A Mind Refreshing Trekking Trip in Kerala, India

This is one of my most memorable trekking trip in Kerala, India and we made this trip with a group of friends from our workplace. We were working hard at the office for the last few months as there were some tight deadlines and schedules that needed to be completed. We were feeling the heat and pressure and most of us needed a good break and finally we decided to plan a small trip and made sure that it will help us in making us feel relaxed away from our office works. We thought of a travel plan which include some kind of physical activity and ultimately decided to plan a trekking trip. In Kerala, there are a lot of trekking destinations and after searching for a lot of trekking spots on the internet, we decided upon an amazing yet largely undiscovered eco-tourism spot, which was sure to make an awesome trekking spot.

The trekking destination was known as Marottichal and was almost in the central part of Kerala and an important part of the Western Ghats. It was a hilly area largely isolated from the major towns and the place is actually a reserved forest area under the Government of Kerala. The place is around 83 kilometers from Kochi and almost 20 kilometers away from Thrissur. Thrissur is the nearest big town to Marottichal and after that we had to take a small village route, which covered many villages before reaching the entrance of Marottichal trekking spot.

We started early in the morning and made sure that we reached the trek spot much before the sun shines over our head, as it would make us easily tired in the heat. Since the trekking spot was an isolated place, we made sure that we were equipped with enough food and water. We brought food and water on our way, and was almost ready to take the trekking adventure in the isolated place.

The main attraction of the trekking spot was a pretty decent waterfall, also known as Marottichal waterfalls, which really looks spectacular at its best. At the starting point of the trekking destination, we cannot see anything of the waterfalls and in order to view the waterfall we need to take a 3-4 kilometers walks and it would take around 2-3 hours as the trekking path is steep and a lot of uphill walks are required. With our normal level of fitness, we are sure to get tired and we made sure that we took necessary breaks in the middle so as to avoid fatigue and dehydration. We also drank enough water to avoid any kind of fitness issues.

We parked at the start of the trekking spot as there were not good roads or paths along the trekking routes where we can drive a vehicle. We were quite aware that the path was indeed wildish and hence we made sure that we parked our car before starting our trek. I was really amazed to see the beauty of the village along with the side of the jungle. The starting point of the trek was really a village and after 5 minutes of walk, we slowly started realizing that we are leaving residential land and entering an entirely wild and isolated place. There were streams of water running near our path and there were a few travellers enjoying a batch in the water streams.

Gradually we started entering more into the forest and before that we were warned by a local man that there is the threat of wild elephants and to make sure that we don't get in their way. The wild elephants usually go in groups and we made sure that we did not intersect their route of travel. I was really amazed to see how beautiful the place was and it has all the potential of becoming a major eco-tourism in south India. Everything was calm and wild and no hassles of the urban life are to be seen. We started walking freely and there were hardly any sign-boards towards the waterfall. So we were very much careful and followed the wild path carefully.

The Jungle paths are narrow and at times, they tend to disappear as our trekking expedition progressed. We almost lost our way among some medium sized rock and we all searched for the path in different directions. Ultimately we saw a small trail of the wild path and decided to travel along that. The most disappointing thing was there were no mobile network coverage and hence we were not able to locate the waterfall by using Google maps or any other map services. There were random trekkers along our routes and most of them were confused about the right path.

But based on some assumptions, we resumed trekking up the hill and we also made sure that we made enough breaks in between. On our way, there were small water streams and we were sure that the water is eligible for drinking and we drank and collected the stream water in our bottles. After around more than 3 hours of trekking towards the top of the hill we were really feeling tired and even thought of returning back. We had some amount of luggage in the form of food and clothes on our shoulders and we were also concerned about the right route. If we have taken the wrong path, then all our efforts would be in vain and would turn out to be a worst travel and trekking experience.

But after a good amount of trek, we were able to hear something. We focused our ears more and then we realized that it was the sound of water falling from huge height. A sense of happiness and excitement sparked our minds and we again started believing that we had chosen the right path. It was sure that the sound was from the waterfall and we made it sure that we were trekking along the right direction. We were recharged again and the sound of the waterfalls induced a new sense of energy and enthusiasm, which made us trek faster towards the waterfalls. After climbing some more distance, we were at last able to see the view of the waterfall on the hill just opposite to the one on which were standing. We started shouting in disbelief and the view of the waterfall was really amazing.

We started taking some snaps of the waterfalls from the top of the hill that we were standing and really enjoyed the view for some time over there. Then we decided to move closer to the waterfalls and planned to take a batch and some rest at the bottom of the waterfall. So we started our trek downhill and after some time, we were able to reach the bottom of the waterfalls. The view of the waterfall from the bottom made us go crazy and during that time the waterfall was neither extreme nor feeble. There was a pretty good sized waterfalls and the situations were very much suited to take a batch and enjoy under the waterfall.

Once we reached the bottom of the waterfalls, we decided to take some shower under the falls. Before that we started jumping over the rocks and finally reached the main point of the waterfall. We had some shower under the waterfall and the heavy water falling from such a huge height really created shocks in our head and it felt heavy. After taking the showers, we had our lunch which we had brought in the morning and also took some rest. After taking some rest and taking some snaps, we again had a small shower. After the second shower, we almost felt tired and decided to go back. It was also getting dark and we were afraid that some wild animals such as elephants might get around once it starts getting dark.

The return trek was really frustrating and we were almost tired. But since we did not have to climb a lot during the return trip, we almost made it back in 2 and a half hour. By the time we reached the bottom of the trekking route, we were very much tired and some of us were experiencing heavy head ache. This was mainly caused as a result of staying under the heavy falls of water for a much longer time.

Anyhow, after travelling for almost 2.5 hours, I reached home and went straight away to my bed and fell asleep without taking the dinner. The next day also, I was feeling headache and since it was an off day, I managed to get rid of it by taking some rest at home. But overall the trek to Marottichal was a memorable experience and we are planning to visit this place once again when we get time.

If you are looking for a calm and wild place for trekking or sightseeing, then I would highly recommend a trekking trip to the Marottichal waterfall and am sure that you will not regret the decision. Remember that it is not highly recommended for a family trip, as it has several risk factors associated with it. Also this trip is recommended for those who are having a good health condition as the trek requires a lot of physical strength and fitness level.

I am also sharing some videos that I have captured during my trekking trip to Marottichal. Hope you enjoy them.