If you are looking for a peaceful hill station with its impeccable beauty , if you’re looking for the enveloping calm of pristine beauty, then you must be searching for this hill station- Munnar. Munnar can be says as the splendid pearl of ‘God’s own country’- Kerala.Situated at the altitude of 1600 Mts to 1800 Mts above sea level, this pristine valley is covered with the green carpet of huge tea plantations along with Coffee and Cardamom plantations and abundant exotic species of flora and fauna in its wild sanctuaries.
This wonderful hill station of Idukki District, Kerala was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. It is believed that the name of the place Munnar has derived from the two Malayalam words Muunu (three) and aaru (river) and the three rivers are Muthirappuzha, Chanduvarai and Kundali. This place is famous for its peak Anamudi, which is the highest peak of peninsular India at 2695 m. Besides it’s tea and cardamom plantations, the old-world charm of Colonial establishments is another point of attraction for the tourists.
The major tourist’s attractions of Munnar are:
Mattupetty, situated at a distance of 13 km. from Munnar main town this Mattupetty Lake and dam is famous for its highly specialized dairy farm, where more then 100 varieties of high yielding cattle can be seen. The main attraction of the vicinity is its Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala Lake. Boating facilities is also available in the Mattupetty dam.
Pothamedu View Point is one of the magnificent view points which give an excellent view of the tea, coffee and cardamom plantations of the valley. It is a small village inhabited by the local people. It is also an ideal place for trekking and hiking.
Devikulam Lake, also called as Sita Devi Lake is situated about 7 km from Munnar famous for its crystal clean water. This famous picnic spot will give you an out-of-the-world experience with its velvet lawns of greenish tea gardens and the cool mountain air. Regarding its name, it is believed that Devi Sita, the wife of Lord Rama bathed in this lake and so it is called as Sita Devi Lake.
Rajamala Park that composed of beautiful meadow and gorgeous exotic valleys situated just about 12 km. from Munnar main town. This park is very famous for Nilgiri Tahrs ("Varai aadu"-local name), a rare species of mountain goat. It is one of three species of Tahr and almost half the world's population of this rare mountain goat now found here which is fast becoming extinct. Here one can enjoy the natural movement of Nilgiri Tahrs in this precious but little-known place. Another reason to visit this virgin beauty for its Neelakurinji flower; this is also one of the rarest flowers in the world which is famous for its beauty and medicinal value. This flower bloom once in 12 years and that time it cover the region with a touch of violet carpet.
Rich in scenic beauty Pallivasal is situated at a distance of 8km. from Munnar main town; this is the place of first hydropower project in Kerala. It is full of dazzlingly beautiful mountain scenic beauty.
Attukal is located just at a distance of about 9 km from Munnar, a vista of glittering waterfalls and rolling hills. It is also an ideal place for long trekking.
On the way to Rajamala, you can enjoy the panoramic view of the land of breathtaking waterfalls at Nyayamakad .Situated at the height of 1600 meters; this spot is ideal for picnic and trekking.
Eravikulam National Park, the home of world famous Nilgiri Tahr, was made to protect the rare and almost extinct species of Nilgiri Tahr. It covers an area of 97 sq kms high level evergreen forests. In 1975 it was declared as a sanctuary and declared as National Park in 1978. It can be count among one of the best mountain ranges found anywhere in India. Though this park is divided in to three parts, like the core area, the buffer area and the tourism area, tourists are allowed only to the tourism area where they can observe the free movements of Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Langur, sambar etc.
Another destination famous for its tea gardens as well as sleepy little cottages, old playgrounds etc. is Chithirapuram which lures the travelers with its irresistible grace and beauty. This is also the home of one Hydel project called as Pallivasal Hydel Power Project.
Just at a distance of 15 km. one view point is situated in the thick forest known as Eco point. Here nature response to the human calls. As the name suggests, this place is popular for its natural eco phenomenon. This place attracts the young tourists a lot for its lake view and specially to hear the echoes of their friendship calls.
Just at a short distance from the Munnar town one can find this sandalwood forests in Marayoor.It is a thick forest with full of sweet religious fragrance of sandalwood. It is on the way to the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary-a tiny reserve forest which is a perfect place to spend a little time with your near and dear one with its calmness and comfort.
Muniyara Cave is located just at a kilometer distance from Marayoor. The most interesting part of this cave is its structure. Made of huge rocky slabs, one can get to enter by seeing its arrangement of slabs. It is believe that this was the ideal place of the ancient sages for meditation.
Rock cave is another cave situated at the distance of 13 km. from the main town. It is the cave of ancient tribal people of Stone Age.
Now where to unpack your luggage, for that lot of tiny cottages and resorts are there to stay comfortably in Munnar. You can find the hotels and lodges from budget one to the luxury one. But if you r planning to stay in budget hotels or lodges then first check up the availability of hot water system in the bathrooms, otherwise you may have to suffer. To enjoy the esthetic beauty of Munnar, it is better roam in the town by foot or you can even hire a bicycle to explore the destination. For your shopping purpose, you have two markets, one is Old Bazaar and another is New Bazaar. In old bazaar you will get all the local handicraft items and to buy all other thing New Bazaar will be the better option for you.
How to get in:
By Air: The International Airport at Cochin/Kochi (130 km.) is the nearest Airport of Munnar, just 4 hours journey, next nearest is Madurai (142km).
By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Cochin /Kochi. Lots of trains are there to connect Kochi with important cities and tourist destinations in the country like Trivandrum Express, Kerala Express, Trivandrum Rajdhani Express etc.
By Road: Munnar is just a 4 hours journey from Kochi/Cochin by National Highway -49. The road is very smooth and scenic view is very charming. So, to enjoy the ride to a great extent it is better to take the journey by road. You can hire taxi or can take buses of KSRTC to reach Munnar from Kochi. This place is also well connected by a well developed network of road transport to all major town of south India. It takes 5 hours journey from Kottayam, 6 hours from Madurai and 6 hours to from Coimbatore to reach Munnar.
The best time to visit this beautiful destination is between September to March. Though monsoon brings invigorating beauty to the hill stations, it is better to avoid monsoon season to visit Munnar.And don’t forget to carry woolen cloths with you.
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