Munnar, hill station of Kerala

Munnar is the tea growing only hill station of Kerala. There are around 12,000 hectares of lush, manicured tea fields. Munnar attractions are to found on its outskirts, within the radius of 10 to 30km from the town. Eravikulam National Park is the hunting preserve of the British planters and is now the wildlife conservation at its best. It has the famous Nilgiri tahr which is the highly endangered species of wild goat and is all the mascot of Munnar. The park is situated 7,000 ft above the sea level.

Its Tea museum is run by Tata tea and it traces the evolution of the tea industry in Munnar in 1880’s. It has the historical photographs and pieces of period furniture. You can see one is able to view the various stages of tea tasting. It is an educative experience.

Athukad and other falls are located deep in the valley which is 8km from Munnar. Athukad falls becomes the untamed cascade when the monsoon peaks in July. Then there are two other cascades along this same route. The Cheeyapara falls plunge from a height of over 500 ft right next to the highway and it is also the popular site for the tourist to bath. And then a km away is the impressive Valara Falls cascading into thickly forested below the road.

Then there are two dams in Munnar. Madupatty dam has a vast reservoir extending several kilometers into the forest.. There is a cruise here and the elephants, gaur and sambar too. Sethuparvathipuram Dam is 70 ft high arch dam and is a sky blue reservoir dotted with colorful rowboats and pedal boats, with cattle grazing peacefully on its banks against a backdrop of lush eucalyptus plantations.

The Lockhart Gap offers a bird’s eye view of Bison Valley and the surrounding hills extending up to Thekkady. Also it is an ideal location for picnic.

Then for a breathtaking view of the Talayar Valley on one side and the Munnar Valley on the other, drive up to the Nyamakad Gap on the Munnar Coimbatore Road. Here one can come across colorfully dressed tea picker’s intent on their work.

Munnar is the only hill resort in the south to offer anglers the delight of trout fishing. The two prime fishing sites Gravel Banks and Devikulam Lake are located well off the beaten track in picturesque. For the golfers there are two nine whole courses set maintained by the High Range club and the Kundale Club, the two local planters clubs.