Dreaming of Munnar

Imagine stepping into a living canvas of the perfect landscape – rolling green fields of chequered tea gardens, meticulously manicured and set against a backdrop of undulating hills enveloped in mist, with soft clouds floating in and out. Munnar, in the Western Ghats, is nothing short of spectacular. This tea plantation paradise is dotted with cascading waterfalls, fragrant spice plantations, mysterious wildlife sanctuaries and enthralling adventure activities! This former colonial summer resort is Instagram-ready for a cooling holiday.

WATERFALLS GALORE

Few things can be more therapeutic in summer than the ice-cold spray of a waterfall gushing down a verdant mountain face. In Munnar, there's an abundance of silver waterfalls streaking through olive mountains, creating plunge pools and even small rainbows in air. The Lakkam Falls in tourist haven Eravikulam National Park is one of the most spectacular, adorned with a variety of flowering plants, and in summer, when the fiery flowers bloom, the sight is ethereal. Also, explore the milky jets of Attukad waterfalls, and the Cheeyappara and Valara falls. The Nyayamakad waterfalls, which smashes down from a height of around 1,600 m, is sure to leave you awed. To view the hidden gems in and around Munnar, visit Thoovanam waterfalls near Marayoor sandalwood forests, the untamed Kuthumkal waterfalls plummeting with high velocity, or the unhurried and rhythmic Chinnakanal waterfalls gliding down the hills of Devikulam.

FORESTS AND WILDLIFE

Spot the endangered Nilgiri tahr at Eravikulam National Park. The Rajamala area of the park is accessible to tourists, offering a chance to observe these exotic creatures. Keep an eye out for rare orchids, stunning wild balsams, as well as Nilgiri langurs, leopards, and Indian bison during your visit. Under an evergreen canopy flourishes Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary with native flora and fauna. The scenic Carmelagiri Elephant Park at Mattupetty Road promises to educate visitors about the daily routine, bathing rituals, training procedures and special diets of elephants.

ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES

Inside Eravikulam National Park stands Anamudi - the highest peak in South India - luring hikers and trekkers. For an adventurous dense forest trek organised by the state forest department, Mathikettan Shola National Park (around 40 km from Munnar) is unmissable. Bamboo rafting in the Periyar Lake near Munnar is another draw.

TEA GARDENS

Watch out for Kolukkumalai - the highest tea garden in the country. A guided tour takes visitors around an old tea factory from the 1930s, nestled amidst sprawling tea plantations. Showcasing the genesis and legacy of tea in Kerala is also the captivating Tea Museum, which is a repository of artefacts, photographs and machineries.

In Munnar, there's an abundance of silver waterfalls streaking through olive mountains creating plunge pools and even small rainbows in air

H I G H L I G H T S

MUST-SEE

Visit the Rajamalai (Eravikulam) National Park, the natural habitat of Nilgiri tahr

USP

Munnar gets covered in Neelakurinji blooms, a rare plant which flowers once in twelve years

WHAT TO DO

Take a shikara boat ride at the Kundala lake and trek at the Lockhart Gap

HISTORY TIP

Travel back to the pre-independence period at the old CSI Christ church in Munnar plantations

For an adventurous dense forest trek, the thrilling Mathikettan Shola National Park is unmissable

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CUISINE

Kerala is a land of diverse and delectable flavours. The sumptuous Kairali thali is a must-try. Malabar parotta, idiyappam, puttu and kadala curry, nadan kozhi varuthathu (chicken fry) and Kerala fish curry are the local specialties to savour.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

From vantage points on mountain tops that offer panoramic views of the picturesque valley below and tea-tasting at sprawling tea plantations, to a leisurely farm picnic at a spice garden and boating in the lake of Mattupetty Dam, there are unending experiences to enthrall.

WELLNESS RETREATS

Kerala, being the global Ayurveda capital, offers avenues to indulge in abhyanga, shirodhara, panchakarma, kashayadhara, meditation and other wellness therapies at any of the Ayurvedic spas.

TRAVEL TIPS

Carry an umbrella as the weather is unpredictable.

Best Time to Visit: May for its pleasant climate. It’s dry during daytime and chilly at night.

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