Munnar is a beautiful getaway landscaped with beautifull tea plantations, hills, lakes, forests and winding walks. Located at an altitude of 1,829 m, it is home to South India's highest peak called Anamudi, standing 2,695 m tall. It is also an important commercial centre in the Idukki district.

The economy of Munnar thrives primarily from its vast tea estates and coffee plantations,cardamom plantations. Tourism is also another big contributor.

Often referred to as the “Kashmir of South India”, Munnar offers tourists a mix of relaxation and adventure amidst beautiful landscapes. The word Munnar in Tamil means three rivers. Munnar is located where the rivers Mudrapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala converge, and so the name.

In both Malayalam and Tamil, the word ‘Munnar’ means three rivers, as it is merging place of three mountain streams. The Duke of Wellington was the first prominent person to visit Munnar.

Munnar was once the summer capital of the British in southern India. Munnar was developed to cultivate tea plants by British although it was first discovered by Scottish planters. In the early developmental stages only Tamilians worked ther as few Malayalis inhabited in that area Munnar.

But later more and more Malayalis were recruited as employees to work in plantations and bungalows, that were build for estate managers of British origin. They occupied most of the top posts. Some of the bungalows that were build for them is still in good condition and being used.The local people here speak Malayalam, the official language of Kerala and since there are a lot of Tamilians, the second language is Tamil.

Munnar has an ancient history and prehistoric relics that can be dated back to Stone Age civilization. The written history begins only from 10th century. In the early 19th century, the headman of the villages of Anchanad, Kannan Thevar, held lands to the north of the high ranges, which belonged to the local Rajah of Poojar.

According to record history, the first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, part of the present Sevenmullay estate, consisted of 50 acres of land in the surrounding jungle.

J D Munro, a British lawyer and tea planter leased close to 600 sq. km of land around Munnar, which was then covered with thick jungle, from the Poonjar chief, a subordinate of the Maharaja of Travancore. He then cleared the jungle for Tea plantations. This land was later known as Kannan Devan (Kannan Thevar) ConcessionLand.

Later in 1895, Messrs Finlay Muir & Company bought Munro’s land and in 1976 Tata-Finlay Ltd. purchased it. Then in 1983 James Finlay Group sold their remaining share holdings and the company became known as Tata Tea Ltd., the largest integrated tea company in the world.

The nearest airport is the spanking new one at Kochi (Cochin) at a distance of 4 hours by road. It receives traffic from all the major Indian cities and from the Gulf.

The nearest railway station is also at Kochi, or rather at Ernakulum. The Ernakulum Junction is a major junction in the south; it gets trains from all over the country including frequent ones from Delhi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Mangalore and Bangalore.

The best way to get to Munnar’s fabulous tea bushes is by road from Kochi. However, the monsoons that do great things for the tea are not half as kind to the roads and the 4 hour journey up by bus may become a prolonged pain in the...back! Take a cab from Kochi, Kottayam (5 hours), Madurai (6 hours), Coimbatore (6 hours too), or Thiruvananthapuram (9 hours). Both rattling state transport and sleeker privately run buses also service these routes.

At a height of around 2,695m it is the highest peak in southern India and can be viewed from Munnar.

This small hill station exudes an old-world charm with its old playgrounds and courts, bungalows, and sleepy little cottages that point to its colonial past. Situated at a distance of around 10km from Munnar Chithirapuram is home to Pallivasal hydel power project.

Is an out-of-the-world experience among exotic flora and fauna, cool mountain air, and velvet lawns. An idyllic hill station, Devikulam is located at a distance of around 7km from Munnar. The Sita Devi Lake situated here is an ideal picnic spot with its picturesque surroundings, mineral water, and trout-fishing facilities.

Tea Plantation offers an opportunity to see the tea plantations, to watch tea being picked, learn how tea is processed and to buy the tea directly from the gardens. It is an area surrounding a picturesque lake that offers stunning views of the region. If you arrive on a Sunday, make sure to drop in at the small Kundale Club in the afternoon, where the local planters gather with their families.

An excellent picnic and trekking point, Nyayamakad is situated at a distance of 10km from Munnar near Rajamalai,Nyayamakad is a land of scintillating waterfalls with water cascading down from a height of around 1,600 metres.

One of the major plantation hubs of Munnar, Pothamedu is situated at a distance of around 6km from the town. Views of coffee, tee, and cardamom plantations are excellent from here and it’s an ideal spot for trekking and hiking amidst lush mountains, rolling hills and breathtaking scenery.

Located between Neriamangalam and Adimali on the Kochi-Madurai Highway , Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls are a treat to the eyes. The fall cascades down in seven steps making it unique.

National Park By driving north from Munnar for 30 minutes and then hiking a few kilometres, you reach this sanctuary which is home to over three thousand free-roaming ibex, elephants, lion-tailed macaque, and the nilgris thar (an endangered mountain goat). Declared as a National Park in 1978 it covers 97km of rolling grass hills forested valleys and is one of the must do activities in the area.

Around 40km from Munnar  Marayoor has many firsts to its credit. It is the only place in Kerala with natural growth of sandalwood trees, natural caves with murals, and relics from Later Stone Age civilisation. There is a sandalwood factory of the Forest Department of Kerala and a children's park extending across one hectare of land under the canopy of a single Banyan tree, all of which attract tourists in large numbers. Some nearby destinations such as Thoovanam and Rajiv Gandhi National Park are also of great interest.

Situated at an altitude of 3,000 ft. above sea level, Nadukani offers excellent views of the Moolamattam town, Malankara lake, etc. It is a natural dream heaven covered with green-clad hills, silvery streams, valleys and paddy fields. You will encounter many rare species here like the hornbill, wild rabbits, spotted sambhar, jungle mainah and elephants, to name a few.

Top Station :

Situated at an altitude of between 1700 and 2,200m, Top Station offers wonderful views of the valley down below and panoramic landscape. The hilltop is situated at a distance of around 41km north from Munnar  town on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. According to a local belief, the place derived its name from Middle Station and Lower Station, both lying down the valley, which were once connected to this place via a ropeway.

Valara :

10kms from Adimali on the Kochi-Madurai highway. Valara has a chain of waterfalls surrounded by thick green forests worth exploring.