The Shola National Park in Munnar is a destination for campers, nature-walkers, and hikers. And if you are fortunate to be there when a torrential downpour comes a calling, the adventure is complete.

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

It’s a national park so one can drive through, walk or hike through then area in the hope of spotting the Nilgiri Martin, Bison or Silver Langoor. We didn’t spot any of those but the pleasure of walking alone in the stillness of a dense forest in the Western Ghats was rewarding enough.

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

And then of course came the rain, painting everyone in a glistening palate of grey and black and misty. The wet, dark logs piled near logging areas, high mountain peaks shrouded in mist and the sound of the rain beating down ferociously, and the feel of the chillingly cold raindrops on your skin made me feel truly alive – more so because I was breathing in short gasps as my body adjusted to the changed weather conditions.

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

There are a couple of rugged resorts and a camping hut option within Shola National Park and if you really want to spot any of the wildlife, then a couple of days camping and walking in the woods should do the trick.