We were lucky to have experienced one of the most beautiful hill stations in India and the grand old man of tea plantations in God’s own country, Munnar, earlier this year.

General Tips:

Closest airport: Cochin; the world’s first completely solar-powered airport (since 2015). Munnar is a 2.5-3 hour drive from the Cochin airport. A visit to Munnar can be clubbed with the famous Kerela backwaters, which are also less than an hour’s drive from Cochin.

Best time to visit Munnar: While summers remain pleasant as well, the best time to visit Munnar would probably be winters as the lakes and waterfalls would be full, adding to the beauty. Munnar is famous for its one in 12 years bloom of the blue Neelakurinji bloom which carpets the entire Eravikulam National Park, which has currently just begun in Sept 2018!

Total time needed in Munnar: 2-4 days, depending on how relaxing you want the vacation to be.

Driving to Munnar: If you land at night, we suggest staying overnight near the airport and driving to Munnar in the morning as the roads are curvy. Besides, it’s a refreshing breezy drive through lush green hills and you do not want to miss the landscape!

If you are driving from Cochin, you may want to stop by at one of the numerous spice-gardens along the route on this day itself. We were told that all of them are similar and you may choose any of the 20 odd ones you will drive across.

Saravana Bhavan in Adimali is a vegetarian restaurant you can lunch at en route; it serves lip-smacking Kerala food (and you can lick your fingers and plates away without any embarrassment!). Saravana Bhavan at Munnar town is an even better place to eat authentic south Indian cuisine.

Where to stay: There are two options for staying. Most people would stay in or near Munnar town, which is close to Eravikulam national park, Matupetty dam, Top station and Echo point. The other option is to stay close to the Kolukkumalai tea estate and Anayirangal  dam region. The latter is less crowded and also has good hotel options, besides of course the attraction of saving on some sleep time while traveling for the Kolukkumalai sunrise. We ended up staying here in Club Mahindra Lake View.

As usual, we are sharing our itinerary on our google maps page. Here is the link. Select the label ‘Munnar’.

Things to do in and around Munnar

Kolukkumalai Tea Estate (35 km from Munnar town): This is as an absolute must. Kolukkumalai is the highest tea estate in the world at about 7100 feet above sea level. It is also unique in another way as the tea is still made using the traditional manual methods of processing (transporting heavy advanced machinery up the slopes along the non-existent road is not an easy task as you will realize once you reach there). The views from Kolukkumalai are simply mesmerizing and surreal. This hill top village on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala is accessible only by a four-wheel drive jeep (which you can avail at the entry if you are not traveling in one; it will cost anywhere between 1200-2000 INR) due to the rough ‘road’ in the 50 minute uphill drive. Although the ride is protracted and bumpy (not advisable for people with back issues, or for the elderly or woman with advanced pregnancy), the view is well worth it. Kolukkumalai is the best place to watch a misty soul-soothing sunrise. Sunrise can be viewed from the Sunrise view point, Singamalai (Lion Rock), or quite frankly from anywhere you stand; the view is exquisite from any point.

If you go here for the sunrise, carry food to eat as there is nothing at the top apart from a small tea shop, as also warm clothes (it can get chilly at that height in the early morning). There is also a small orthodox tea factory you can visit, where the traditional process of tea making is explained (takes around 30 min). You will be able to drink the perfect Indian chai here, and can also buy some for home (Kolukkumalai has won the prestigious Golden Leaf award for its tea). The drivers usually take multiple stops along the way, encouraging you to trek into the tea estates and try at hand at picking tea leaves.

 

You can also think of spending the night at Kolukkumalai; there are both tents and hotels available.

Anayirangal Dam: Less famous than its more popular compatriot Matupetty dam, we personally loved the Anayirangal dam because it had far less visitors! The 10 km drive from Club Mahindra to Anayirangal was a visual delight and we couldn’t resist stopping at the tea-gardens every few minutes to just take the beauty in. The lake itself was very scenic surrounded by grasslands. As we went in the summer, the water levels were enough only for kayaking or boating on a coracle; the speed boat could not be used. If you are a speed-boat enthusiast visiting in summer, Matupetty dam may be preferred. Both lakes should be good in winters for speed boating though.

The view en route to Anariyangal dam

Anayirangal literally means “abode to elephants” and we were fortunate indeed to see a group of wild elephants come down to take a dip in the lake and see their babies dawdle their way up back to the banks.

Sitadevi Lake: Those who enjoy trekking in secluded places and unpaved paths will enjoy this experience. Sitadevi (Seetha Devi lake for google maps) is a pristine lake far away from the sights and sounds of any human inhabitation. The trail begins just at the top of Mount Serene Club Mahindra, Chinnakanal (22km from Munnar town). Initially through a dense forest and then along aromatic bushes of lemon grass, you will then have to cross over some rocks to reach the final stretch of an unspoilt trail to reach an untouched lake. The mist covered hills surrounding the lake, the tall trees reflecting in it and the lotus blooming in the reflection will plead to you to stay just a little bit longer! It takes 20-30 minutes one way (40 if you have a 2 year old trudging along!). For the entire time along our hike we did not spot any other person, nor the ‘gutkha packet’ trail that we generally see on most treks. You could take a guide along (many of whom are just locals from a near-by village at the beginning of the trek; we got ours from the solitary tea stall near Club Mahindra). They are helpful for sticking to the correct path (no gutkha packet trail, remember!) and for interesting stories and trivia along your walk.

Eravikulam National Park: Located 10 km from Munnar town, this is a small national park which houses the mountain goat (Nilgiri Tahr) and the famous blue flowering Neelakurinji, which blooms once in 12 years. Our endangered friend Billy is usually easily spotted there, especially if you travel early morning. You have to leave your vehicle at the entry, and the National Park buses transport you inside the park. This of course means long lines, as the number of visitors usually outnumbers the buses available for to and fro transportation. The ticket counter opens at 7.30 am and you should try to be there then (latest by 8) to avoid wasting time waiting in the line, especially if it’s a holiday. There is a 1 km long trek along a paved road (so no scope for shade while walking) from the site where the buses drop you; you are not allowed to trek beyond that. There is also a small visitor center which has some nice photos and information on the local flora and fauna, besides offering refreshments.

The mountain goats grazing at Eravikulam

A tip to avoid the long queue is to get a reservation at the Wildlife Warden Office in Munnar town in advance (carry your ID card for the reservation). You can also book online here; it needs to be done 48 hours prior to the day of visit though.

The Tea Museum: Located near the center of Munnar town, the 30-minute movie at the museum is wonderful to understand the rich history of the tea-estates at Munnar. It was very inspiring to see the role of the Tatas in uplifting the lives of the families working in the region. Their dedication is so unmatchable that even after exiting the Tea Company, they still continue to run several associated CSR projects for the physically disabled. If this is something that interests you, ask around to be shown the nearby stores and sites where these projects are running.

The museum also has age old machinery on display along with several pictures and memoirs from that era. If you will not be visiting a larger tea-factory, the mini version of a running tea-factory complete with all the machines and steps will quench your desire to see the tea making process.

At a small plantation close to the museum

Spice Gardens: There are several of these in and around Munnar. They all do a good job of taking you around their well-maintained gardens that grow spices and herbs many of which are ayurvedic medications.

Tea Factories: While Kolukkumalai does have a tea factory, you may want to also have a look at one of the modern factories with advanced machinery to understand the process of tea making. The tea you drink everyday will surely have an enhanced flavour after you have visited one of the many tea-factories in the region (HML or Lockhart are two options) to see how your tea-powder is actually made.

We went to the HML (Harrisons Malayalam Ltd) tea factory at Suryanelli; we must however state that the guided tour was not very professionally done and that you will learn more about the process of tea making only if you pester the (clearly untrained) guide with questions. We still did end up coming out knowing very interesting details about tea making. The withering of tea-leaves followed by the grinding, fermentation, drying and sorting is such an interesting process that every time you buy tea thereafter, you will look for product details you had never known earlier. We particularly loved the drive to the tea-factory (although the road was rugged) because it goes through its own tea-estates.

Tea production!

While we did not go to the Lockhart factory, there is a Lockhart Gap View Point close to it which is supposed to give a beautiful view of the misty tea plantations. This would be en route while driving from Munnar town to Kolukkumalai.

Matupetty dam and Top station

These are usually covered in a single route, although we could not end up going there due to time constraints. Matupetty is a famous attraction with beautiful views of (a much larger) lake along the tea estates and similar boating options. After a quick stop at the Echo Point en route, you reach the Top Station, which has some interesting history behind it. The Top Station derives its name from being the upper station of the was the last station of the Kottagudi Aerial Ropeway. Tea was transported to Top Station from the tea estates via the railway line built in 1902, and was then sent down for shipping to the rest of India and the UK (this was during the British era!). There is a lovely ticketed view point around 500 steps down which offers breathtaking views of the tea estates and the mountains and valleys.