Far away from the din of the city life..

close to the most sought-after wild-life sanctuaries of South India , Unique Munnar – well placed on the lap of Western Ghats mountain range – now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of bio-diversity has something for everyone. With its incomparable charm and the richest green tropical rainforests, is calm, sere, peaceful place for repose, where one can enjoy tranquility to the last drop .

A confluence of three river systems – literally speaking – that’s what Munnar means . Not surprising then that Munnar is dotted with lakes, reservoirs and mountain streams.

This realm of tea through some fortuitous geography is conveniently close to a host of attractions . National parks, an exotic sandal-wood forest, Endangered mountain goats, enchanting hill stations, bird sanctuary and Asia’s first and breathtaking arch-dam. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji. This flower which bathes the hills in blue once in every twelve years, will bloom next in 2018. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, which towers over 2,695 m. Anamudi is an ideal spot for trekking.

History of Munnar

The beautiful tea covered area that we see today was a completely virgin tract covered with thick forest until 1879, when Mr. J.D. Munro and Mr. A.W. Turner formed the North Travancore Land Planting and Agricultural Society and started planting crops like sisal, coffee, cardamom, etc.

Then, in the year 1897, Finlay Muir & Co. of Glasgow became interested in this area & formed the Kanan Devan Hills Produce Co. Ltd. Thus the flagship company KDHP was formed, and its two subsidiaries – the Anglo-American Direct Tea Trading Company & the Amalgamated Tea Estates Company – formed subsequently, became more interested in the development and cultivation of tea among all other crops.

Now tea plantations covers over 30,000 hectares !

People and Culture

The people of this beautiful hill station are very simple and like to lead a peaceful lifestyle. They believe in their age-old traditions and transfer them to their generations as well.

The original inhabitants of Munnar are called Muthuvans . They are tribals, who used to lead a hunter-gatherer life style . They are execellent trackers who now is engaged in forestry and active in several tourism projects under the state Forest Department . The other residents of Munnar are people immigrated from other parts of Kerala and the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu settled here for generations .

Ecology

Geography: The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1450 meters (4760ft) to 2695 meters (8842 ft) above sea level.

Climate: Weather here is cool and pleasant all through the year .

Temperature : 5*c (41*f) and 25*c (77*f) in winter .
15*c (59*f) and 25*c(77*f) in summer.
Monsoon – June to September

How to get there

By Air: Cochin International airport which is just 120 kilometers away is the closest. Taxi services are also available from the airport to Munnar and usually take around 4 hrs.

By Train: The nearest railway station from Munnar is at Aluva, which is at a distance of 110 kilometres . The Ernakulam Railway Station is 130 kilometres away while the Madurai Railway Station is at a distance of 135 kilometres.

By Road: State-run or private buses, plying from various towns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, are the best way to get to Munnar by road. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation provides bus services to Munnar from all major cities in Kerala.

Munnar Tourism… Sights to see… Things to do…

Just driving along its meandering country roads, on a sparkling summer’s day, is itself a trip for all the senses. The landscape constantly shifts tone and tempo, with majestically dark woodlands discreetly receding into glittering tea gardens, which tumble violently into monumental precipices. Giving one perhaps, a faint perspective into a distinctive town, and its down to earth people, who have preserved and nurtured the high-ranges and made it what it is today.

For convenience the sights to see can be listed out as follows

In & Around Munnar Town

• Tea Museum (Entry by ticket)
• Mount Carmel Church
• CSI Christ Church
• Blossom Park (Entry by ticket)
• Local Market

Mattupetty Direction

• Flower Garden(Entry by ticket)
• Photo Point
• Mattupetty Dam
• Boating(Entry by ticket)
• Shooting Point
• Echo Point
• Kundalai Lake

Coimbatore Direction

• Nymakad Waterfalls
• Anamudi View
• Eravikulam National Park(Entry by ticket)

Kochi Direction

• Attukadu Waterfalls
• Karadipara View Point

Thekkady Direction

• Lockhart Gap View Point
• Power House Waterfalls

Tea Factory Trips

Munnar have the options of the below factories open to the visitors.

• Talayar Tea Company by Woodbriar
• Lockhart Tea Factory by Harrisons Malayalam Limited.
• Tea Museum by KDHP Company (P) Ltd.
• Kolukkumali Tea Factory by Kottagudi Plantations (P) Ltd.

National Parks and Sanctuaries around Munnar

• Eravikulam National Park (15 km)
• Anamudi Shola National Park (36 km)
• Pambadum Shola National Park (35 km)
• Mathikettan Shola National Park (34 km)
• Kurinjimala Sanctuary (48 km)
• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (48 km)