There’s something about Kerala in the monsoon that makes the clouds feel like they're pouring over to your side. The air smells like wet earth and green ambition. And when Honda invited me for the 13th edition of their iconic "Drive to Discover" — aptly titled ‘The Monsoon Trail’ — I knew I was in for a drive that wasn’t about speed, but about something more special.
Our trail would cover 500 km — from the urban bustle of Cochin to the thunder of Athirapally Falls, climb up to Munnar’s cloud-wrapped tea gardens, weave into Kodaikanal’s misty mystery, and then descend to the plains of Coimbatore. Four destinations. Four Honda cars. And a million memories along the way.
Cochin greeted us with a warm drizzle. Across the airport, the newly made Taj Cochin hotel’s parking lot had Honda India’s entire line-up waiting for us. But my steed for the first leg was the Honda City Hybrid. Now, if you haven’t driven this sedan in the rain, you’re missing out on one of modern motoring’s most understated pleasures. The e:HEV system is eerily silent, which means as we snaked out of the city, the rain tapping on the windshield became the soundtrack. Cochin’s traffic melts away once you hit the NH544, and the hybrid setup comes into its own in slow, rolling conditions. It’s the kind of car that doesn’t scream for attention — it calmly nudges you to look out the window and soak it all in.
But more importantly, with the silent rolling of the hybrid, we came across a gentle, wild beast. We were warned about animal crossing in the Malakkapparai jungle. With a river running parallel to us on the left, some commotion on the narrow jungle road told us that there was an elephant uphill on the right. We didn’t get down to disturb the elephant in its natural habitat up in the mountain, so we went on our way. But closer to our stay in Athirapally, we saw cars parked on the side, ahead of a right-hand curve. We pulled up too and saw right there, some 50 metres ahead, a baby elephant having a merry time munching on the leaves on the side of the road. She was surely not in any hurry. But some impatient bus drivers honked her away. It was saddening to see her slowly making her way into the undergrowth. But that’s one thing that ticked off my bucket list – sighting an elephant in Kerala.
And then we reached Athirapally. Imagine Niagara, but smaller and wilder. Rain-fed and wrapped in dense foliage, the Athirapally Falls were in full glory and barely visible in the white smoke. Standing there, drenched in mist and spray, I almost forgot there was a car waiting behind me. But that’s the beauty of Drive to Discover — it's not about the machine. It's about where it takes you.
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The next morning, a red cherry Elevate CVT was shining in the parking lot. But more importantly, the 100-odd kilometres towards Munnar isn’t just scenic. It’s a driver’s playground. Switchbacks, narrow passes, blind crests — the route demands attention, but on that blessed day, the rain was lashing down in all its glory.
We paused at a roadside shack for fresh pazham pori (banana fritters) and a glass of sulaimani chai. That’s the thing about Kerala — it slows you down. You want to pull over every 15 minutes, if not for the views, then for the stories hidden in every turn. By the time we reached the town, we were soaked, smiling, and completely under the spell of Kerala’s highlands.
The next leg was longer, and I wish it didn’t end. Munnar to Kodaikanal meant climbing down the Western Ghats, cutting across the Tamil Nadu plains, and then climbing back up again into the Palani Hills. This time, our ride went all black – the Elevate Black Edition. But more importantly, our exit from Munnar, we made sure we took the iconic Gap Road. It’s some 15 km from the city, but it's famous for its breathtaking views of the Western Ghats, with rolling hills, tea plantations, misty valleys, and a flawless ribbon of tarmac.
It was a Sunday, so it was sprawling with tourists. But what made the views even more spectacular was the mountains engulfed in fluffy white clouds. The song ‘Far over the misty mountains’ from The Hobbit was most apt here. You simply can never be tired of such breathtaking views. Look in any direction and the looming tea gardens, near flawless tarmac shining with fresh rainwater, and cool breeze flowing over the mist made for a picture-perfect setting which no camera can do justice.
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Just sit back, relax, and take in the view in your memory to cherish once you are back in the urban jungle. Here, the Elevate too inspired confidence – no twitchiness, no drama — just clean, confident progress. It may not be a corner carver, but it’s a reliable dance partner when the weather goes off-script.
As we climbed into Kodaikanal, the temperature dropped. Pine trees took over from tea bushes, and the fog turned everything silver. Kodai isn’t about sights. It’s about mood. And the Elevate, quiet and comfortable, became the perfect cocoon to transition into this melancholy mountain town.
For the final stretch, we went back to basics with the new-gen Amaze with a proper three-pedal setup. It’s compact and modest but not to be underestimated, as I experienced on the enthusiastic drive down Kodai’s twisties. You’re descending thousands of feet through a forested ghat road peppered with hairpins. With each passing hairpin and endless serpentine tarmac, the Amaze kept up with my enthusiasm. Light on its feet, with excellent visibility and well-weighted steering, the sedan danced down the hill like it had something to prove.
Once on the plains, the Amaze did what it does best — cruised effortlessly. The 1.2-litre engine is tuned more for comfort than urgency, and after three days of mountain driving, that’s exactly what we needed. We could see the mountain we drove down a few kilometres away, and now the weather had changed drastically. All the rain clouds disappeared, and it was sunny again. More importantly, the roads here were arrow-straight, lined with windmills on either side. Lined beautifully across the blue sky were puffy clouds, making for a picturesque view. A few kilometres driving in serenity, looking back at the last four days of adventure, Coimbatore rolled in with the sunset, and so did a sense of quiet satisfaction.
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Honda’s Drive To Discover is an institution. It shapes up the automotive journalism fraternity in a way no other event can. It brings different publications together in kinship, and you learn not just about the people, but the cars and how beautiful our own country really is. It’s not just about showcasing Honda’s lineup — it’s about telling stories through the lens of travel.
And the Monsoon Trail was a perfect chapter in that legacy. Each car had its perfect moment. Where the City e:HEV soldiered through the silent storm through the jungle roads, the Elevate became a dependable haulier through the long straights and tight turns towards Munnar. And when dressed to kill in all black, capable of climbing, was perfect for “form and function” across the Gap Road. And finally, Amaze’s back-to-basics manual earned my respect through grace, under pressure, and genuine comfort.
But more than that, what stood out was how the cars adapted to the place, how every leg felt tailored. How the drive wasn't about hitting triple-digit speeds, but about soaking in a hundred different things — foggy mornings, unexpected detours, local snacks, and the joy of just being on the move. That’s the thing about monsoons. They slow you down, but in the best possible way. And when you have the right set of wheels, the rain becomes part of the journey, not a hurdle. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.
