Lush greenery, incessant rain, cloud-kissed valleys, serene twisty mountain roads, and Honda cars at our disposal: the perfect recipe for a scenic adventure
Story: Gaurav Davare
Photography: Honda Cars India, Gaurav Davare
It’s the peak of the monsoon season in India when the searing summer temperatures have simmered down and you get nature at its absolute best with lush greenery. It also forms a perfect backdrop for one to go on a road trip and that’s exactly what we did with the 13th edition of “Honda Drive to Discover”.
The main theme of this event is to have a convoy of journalists with Honda cars at their disposal exploring the many gems of India, not needing to stick to a particular convoy, allowing for more personalized discoveries. This time, the theme was “Monsoon Trails” and, as the name suggests, it was a monsoon road trip during which we discovered the best gems that South India has to offer over a four-day period, travelling from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.
Starting our journey from Kochi, our steed for the day was the Honda Elevate Signature Black Edition, specced with a seven-step CVT gearbox, paired to the 121-hp 1.5-litre naturally aspirated i-VTEC petrol engine. I always appreciated the Elevate’s road trip credentials with its easy-to-use and comfortable driving experience and our journey to Athirappilly showcased that again. Sure, the opening day’s journey was a short one, but it was interesting to witness the quick transition from city streets to scenic forests and majestic waterfalls. There was even a bit of wildlife spotted in the form of elephants along the way. A nice little appetiser to kick things off.
It was on our second leg that the adventure really began as we drove to Munnar. This time, we switched over to the Honda Amaze with the 90-hp 1.2-litre petrol engine, paired to a five-speed manual gearbox. Exiting Athirappilly was an interesting scenario with more dense forests and narrower roads, giving off a mini-safari theme of sorts. Moving through the beautiful riverbeds around Manapattu Chira we were at the halfway mark of our 125-kilometre-long journey when we made the transition from one part of the countryside into another. Forests gave way to valleys and winding roads kissed with bouts of rain.
Fun fact, my previous visit to Munnar was a road trip from Pune, back in 2016, on a family holiday and we did it in a Honda Mobilio. It was a nice bit of coincidence to be back here driving a Honda car again. Speaking of the Amaze, sure it’s compact and you need to be in a high rev-band in lower gears to tackle steep ascents comfortably, but it didn’t feel out of place and made for a fine road trip companion.
As I reached Munnar, the memories came rushing back: beautiful hilltops, greenery all over, and the most important bit, valleys wearing cloud cover. Yes, Munnar is known for its spices and tea plantations, but this place in the hills is also a paradise for those who love driving. The roads were excellent and they didn’t mercilessly cut through the hills; rather they flowed with them. My favourite bit was the Attukad Waterfall that not only looks majestic but the road to it is quite an adventure in itself. Extremely narrow stretches with tight hairpins and dense forest cover with tea plantations complementing the scenery and a gushing waterfall at the end of it. The bridge to the waterfall may seem too narrow to get a car through at first sight but it was actually possible and quite a sight to behold.
Next up was going from one hill station to another: Munnar to Kodaikanal. This 190-km journey had its fair mix of twisties and highway stretches, our companion this time being the Honda City e:HEV. It started off in quite a picturesque way as we passed through the Lockhart Gap Road that had wide and beautiful mountain roads with a sprinkling of rain and countryside beauty to complement things. It was around this route that I got to experience the efficiency of the City e:HEV’s strong hybrid set-up at its best. In the downhill mountain road sections I managed to recover a lot of range under regenerative braking, the car sipping fuel gently while we soaked in the serenity around us.
Now, for the final and longest leg of the journey, we started from the hill station of Kodaikanal to Coimbatore. Back onboard the Amaze with a manual gearbox, the first half had a mountain pass section that reminded me of Kolli Hills with its winding roads and tight hairpins and the Amaze remained composed throughout. The second half comprised highways against the backdrop of a number of windmill farms throughout the journey. Before I knew it, the 176-km-long journey to Coimbatore was over. We had covered about 500 km over this four-day adventure.
Overall, “Honda Drive to Discover 13: Monsoon Trail” was more than just a media drive. It was a feeling of discovery, an opportunity to make new friends and discover new pathways and destinations. Every turn, winding mountain road, the natural beauty of the outdoors, and intermittent rain made for an adventure that was nothing short of magical.
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