City of Munnar

Munnar is Kerala's beloved hill station, a cool green retreat set high in the Western Ghats where the air carries the scent of tea and eucalyptus. Once a summer resort for the British, it remains a place of rolling emerald slopes, mist-wrapped valleys and tumbling streams. The drive up from the plains is part of the pleasure, winding past waterfalls and spice gardens as the temperature drops and the landscape turns ever more lush.

The defining sight is the tea, with manicured plantations carpeting the hills in every direction. A visit to a working tea estate and the Tata Tea Museum reveals the history and craft of the industry, while a guided walk among the bushes offers some of the most photogenic scenery in India. Eravikulam National Park, home to the rare Nilgiri tahr, lies close by, and Anamudi, the highest peak in southern India, rises within its bounds.

Nature is the great draw here. Travellers can boat on serene Mattupetty and Kundala lakes, seek out viewpoints over the Anamudi range, and time a trip to catch the curious Neelakurinji, a flower that blankets the slopes in blue once every twelve years. Spice and cardamom plantations add fragrance to gentle walks, and the cooler climate makes everything feel refreshingly invigorating.

A stay in Munnar is restful and scenic. Days pass with leisurely estate tours, riverside picnics and slow drives to viewpoints, while evenings by a fire are welcome at altitude. Plantation bungalows and hillside resorts offer wide views and warm Keralan hospitality.

Munnar deserves its place on a Kerala tour as the perfect counterpoint to the warm coast and backwaters. Its tea-clad hills, fresh mountain air and unhurried charm provide a cool, restorative interlude and some of the finest landscapes the state has to offer.