seating, rain shower, LCD TV, thick extra-large pocketed spring mattress, study table and partial bathroom toiletries. Here are some of the major aspects of the trip which made my Munnar trip a memorable one: –
Exploring Eravikulam National Park
The next morning, I went out to visit the Eravikulam National Park. Nestled by tea plantations and rolling hills, the park looked alluringly beautiful because of the flowering of Neelakurinji. This plant grows in this part of Western Ghats only once in twelve years. The highpoint of my visit was having a glimpse of the Nilgiri Tahr, an endangered species. These mountain goats are closely connected with the Himalayan Tahr which inhabits the southern part of the Himalayas and Arabian Tahr found in the arid mountains of Oman.
I took several pictures of the mountain goat which usually resides in the borders of the grassy plateau. They sometimes visit the shrub lands located at the base of the cliffs. The animals tend to avoid Sholas, but sometimes feed in their peripheries. The national park is also home to wild animals such as tigers, leopards, jackals and wild dogs.
Dining
Orchid Highlands Munnar | Image Resource: orchidmunnar.com
I returned to the Orchid Highlands Munnar for my lunch. The Ludisia Restaurant offers a wide range of cuisines. I ordered for a dish named Chemeen Pollichathu (Pan Smeared Prawns). Cooked using a wide range of spices, lime juice and coconut milk, it had a slightly sour tang and helped me enjoy a hearty meal. I also enjoyed the Kozhikode Biryani which is prepared using a wide range of spices, a little amount of chillies and a boiled egg. The restaurant offers a backdrop of the Nilgiri hills. I spent the evening, enjoying a cup of coffee with some snacks at The Lycaste Café. I didn’t know that Malayalis could make such tasty dishes. It generated an interest in me about food from this part of the country. Since then, I have learnt to make a number of Malayali delicacies on my own.
What made the trip successful?
The green hills and tea plantations close to the Eravikulam National Park added to its scenic beauty. The pictures which I took here were published in a well-known travel magazine based in Mumbai. The trip thus helped me to strengthen my portfolio and gain more recognition as a wildlife photographer.
Bhavin Backpacker 