This holiday was with a couple of friends, and we landed in Bangalore – “the Indian Silicon Valley”, and after a couple of days there, we took a plane to Kochi/Cochin, Kerala. This state in South West India has the biggest percentage of Christians in India and that relates to that Kerala was a intermedia stay in the old days when spices were sailed from Eastern Asia to Europe.
From Kochi we took a taxi to Munnar. We should have taken the local bus, but my wife was a little sick that day. 

On our way up to Munnar, brilliant landscapes revealed themselves, and several times we told the driver to stop taking some landscape shots. The rolling hills adorned with neat rows of tea bushes created an enchanting scene that was hard to resist. We came across workers handpicking tea leaves. These workers, often dressed in colorful garments, added life to the picturesque scenery, making it even more appealing to photography. From Munnar we even took a trip with a jeep to the highest situated tea factory in the world, just across the border to Tamil Nadu.
Tea cultivation in Munnar dates back to the late 19th century. The region’s cool temperatures, high altitude, and rich soil create the perfect setting for growing various types of tea, including black, green, and white teas. The first tea estate was set up in 1879, and since then, the tea industry has flourished, making Munnar one of the leading tea producers in India.

The Kerala backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and canals parallel to the Arabian Sea. It also includes interconnected lakes, rivers, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways. We took a cruise for 3 nights on a houseboat. The trip was so relaxing, sitting on the deck, exploring and photographing the life around you. Especially the sunsets with the warm light were marvelous. We also experienced a Christian wedding in a church
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem: freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. A barrage has been built, so salt water from the sea is prevented from entering deep inside the system, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes. Palm trees and various leafy plants, and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green and fertile landscape.