Munnar
Munnar is bathed in a sense of serenity and peace that one finds only in the most beautiful of natural locations - laidback and away from the fast pace of city life. ‘Kashmir of Kerala’ or ‘Switzerland of South India’ are some of the titles used to describe the beauty of Munnar located in Idukki district of Kerala. Surrounded by undulating hills with lush green forestation, Munnar is a tranquil, panoramic hill station with snow clouds resting upon and slightly moistening its majestic landscape- be it the tiny leaves of tea plantations, the huge banana leaves or the hills.
One of the premium hill stations of Kerala, Munnar is located at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level with a bracing climate, and is now one of the most sought after tourist destinations of Kerala. Honeymooners come here for a revival of sorts amidst the rejuvenating and refreshing natural settings. The sleepy town is located at the confluence of three mountain rivers Kundala, Nallathani and Mudrapuzha from which the name of the town is also derived- ‘Munnu’ meaning three and ‘aar’ meaning rivers. During the colonial period, the British officers were so impressed by its pleasant climate that they made Munnar their summer retreat, and the town still exhibits the old colonial aura.
Munnar is the one stop tourist destination, and activities that one may enjoy here include riding, boating, angling and trekking apart from enjoying picnic on the banks of crystal clear mountain ridge, visiting the unending expanse of tea plantations or exploring the rich wildlife.
Munnar climate
Min. 0 c - Max. 25 c Best time to visit Munnar
Munnar is suitable for visiting throughout the year except during the Kerala monsoon in June/July. The weather is extremely cold during winter (December/January).
How to reach munnar
By Air: The nearest airport is Kochi located 130 km away.
By Rail: Nearest railway station is at Kochi, which is connected to all the major cities in India.
By Road: A well connected network of roads exists to nearby cities including Coimbatore (6 hrs) and Madurai (6 hrs) in Tamil Nadu.
Munnar Tourist Attractions
• Neelakurinji
• Tea gardens/Estates
• Mattupetty lake and dam
• Swiss Livestock Project Farm
• Top Station
• Echo Point
• Chinnar wildlife reserve
• Anamudi Peak
• Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
• Eravikulam National Park
Munnar Tourist attractions/places to see at Munnar
• Neelakurinji
Neelakurinji is an exotic flower species that enhance the beauty of Munnar by covering the high altitude slopes and ravines under a blanket of blue. The shrub blossoms only once in 12 years, and when it does, it is truly a sight to behold with nothing but a tinge of blue all over the area. Neelakuruinji flowering occurs during the months of August and November with peak in mid-September and early October. The flowers may grow up to 180 cms. under favorable conditions and the unknown reason behind their mass flowering every 12 years is both a reason of folklore and curiosity. ‘Neela’ means blue and ‘kurinji’ is derived from the name of a river. The last mass flowering was in 2006 and the next one is expected to be in 2018.
• Tea gardens/Estates
Due to its vast tea estates, Munnar is also called the ‘tea town’. As one drives through the winding roads and enter into munnar, one is greeted with vast, unending tea plantations neatly trimmed and divided into sectors. Several prominent tea companies including TATA owns estates here and tourist may freely wander through the plantations and get interesting insights into the method of preparing tea right from hand picking leaves to the final fragrant product. Some factories also offer tea on sale for the visitors.
• Mattupetty lake and dam
Mattupetty with its twin attraction of Dam and a picturesque lake is a popular tourist spot who come here to enjoy picnics or boating rides. Mattupetty is located at an altitude of 1700 m, 13 km away from Munnar. Thick wooden hills and as in most places of Munnar, tea plantations surrounds the area lending to its charm. Bird lovers may try their luck at the Shola forest located nearby housing great variety of resident avifauna. Adventure enthusiasts may either go trekking or enjoy the speed launch boat service provided by DTPC idukki.
• Swiss Livestock Project Farm
Another attraction of Mattupetty is the Swiss livestock project established by Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) in the year 1961. The area came to be known as cattle village due to its highly specialized dairy farm whose eleven cattle sheds sees the rearing of over 100 highly yielding species of cattle, 3 of which are open for the visitors during fixed hours. Visiting time: 0900-1100 hrs. & 1400-1530 hrs.
• Top Station
Top station located 40 km from Munnar is famous for the breathtaking views that it provides of the panoramic green hills. Located 1700 m above sea level, it is home to some of world’s highest tea estates. Lying on the Kerala-Tamilnadu border, Top station also houses the exotic Neelakuruinji flower.
• Echo Point
Situated on the way to Top station, Echo point of Munnar located at a distance of 15 km. is popular for the natural echo that reverberates from the surrounding hills. It is not uncommon to see visitors halting here and yelling with full force only to hear their voice coming back to them. The scenic natural settings are added attraction.
• Chinnar wildlife reserve
Chinnar wildlife sanctuary is one of the most popular and frequented wildlife reserves of Kerala. Located at a distance of 60 km. from Munnar, the sanctuary is located on the Tamil Nadu border and sprawls over 90.44 sq. km. The forest primarily consists of dry thorny forestation, deciduous forest and grasslands etc. The reserve has the richest variety of reptiles and fauna in the state apart from housing the highly endangered species like white bison of Manjampatti and Grizzled Giant squirrel.
The reserve has a healthy growth of Sandalwood trees and over 100 varieties of exotic plants including medicinal ones. The forest department has made arrangements for eco-tourism which includes Trekking to rivers, cultural sites, Thoovanam falls and camping, tree house etc.
Wildlife at Chinnar wildlife reserve
Animals: Elephants, Bisor, Gaur, Tiger, Nilgai, Leopard and common langur are some of its inmates.
Birds: The reserve has over 225 species of birds some of which are black bulbul, Jungle fowl, laughing thrush, peafowl and myna.
Visiting time: 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM
• Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam National Park is located just 16 km. from Munnar and its close proximity with the town has made it a highly popular adventure destination for visitors. The reserve sprawling over 97 km is situated at Devikulam Taluk of Idukki district. The reserve has the highest population of endangered Nilgiri tahr and the park was originally established to protect them but due to its rich variety of flora and fauna, it was declared a wildlife reserve in the year 1975. Other residents of the park include striped squirrel, clawed otter, mangoose and nilgiri marten.
Over 110 species of birds including both resident and migratory are found here including kerala laughing thrush, verditer flycatcher, wood pegeon, pipit and black flycather. The reserve has been divided into core, buffer and tourism area and trekking facilities are also arranged upto Anamudi peak.
Visiting Time: 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM from September to May.
• Anamudi Peak
Anamudi Peak at 2695 m. is the highest in Peninsular India. It is located inside Eravikulam National Park towering over the surroundings and displaying an exotic variety of wild animals including the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. Some other attractions include world's largest Atlas moth, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs and even Leopards and Tigers. The place is also an adventure option with trekking being a popular sport which is allowed on foot upto Anamudi.
• Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
Located at a distance of 80 km from munnar, Thattekad bird sanctuary was formed as a result of untiring efforts of Dr. Salim Ali, India's famous ornithologist. Regarded as a Bird lover's paradise, Thattekad is located on the banks of Periyar River in the Kothmanglam Taluk town and though the sanctuary covers just over 25 km of area, it houses a rich variety of Avifauna considered the best in peninsular India.
Apart from birds, mammals are also found here including Leopards and Beers and the reserve houses over 200 butterfly species. And out of an estimated 275 species of birds, the easily sighted ones are Ceylon frogmouths, Malayan night herons, shrikes and crimson-throated barbets.
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