The most popular Hill station of Kerala, in South India
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala. It is nestled in Western Ghats at 1,450 meters(4,760 ft) to 2,695 meters (8,842 ft) above the sea level and is located in Idukki district one of the beauty District of Kerala in South India
Large tea plantations, forests, hill ranges, valleys and wildlife makes anyone fall in love with this place. There are some important places that you should visit (or try to) when you are in Munnar. And if you already visited Munnar recently, then I hope these will make you want to do another trip in December.
Rajamala Eravikulam National Park
Part of Eravikulam national park, is located at about 15 kms from Munnar. This region is the natural habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragas hylocres). It was converted to a national park to provide a safe sanctuary for the already endangered species of Nilgiri Tahr.
Mattupetty Dam
Mattupetty dam and its reservoir is located 13 km away from Munnar. This concrete gravity dam is built between the hill ranges and it is used mainly for water storage for hydroelectric projects. Its reservoir is an idyllic place to enjoy the serene nature. It is also said to be one of the waterholes where the elephants in the region often visit.
Mattupetty Dairy Farm
Mattupetty is also famous for the Indo-Swiss Farm. This is a highly specialized dairy farm which comes under Indo-Swiss Livestock Project. Hundreds of high quality cattle are reared here and new varieties are scientifically developed.
Kundala Lake
Kundala Lake is an artificial reservoir of a minor arch shaped dam huddled between the mountain ranges. It is about a 20 km drive from Munnar. There is boating facility there and don’t forget to go for a Shikara boat ride while you are there!
Kannan Devan Tea Museum
This tea museum is first of its kind in India. It is located at KDHP’s Nullatanni estate in Munnar. The aim of this museum according to its founders is to showcase the growth of more-than-a-century-old tea plantations in this region. Anyone visiting this museum will get a clear picture of how laborious this tea processing really is.
Chinnar wildlife sanctuary
Chinnar wildlife sanctuary is about 60 kms from Munnar. It is situated on SH 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor Panchayats of Idukki district. It is an ideal spot for trekking and enjoying wildlife closely. It is the habitat for endangered Grizzled giant squirrel in India. Almost 34 species of mammals including panthers, spotted deers, elephants, tigers can be found here. It is also a bird watchers paradise. 245 species of birds live here!
