What about a KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus ride to ‘Kuwait City? Sounds perplexing? There is nothing baffling about this trip as this Kuwait City is not in Kuwait but in the mountainous region of Idukki in Kerala!
Besides its serenity and tranquillity, Idukki is also known for places with intriguing and, sometimes hilarious, appellations. It is noteworthy that these ‘cities’ have created a buzz among domestic and foreign travellers. And the ‘cities’ include Mike City, Kuttappan City, Aanakulam City, Kuruvila City, Balan Pillai City and Athmavu City, among others.
Now let’s take a sojourn to Kuwait City near Mankulam without any travel visa whatsoever.
Mankulam's own 'Gulf'
From Adimaly take a left turn and travel for 25km to reach Mankulam, which is a hot spot of exquisite vistas. Mankulam’s natural beauty is akin to the charm of popular hill station Munnar. As Mankulam doesn’t have as many buildings as Munnar, the former is more pristine and a nature lover’s paradise. Kuwait City is in Mankulam and there isn’t any specific tales behind how the region got its name.
The region near Perumbankuthu is known as Kuwait City and is mostly inhabited by migrant farmers. Many backpackers come to Kuwait City to partake in nature’s treat and out of curiosity to step into a place with an interesting name. The Kozhivilakuthu waterfall, which will greet you as you reach the outskirts of Kuwait City, is a treat to the eyes.
The KSRTC is running bus services from Adimaly via Mankulam to Kuwait City. If you want to enjoy the scenic beauty of Mankulam in the comforts of a KSRTC bus while travelling to Kuwait City, then hit the road to reach Adimaly to board the state stage-carrier without further ado.
Other cities of Idukki
Kuruvila City: This city in Rajakumari gets its name from Thekkanattu Kuruvila, one of the earliest farmer settlers in Idukki.
Ilapalli City: This place is on the way to Vagamon, which is a favourite destination of travellers.
Mike City: Mammootty-starrer Malayalam flick ‘Loud Speaker’ gave a taste of Mike City to the Keralites. The place near Thoprankudy is named after local resident Thommikunju who talks loudly.
Swapna City: A place near Muthirapuzha.
Vakkodan City: This region gets its name from farmer Vakkodan Varkey who lived at a valley 3km away from Shanthanpara.
Puttu City: A small tea shop once served tasty ‘puttu’ to the plantation workers of Meppara in Kanchiyar panchayat. Later, people working in different sectors came to the outlet to have ‘puttu’ and ‘kadala, and the place came to be known as ‘Puttu City’.
Venga City, Kadukka City and Punna City: After shops came up near a Venga (Malabar kino) tree at a place 8km from Rajakkad, the area came to be known as Venga City and later became Rajakumari. The settlers moved northwards of Venga City and reached an area covered in ‘Kadukka’ (Terminalia chebula) trees and the region got the moniker Kadukka City. The place with ‘Punna’ (Alexandrian laurel) trees near N R City became Punna City.