Chasing Rain In Secret Spots With Local-Favorite Monsoon Escapes Near Kochi
1. Anchuthengu Backwaters
Anchuthengu maintains its status as a tranquil backwater destination which has successfully avoided becoming a popular tourist hotspot within 30 kilometers from Kochi. When monsoon season arrives the backwaters at this location transform into a colorful natural landscape under refreshing wind conditions. Small villages together with coconut groves and peaceful waterways create the ideal environment for either canoeing or taking a houseboat journey throughout this region. The 17th century British-built Anchuthengu Fort extends a historical aspect to what otherwise functions as an unassuming location.
2. Cherai Beach
The population of beachgoers at Cherai Beach stays mainly during peak periods because they do not discover its quiet charm during monsoon seasons. Cherai exists as a 25-kilometer neighborhood outside Kochi that provides beach and backwater encounters to its visitors. At this time the rain creates an attractive natural scene where the Vypeen Island lagoon merges with the Arabian Sea. Travel to the empty beach coast to hear wave music while tasting local seafood offerings obtained from mobile eateries scattered throughout the area.
3. Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Nature fans will discover Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary at the center of Kochi city as a carefully protected sanctuary. The urban oasis of Kochi receives its transformation during monsoon season when numerous migratory birds arrive to visit its wetlands. The calm waters and dense mangrove forests at this location support the natural habitat of the Indian Pond Heron as well as the Common Kingfisher and Little Cormorant species. Visitors can find peace from urban chaos while spending time at this location.
4. Edamalayar Forest Reserve
Nature enthusiasts must experience Edamalayar Forest Reserve which lies about 50 kilometers from Kochi city. The pristine forest reserve maintains its position within Periyar Tiger Reserve because it demonstrates dense evergreen forests alongside rolling hills and several cascading waterfalls. During monsoon season the region acquires exceptional beauty because rapidly moving streams flow through forests while mist makes peaks appear enchanted. The trekking paths within this wilderness area let you observe numerous wild animals including elephants and deer together with numerous unique bird species.
5. Paniyeli Poru
Facing the Periyar River bank at a short distance from Aluva town you will find secluded Paniyeli Poru. The place earned its name because two flowing rivers ('two rivers') converge at a 'church' to create 'natural pool ('paniyeli')'. The river grows swollen with monsoon water which forms breathtaking falls combined with wild greenery throughout the season. People living nearby choose Paniyeli Poru for their picnics and day outings but most visitors outside the area have yet to discover it. Anyone visiting the water should remember to bring waterproof equipment before entering the waters.
Wrapping Up
The hidden monsoon destinations around Kochi provide travelers with an opportunity to escape overcrowded tourist areas while experiencing the genuine landscape of Kerala. Each destination surrounding Anchuthengu backwaters and Idamalayar forests brings a distinctive experience. The remote locations provide magic-filled experiences that match your personal preferences between enjoying natural landscapes and historical sites and relaxing vacation moments. Explore these secret havens of Kochi during the rainy season if you visit the city to discover their magical attraction.
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In many places, Perry stayed in dharamshalas or rest houses built for Hindu pilgrims. 'In most Hindu villages, there is a public building entirely for travellers, maintained, not by Government, but by the community; and an immense convenience to wayfarers it is,' he wrote. 'In Europe we have no institution at all of a similar character (possibly it is the climate which does not allow it) which does so much good at such little expense.' Perry described Hinduism as a 'beneficent' religion for its followers and remarked that even sceptics benefited from its customs. 'To the poorest Hindu in every village there is a hotel, in the shape of a temple, where he will find lodgings, good company, water, and, no doubt, if he is in actual want, food,' he wrote. 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However, he argued that the British had to prioritise relationships with the 'Bunnea' (merchant) class and cultivators in order to help India progress. Delhi's monuments Perry's journey then took him through Jaipur and to Agra, where he, like so many others, was awestruck by the Taj Mahal. 'I have seen no view that does anything like justice to it, especially to the garden front, where the blending of the avenue of dark cypresses with the white marble of the edifice has something indescribably beautiful,' he wrote. 'Akbar's tomb is not so nearly happily imagined, and is much inferior in architectural pretension to the tomb at Futtehpur, but it is imposing from its size, and from the large architectural garden about it, and it likewise impresses one with an interest from continuing the ashes of so great, wise, and good a sovereign as Akbar, having, so far as my historical knowledge extends, no superior, and I think no equal.' He was also struck by how well the city's monuments were maintained. 'There is something about the monuments at Agra which is very gratifying – I mean the decorous manner in which they are kept. They are as clean and neat as St. Peter's, at Rome, and cleaner-looking than St. Paul's; and the gardens about them are in full bearing with oranges and roses, which quite cover the expense of keeping the premises in repair and good order.' From Agra, Perry continued to Mathura and then Delhi, which also left a strong impression on him. 'Delhi is very remarkable as an Indian city from its abundance of Mahomedans, the proportion to the Hindus, being one to two; in no other place that I have been in is it more than one to ten,' he wrote. 'The principal mosque, the Jama Masjid, has its steps covered with idlers, with traffickers, and vendors of doves, just as one might suppose was the case with the Temple at Jerusalem; and the masjid, from its large proportions, is very imposing.' 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Before leaving Punjab, he had a brief but memorable encounter with Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. 'He is a fine boy of eleven years old, and is accompanied by his relative, a younger boy, the son of Shere Singh,' Perry wrote. 'They were calling on the general here, Sir Dudley Hill, and the boys seemed amused by being led through, and introduced to, all the intricacies of a well-mounted English establishment.' His book also offers a rare 19th-century European perspective on Nepal, a kingdom that, at the time, remained mostly closed to foreigners. Thomas Erskine Perry returned to Britain in 1853 and was elected to the House of Commons the following year. He spent six more years there, delivering lectures about India, a country he truly loved. In 1859, he moved back to India and served for over two decades on the Council of India, an advisory body to the Secretary of State for India.
