Discover the tranquil hills of Kerala’s Munnar

Covered with lush tea bushes, Munnar’s hilly landscape has made it one of the state’s top destinations. A pleasant change from Kerala’s popular seaside destinations, Munnar offers delightfully green hillsides speckled with bright poinsettias. It is a classic hill station with its cool weather, verdant valleys and tea plantations as far as the eye can see.

Due to Munnar’s resounding popularity amongst honeymoon couples, the main bazaar is cluttered with guesthouses, hotels, and resorts of all budgets. And for those yearning for tranquillity, there are some wonderful remote places to stay, just a few kilometres away from the main town.

Kanan Devan Tea Museum

The Kanan Devan Tea Museum transports you through the trajectory of events that made Munnar a tea plantation junction since the late 1800s. The small six-room museum documents history through various artefacts and supplements the exhibits with a half-hour audio-visual show. The trip includes a guided tour of the tea factory and also tea tasting. The museum is open from 10 am to 4 pm and is closed on Mondays.

Eravikulam National Park

The Kannan Devan Hills of Munnar is home to Eravikulam National Park, which aims to conserve the endangered Nilgiri tahr (a type of mountain goat). Just 16km from Munnar, this 97sq km park comprises large stretches of grassland with clusters of Shola forests. The park’s Rajmala section (southern zone) is open to visitors except during the breeding season of the tahrs (February–April). The highest peak of the Nilgiri hills, Anamudi (2690m), lies inside the park.

Top Station

Kerala’s border with Tamil Nadu affords spectacular views of the Western Ghats. Peer down the plummeting valley from a high windy point at Top Station while the mountains keep you company on all sides. En route to Top Station, stop at Echo Point, where you can shout your lungs out at a lakeside.

Floriculture Centre

The Floriculture Centre makes for a short stop on the way to Top Station. A neatly paved pathway ensures that you see the entire collection of flowers. With a stunning backdrop of dazzling colours, it's a great spot for pictures.

Attukal Waterfalls

Pack some snacks and head 9km out of Munnar towards Pallivasal to the Attukal waterfalls cascading across tea plantations. Especially spectacular after the rains, these are great for a picnic. However, at the height of summer, the waterfall is barely a trickle.

Mattupetty Dam

The tranquil green waters of the Mattupetty Dam meet you as you wend your way to Top Station. They warrant a quick picture or snack stop, with a fantastic view from the bridge that runs across it.

Muniyara Dolmens

On the Chinnar route, yet another wonder lies off Marayur: ancient burial grounds or dolmens. Locally known as ‘muniyaras’, these neolithic stone formations lie on a vast rocky platform.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Sixty kilometres from Munnar, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is a vast expanse of semi-deciduous forest. The only way to see the forest is on foot, with a guide. This is organised by Tribal Trackers Eco-Development Committee (office at the check post). Book for a trek upfront at the Munnar office. And if you are feeling adventurous, you can stay overnight either in the Tree House or the Log House or the Hut. However, there is no electricity and no toilets in the treehouse. You need to walk anywhere between 3 - 7km to reach the latter.

Neelakurinji Blooms

It’s still some years away, but if you decide to visit Munnar in 2030, chances are you will witness a fascinating floral phenomenon of the Nilgiris. The Neelakurinji flowers are said to bloom every 12 years in the region when complete hillsides turn a bright purplish-blue and valleys of Shola grasslands come alive.

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