How To Get To Munnar, Kerala - Kochi to Munnar by Bus
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We started our Kerala trip in Kochi and our second stop on our adventure was Munnar. This is a common route travellers will take in Kerala. At the moment (March 2020) there are only 2 ways of getting to Munnar; by bus or by car, there are no trains to Munnar. You could hire a taxi or a driver to take you there but I encourage you to take a bus. It is a great experience to have in India and A LOT cheaper!
The thought of catching a bus in India made me feel a little nervous; How will I know what bus to catch?Where do I get the bus from? What times are they leaving? Where can I put my bag? When do I know where to get off? A lot of us have all these thoughts running through our heads, including myself. That is why I have wrote this comprehensive guide on how to get the bus from Kochi to Munnar. Heres a hint: It’s really easy!
Something I learnt whilst travelling on my own is that all you need to do is ASK! You'll be surprised how much people are willing to help and won’t bite your head off for asking a simple question! Even though I have created this guide on how to get to Munnar, information and details are forever changing. That is why it is still a good idea to ask people for information when you are there as well.
Shreya and I asked one of the guys working at the hostel how to get to Munnar and he told us to get a bus from KSRTC bus terminal, there was a bus leaving at X time the next morning and the buses were non AC. In the mean time, Shreya had done her own research and discovered there were AC buses going from a bus terminal called Vyttila Mobility Hub. We decided to go there instead.
In the end we were glad we took the LMS private bus because we saw a few of the KSRTC buses and in our opinion, they didn't look as nice and as comfortable as our bus. They may of been cheaper, but our bus was still pretty cheap anyway!
Fort Kochi to the Bus Terminal Vyttila Mobility Hub
You are most likely going to be staying in Fort Kochi and the bus terminal is located in the main part of Kochi, which means it can be a long drive to the terminal. Keep this in mind if you want to get to the bus terminal bright and early. Shreya and I didn’t leave Fort Kochi until 9.30am and our journey took about 45 minutes in a rickshaw for 300 INR (150 INR each).
LMS private bus from Kochi to Munnar
Vyttila Mobility Hub - http://www.vyttilamobilityhub.com
We arrived at 10:15am, a little later then we had planned. We walked around and looked at all the buses and one of them said ‘Munnar’ on the front of it. It was a private bus called ‘LMS’. We asked the man and he said the bus wasn't leaving until 11:30am, it was the only bus here going to Munnar and it was non AC.
We were confused because the timetable on the website had conflicting information. Long story short, don't always believe what the internet says! First thing we did was walk around and look at all the buses to confirm it was definitely the only bus going to Munnar. (The man could of been saying that because he worked for that bus company.) But unfortunately, it was the only bus going to Munnar that we could see. We realised the AC was only on some buses running early in the morning from about 7am, so If you want AC make sure you get there early! But to be honest the non AC was fine with all the windows open. The next annoying thing was that we would have to wait over an hour before we left for Munnar. We were considering going to the KSRTC bus station because maybe they had an earlier bus. In the end we decided against this because by the time we got there we probably would be leaving at a similar time anyway.
TIP: There is a pharmacy/chemist at the bus station where you pick up motion sickness tablets. You WILL need them for the windy roads going up to Munnar. They make you very drowsy, hence why later on I mention you must have a window seat because you won’t be able to stay awake!
The bus journey
Seating - Where do I sit?
The seat configuration on the bus is 2 and 3. Shreya and I sat on our own seats on the 2 seat side, we didn't want to get squashed in with 2 extra people on the 3 seat side. I also noticed that the women usually sat more towards the front and the men towards the back. Even though the bus wasn't full when we left the bus terminal, make sure you get on early to claim the spot you want. We stayed in our seats against the window even if random people sat next to us because It was always better to be next to the window so you can rest your head and sleep. The bus ride was very bumpy and windy going through the tea fields, making the isle seat a little uncomfortable, especially if you are dosing off from those motion sickness tablets you took!
Storage - Where do I put my bag?
One thing I didn't want to do is leave my bag in the compartment under the bus, I wanted it to be with me at all times. But our big backpacks wouldn't fit under our seat or on the shelves above us. The good thing was that the bus conductor put our bags on a platform at the very front of the bus next to the driver. This meant we could see our bags at all times. Ask the conductor if you can do the same.
Fare - How do I pay & how much?
The great thing about this bus (and I would assume the same for other buses around India) is that the bus conductor collects the fare once they have left the terminal or the stop. When you get on, you can sit down, relax and wait for the conductor to come over to you. All you need to do is ask how much it is and hand over the cash. I don’t think there is an option for card payment, but we used cash most of the time in India anyway. The bus fare from Kochi to Munnar was 120 INR.
Stops & Breaks - Will there be toilets and where can I find food?
The bus stopped twice on this 4 and half hour journey. We left the terminal at 11:30am and arrived at our first stop at about 2pm and our second stop was about 3:15pm. (The bus arrived in Munnar at about 4ish) Both stops were for roughly 20 minutes, they had public toilets and a lot of food options.
The toilets cost 5 INR to use and usually there is a mix of western and indian toilets. My advice would be to use the indian toilets because then you don't have to sit on a wet seat. The seat is usually wet in the western toilet because Indians use the hose instead of toilet paper. It is easier to squat then to balance over a toilet seat! Make sure you have toilet paper, wet wipes and hand sanitiser because you wont find any of those things there.
When it comes to finding food, make sure you look around at the different vendors. Try and find one that is clean and fly free. We found a really clean food vendor right near where our bus dropped us off on the first stop, so you should be able to find it easily. He had loads of yummy looking pastries, we went for some vegetarian pastries and little cakes.
Arriving at you destination & getting off at the correct stop
Not knowing where to get off and/or missing your stop can sometimes be the most daunting part of the journey. Because we had already spoken to the bus conductor he already knew we wanted to go to Munnar and I am pretty sure Munnar was the last stop of the journey anyway.
You can track your journey on google maps or download the map of the area on maps.me if you don't have data. As we were tracking our journey on the map, we realised our hostel was actually closer to a town before Munnar called Anachal. We asked the bus conductor if the bus stopped at Anachal and if we could get off there instead. When we reached Anachal, he rang the bell for the bus driver to stop and got our bags for us. The bus conductor would ring the bus for anyone who was getting off and ensure they got off before the bus departed.
How easy was it?!
This bus ride was hassle free, relatively comfortable and only a short journey (compared to some travel days in India) We had our own seat the entire journey and we watched the beautiful tea fields of Munnar for hours on end!
