Your first evening at Kodamanju
Tea on the verandah, a hot water bottle and dinner at one long table: what to expect when you arrive.
The drive from Kochi to Kodamanju
Three and a half hours, the climb after Adimali and where to stop for tea: a guide to the road up from the airport.
Most of our guests arrive through Kochi airport, about 110 km away. The drive takes three and a half hours in good weather and four or more in the monsoon or on a holiday weekend. We can book a taxi for ₹4,200, or you can drive or take a bus to Munnar town and let us pick you up free.
The first hour and a half, through Aluva, Perumbavoor and Kothamangalam, is on busy plains roads with heavy traffic, so leave the airport by 2 pm at the latest if you want to arrive before dark. After Kothamangalam, the road begins to climb into the forest. Neriamangalam bridge over the Periyar is a good place to stretch your legs, and the Cheeyappara waterfalls, just beside the road, are worth a short stop in the monsoon when they are full.
Adimali, roughly two hours from the airport, is the last town of any size before the hills, and a good place for lunch or a meal of appam and curry at one of the small hotels. From there, the climb becomes steeper, with hairpin bends and the first tea estates appearing on the slopes.
We are 14 km before Munnar town on Pothamedu Road, so you do not need to drive through the town itself. Annie will send a location pin and a short description of the last turn when you confirm. Phone signal is patchy in the last few kilometres, so download the route before you leave Kochi. Ring us from Adimali, and the kettle will be on when you arrive.
