Munnar is a town and hill station located in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level, in the Western Ghats range of mountains.MUNNAR is cosidered as one of the best tourist destination of India. The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to its location at the confluence of the Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers. Munnar town is situated on the Kannan Devan Hills village in Devikulam taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district covering an area of nearly 557 square kilometres (215 sq mi). The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam and Aluva (approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi) by road). The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, which is 105 kilometres (65 mi) away.

1. Munnar Munnar (Malayalam: മൂന്നാര്) is a town located in Kerala state in the southern Western
Ghats in South India. Munnar was a summer resort ofBritish government in South India. It is 1600 m (5400 ft)
above sea level. It was a summer resort of British government in South India. It is pronounced “Moon-aar” meaning
“Three rivers” in Tamil and Malayalam. The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to its
location at the confluence ofthe Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers. Munnar town is situated on the
Kannan Devan Hills village in Devikulam taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district covering an area of
nearly 557 square kilometres
The neelakurinji, a blue flower which blooms only every twelve years, is found in this region. It bloomed last in Dec.
2006. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, at 2695 m.
The tea plantations and holiday facilities make this a popular hill station in Kerala.
Altitude : 1600 Mts to 1800 Mts above sea level. Temperature : Min. 0c – Max. 25c.Clothing : Warm Clothes and
Rain Gear. Tourist Season : Augustto March

3. History: The entire area of Munnar , about 556.44 square kilometer of land really belonged to the royal family of Poonjar and
was given on lease for 99 years by the then King Kerala Varma in 1887.During the Britishrule of India, Munnar was developed
to cultivate tea plants. At that time, most of the people around the area were employed as laborers for plantations throughout the
area. In the early stages of development, only Tamilians and a small number of Malayalis inhabited Munnar. From the late 1890s
till 1921,tea was transported down from Top Station by 24 inch railway and ropeway to Munnar for transhipment throughout
the World.
In Europe they call it rolling hills. But here are the "Rolling Tea Hills Of Munnar"

4. Enchanting Kundala Lake near Munnar

5. Climate : The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,600 meters (5,249 ft) to 1,800 meters
(5,906 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a salubrious climate. The weather ranges between −5 ℃
(23 ℉) and 10 ℃ (50 ℉) in winter and 15 ℃ (59 ℉) and 25 ℃ (77 ℉) in summer. The tourist seasonis from
August to May. However, even the monsoons are lovely with many streams and rivulets in the area. See:map
Get in: Munnar is 140 km (about 4.5 hours) from Kochi. Remember to budget a good 6 hours if you are driving up or down,
since the road is blind in some places and there are a lot of trucks and buses that seem to drive as if they own the road. Although,
the road is smooth (NH 49), it is narrow, twisty and curvy. Make sure you have a lite meal before you drive to Munnar on these
roads, otherwise the next thing you will see on your dash board will be your last meal! Kothamangalam is on the way and is 80
km away from Munnar. Between Kothamangalam and next town “Adimali”, you can experience a beautiful cool drive through a
natural forest. Alongside, you can see many refreshing waterfalls. Once you reach Adimali, Munnar is just 30 kilometers away –
but, it will take almost an hour to reach. Around 22 kilometers from Adimali, you can start seeing the tea plantations on both
sides of the road and a panoramic view of the western ghats. The view is extremely beautiful during the early mornings. Munnar
can also be reached from Kodai Road, Madurai, Udumalpet. The drive to Munnar involves about 3 hours on the ghat section.
There are 17 hair pin bends through beautiful hilly tea estates.

6. Here is Munnar Town
Scintillating beauty of Tea Estates and natural hilly terrain trekking.

8. Eravikulam (Rajamalai) National Park: It is a 45 mins drive from Munnar.It has some rare wildlife- Nilgiri Thar
(Hemitragas hylocres) – an endangered species of mountain goats, rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the
Rajamalai hills,rare flora and fauna, Atlas moth (largest in the world), lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, The Kurichi or
Neelakurinji Flowers turn the hills of Rajamalai blue every 12 years. The next bloom will be in 2018.One can actually debate if
going to the high peak just to see some goats is worth all the effort or not. However, the walk along the park is very romantic and
has some breath taking view.

9. Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park: The highest peak (2695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over the
sanctuary. The slopes of the hills abound in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world,
is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards,
tigers, etc. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

10. Albinogaur or Manjampatti white bison (rare breedof Bison). Photograph taken from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

11. One of the many rocky waterfalls within the Wildlife sanctuary

12. Kumarakom – KTDC Thatched Hut Resorts of POTHAMEDU VIEWPOINT
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

13. Mattupetti Dam – 10km from Munnar, this popular picnic spot activities like boating and horse riding and is a great place to
spend the day especially if visiting with children. You could take the speed boat ride which is fantastic. It costs 300 INR if you
have to hire a boat for you alone. The ride is for 15 minutes. The maximum capacity is 5 persons and you could save some money
if you are a group of 4 to 5.

14. Munnar Lake Photo
Mattupetti Indo-Swiss Farm – Better known as Mattupetti (cattle village), Tamil migrant labourers had once
upon a time reared cattle here. The cool climate and abundance of fodder made it the ideal location for the Indo-
Swiss dairy farm. Established in 1961, the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) manages this highly
specialised dairy farm. The dairy farm is a unique one of its kind with more than 100 varieties of high-yielding
cattle being reared.

15. Echo Point – 15km from Munnar, on the way to top station from Munnar is a small lake set amidst rolling hills. Every loud
call made from a spot on the lake embankment is returned manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills. Young tourists
throng to this place to listen to the echoes of their friendship calls.
Boating at the Mattupetty Dam Lake.

16. Top Station37km from Munnar on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, has great views ofthe Western Ghats. Top
station is the “top”-tourist attraction. This place gives a real ‘above the clouds’ experience. Regular buses go to Top
Station (1 hr) from Munnar. A jeep costs Rs 400. The area is known for the Neelakurunji plant, which flowers only
once every twelve years. The flower is violet.
Here are the rare blooming Neelakurinji Flowers. ( Next blooms are expectedin 2018)

17. Kundala Lake – This lake is very beautiful amidst lush jungles. Hiring a pedal boat and exploring the lake and its
surroundings is an awesome experience. Except at the place you hired the boat, don’t expect to find humans
around the lake as it is surrounded by scenic jungles and hills.

18. Atukkad Waterfalls – A scenic waterfalls amidst hills and jungles. You can find a road leading to Atukkad on Kochi road
(just about 5 km from Munnar). This road is very narrow. This place is located between Munnar and Pallivasal, and a beautiful
sight of waterfalls and rolling hills can be seen here. Attukal is also ideal for long treks.

19. Salim Ali (Thattekkad) Bird Sanctuary, There are woodpeckers, Malabar gray hornbills, Ceylon frogmouths,
parakeets, and rose-billed rollers. This sanctuary is located 20km from Kothamangalam on the road between
Ernakulam and Munnar. You can take a boat cruise from Boothathankettu to Thattekkad.
Winged beauties of the Thattekadu Bird Sanctuary.

20. Marayoor – Around 40km from Munnar. 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.

21. Road through the Marayoor Sandalwood Forest
Ramakkalmedu, Pooppara, at Marayoor.

22. Kolukkumalai Tea Estate – At a height of about 7130 ft, this orthodox tea estate lays claim to being one of the
highest in the world. The view of the Western Ghats is absolutely enchanting.

23. BlossomGarden– This garden houses many different varieties of flowers. Tourists will definitely take
away good memories from this place.

24. Water falls – Check out several natural waterfalls on the way to Munnar. These waterfall carry fresh rain
water. They provide an excellent place for all tourists to have photo shootout.

25. WOW - The Beauty Of Devikulam Lake, Munnar
Here are more scenic photographs of Munnar

26. Dreamcatcher PlantationTreehouse Resort

28. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

29. (Thisis Aranyaka Resorts)

30. AYURVEDIC RESORTS OF MUNNAR
This is a lakeside resort of Kumarakkom near Kottayam
The beauty of Munnar’s Devikulam Lake

31. SOME OF THE UNIQUE ADVENTURE RESORTS OF MUNNAR

32. Chandy’s Windy Woods Hotel Resort amidst forest hills
High in the Western Ghats, a few kilometres from the Periyar wildlife sanctuary, stands a memorial to
the Scottish engineer Col. John Pennycuick who constructed the Mullaperiyar Dam and transformed
the life of generations in the arid plains that stretch to the east from the base of the mountain. This
a also a highlight spot of Munnar.

33. Another famous large dam is the “Idukki Arch Dam”.
A SPECIAL COMPILATION BY TONY CHACKO
tonychacko2000@gmail.com