MUNNAR, A misty, lush green hill station up in the Annamalai range of Kerala, Tea gardens, some of the highest in the world stretch up the sides of the hills and are interspersed with pockets of forest rich in wildlife. Munnar infact is like a giant Japanese garden stretching to the end of the horizon and makes an interesting change from coastal, palmfringed Kerala. Adjacent nearly to Anaimudi, the highest peakin South India, Munnar is nearly 1600 metres above sea level.Since the 30 odd tea gardens around Munnar are all privately owned,the majority of them by Tata Tea, the town itself is beautifully maintained. A colonial town, clean and neat and brightly painted,it has its own charm.
Location: In the Ananmalai Hills 1520 metres above sea level
Climate: Very heavy monsoons from June to September. Annualrainfall 270cm
Tourist seasons: Munnar is a pleasantly cool and refreshing place to visit at most times of year. Winters are cooold! And during monsoon days the downpour is steady.
Munnar - breathtakingly beautiful - a haven of peace and tranquility - the idyllic tourist destination in God's own country.Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Unending expanse of tea plantations - pristine valleys and mountains- exotic species of flora and fauna in its wild sanctuaries and forests - aroma of spice scented cool air - yes! Munnar has all these and more. It's the place you would love to visit - it's the place you would wish never to leave.
TeaGardens
Munnar’s top attraction is its scenic tea gardens and is top priority on any travel itinerary in this area. There are around 30 tea estates, all are privately owned (about 27 of them owned by Tata Tea Company), but most estate managers will allow visitors to wander around the estate for free. Tea factories at the estates offer a great opportunity to witness the entire process by which tea changes from being a fresh, hand picked leaf to the fragrant product that makes it to breakfast tables across the world. Some tea factories also offer tea on sale for visitors.
MATTUPETTY LAKE AND DAM
Mattupetty Lake and Dam, which lie 13 km from Munnar, enroute Top Station, at an altitude of 1700 mt, are popular picnic spot with visitors. The sprawling Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala Lake are other attractions in the vicinity. DTPC Idukki provides boating facilities on the Mattupetty Dam. Speed launch, slow speedboat and motorboats are available on hire.
The lake and dam surrounded by wooden hills and tea plantations, makes a great view.
The Shola forests around Mattupetty are ideal for trekking and bird watching, with the variety of birds found there. Small streams and waterfalls cut through the tract here and there, which again adds more attraction to the place. Boating is also allowed on Mattupetty Lake and combined with picnic and trekking, makes for a great outing from Munnar.Mattupetty Dam was built in the late 1940’s. located 13 km from Munnar is situated at a height of 1700 m, Mattupetty is known for its highly specialised dairy farm - the Indo Swiss Livestock Project. Over a 100 varieties of high yielding cattle are reared here.
LOCK HEART GAP
Lock Heart Gap is an ideal place for adventure tourism and trekking. It is about 13 km from Munnar. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view make it worthy of a visit. There is a cave called Lock heart cave which is almost 3km inside. believed to have been used by Malaikkallan, a legendary highway robber. This was an interesting tourist spot till recently but now it has been broken away to widen the road.
SWISS LIVESTOCK PROJECT FARM
Also known as Mattupetti (cattle village), the Swiss Livestock Project is a highly specialized dairy farm where over a hundred breeds of highly yielding cattle are reared in eleven cattle sheds. Visitors are allowed into three of the sheds during fixed hours.The project was established in 1961 by Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB)
Top Station
Top station, 41 km (1hr) from Munnar is aptly named, as it is home to some of the highest tea plantations in India. It lies on the state border between Kerala and Tamilnadu and commands a panoramic view of rolling green hills. Top Station derived its name from its location on the Kundala Valley 24 inch gauge railway. Middle Station Kundalai is 12 km from Top Station on the way to Lower Station
ECHO POINT
On the way to top station, at a spot on the lake embankment, amid some hills, every loud sound is echoed manifold by the surrounding hills— the spot is called Echo point which also offers panoramic views. It is just 15 km from Munnar. An excellent place, especially for young travelers to disembark for a while, yell out — and listen to your voice coming back to you!
MARAYOOR
Marayoor lies 40 km from Munnar, a rain-shadow village on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, is 40 kms from Munnar on the Udumalapet road. It holds a lot of nature's blessing to be unfolded before its visitors.It's also a unique place where tourism meets adventure. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view make it worthy of a visit.
By travelling either from Marayur to Munnar or from Munnar to Marayur, one can feel the enchanting beauty of nature's blessing to be remembered for life time. It is a place not to be missed for its combination of ancient caves, sandalwood trees and souvenirs from ancient civilization and more. Marayoor has a sandalwood factory owned by the Forest Department of Kerala, where attractive objects are d’art crafted from the precious wood.
The other important site here is a series of muniyaras (caves) dating back to the New Stone Age. The muniyaras contain rock paintings of considerable archeological significance, also part of the pre-historic excavations at Marayoor, are dolmenoid burial chambers consisting of four erect stones covered by a horizontal capstone.Other popular attractions at Marayoor include a children’s park that lies under a banayan tree extending over a hector of land, and the Thoovanam waterfall.The enchanting beauty of Marayoor offers diversity in every aspect of the land and culture. Hamlets, rocky hills, rivers, brook, cave temples, sugar cane fields, waterfalls,Neolithic period's stone coffins, sandal wood and bamboo forests are all in store for the visitor. It is the only place in Kerala having a natural growth of sandal wood trees. The rare Neelakurinji flower is native of this region.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary lies 60 km from Munnar, a mixture of thorny scrub and deciduous forest that is home to some of Kerala’s most interesting wildlife. The prima donna here is the highly endangered giant grizzle squirrel, of which as estimated global count is less than 200. Other than this extremely rare creature, Chinnar’s resident species include elephants, tigers, chital, sambar, Indian bison and monkeys.
Apart from the dry thorn forests, due to the significant variation in altitude and rainfall, it has a wide array of habitat types like deciduous forests, dry thorny forest, riparian types, sholas and grasslands that are interspersed with plains, hillocks, rocks and cliffs which provide microhabitats for varied forms of life.
It is an abode of reptilian fauna and the richest in Kerala in terms of the number of species. Albizia lathamii, a critically endangered species has been reported from the dry forests of Chinnar. It is a well known repository of medicinal plants. The riverine forests along Chinnar and Pambar support a healthy population of Grizzled Giant Squirrel.The famous ‘white bison of Manjampatti’ has been recently reported from Chinnar. With 225 species of birds, Chinnar is rich in avian diversity. In association with the neighbouring PAs, Chinnar forms part of a viable conservation unit.
ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK
Eravikulam is one of Kerala’s finest wildlife reserves, and its excellent location, a mere 16 km from Munnar, makes it an unforgettable experience for any lover of the outdoors. The park, a spread of 97 km across Rajamalai Hills, is a combination of grassland and shola forests. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, etc.
Don't make this your destination for a monsoon visit because visitors are not allowed here during this season.
ANAMUDI PEAK
Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park is the highest peak (2695 m) in peninsular India. It towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The hill is abundant in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. It is best know for the endangered Nilgiri tahr (hemitragus hylocrious) although it does harbour a number of other equally interesting denizens— such as Atlas moth (the largest of its kind in the world), Nilgiri langurs, lion-tailed macaques, leopards and tigers. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided here and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.
THATTEKAD BIRD SANCTUARY
The sanctuary lies near Kothamangalam and is 80 km from Munnar. Also known as the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (after India’s most famous ornithologist, who was instumental in its establishment). Thattekad spreads out over a relatively small area of 25 sq km of dense forest of rosewood, teak and mahogany. But don’t let the diminutive size of the sanctuary put you off; this modest bit of land harbours a fairly impressive selection of avifauna, guaranteed to have any avid bird-watchery yearning for more.
Thattekad’s resident species number more than 270, of which the more prominent ones are crimson-throated barbets, rose-billed rollers, sunbirds, shrikes, Malabar grey hornbills, Malayan night herons, rusty-tailed flycatchers, Ceylon frogmouths and parakeets. In addition, the sanctuary is home to more than 200 species of butterflies, plus a few mammals—including leopards and bears.
Pothamedu is located 6 km from Munnar and offers an excellent view of the tea, coffee and cardamom plantations in Munnar. The rolling hills, the lush mountain and the breathtaking scenery here is ideal for trekking and long mountain walks.
DEVIKULAM is located (7 km from Munnar) is idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns, exotic flora and fauna and the cool mountain air is a rare experience. The Sita Devi Lake with its mineral waters and picturesque surroundings is a good picnic spot. The lake is also ideal for trout fishing.
PALLIVASAL is 8 km from Munnar is the venue of the first Hydro Electric Project in Kerala and a place of immense scenic beauty.
ATTUKAL is 9 km from Munnar is a panorama of waterfalls and rolling hills, Attukal, located between Munnar and Pallivasal, is a feast for the eyes. The place is also ideal for long treks.
NYAYAMAKAD is 10 km from Munnar is located between Munnar and Rajamala, Nyayamakad is a land of breathtaking waterfalls. The waters cascade down a hill from a height of about 1600 metres. The enchanting surroundings makes an excellent picnic spot and trekking point.
CHITHIRAPURAM,10 km from Munnar is known for sleepy little cottages, bungalows, old playgrounds and courts, Chithirapuram still exudes an old world charm. Home of the Pallyvasal Hydel Power Project, this hill town is also famous for its picturesque tea plantation.
No comments:
Post a Comment