Exploring Cities: A Tour of Munnar

Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams — Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala. At 1600 meters above sea level, this hill station was the summer resort for the British Government in South India. With its sprawling tea plantations, picture-book scenery, and winding lanes, Munnar is still a very popular hill station in Kerala.

On this tour, you will visit the Eravikulam National Park (closed in Feb and Mar for breeding season) which was established to protect the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiri Ibex). This is the natural habitat of the Tahr. Half of the world's population of this rare mountain goat, which is rapidly moving towards extinction, is found here. If you are lucky, you can observe the Tahr from close quarters here.

You will visit the tea gardens spread for miles and miles in and around the picturesque hills. You can watch the tea pickers with their bags strapped to their backs. Coffee and Cardamom in the region is grown under shade so naturally, these estates are shaded by huge tropical rainforest trees. For nature lovers, it is a delight to walk through these cool estates listening to birds, squirrels, and the occasional monkeys.

You will also visit a Tea Museum (closed on Mondays) where you will get to taste some beautiful tea blends. This Tea Museum houses photographs and pieces of machinery; all of which have a story to tell about the origin and growth of tea plantations in Munnar.