The Destination where Perfect
holidays are made
Munnar comes as close as possible to a dream The Destination. It is sheer
magic…small rivulets running at the feet of houses nestled all along in
rich undergrowth. Massive rock face, flowers blooming in rock crevices,
maze-like tea gardens drawing zig zag patterns on the landscape, thick
creamy puffs of wandering clouds stuck between slabs of mountain rock,
letting one believe that this is as close to heaven as one can get.
The town of Munnar is yet undiscovered and happily so - it implies less
destruction of its raw beauty. You can walk through its winding lanes, enjoy
the smell of fresh tea, or the looks of the old churches. The High Range
Club offers a great golf course in beautiful surroundings. Closeby, the
views from the Kundale tea plantation that surround a lovely lake, are
simply fantastic.
Travel Attractions
Christ Church Set on a hill in the middle of Munnar, it was consecrated in
1910. Though the exterior may not be so appealing, affected as it has been
by the weather, the church is attractive inside with stained glass and brass
plaques. Originally constructed for tea estate managers and workers of High
Ranges, it hasn't been used for English language service for 19 years.
Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church
In Old Munnar on the road to the Tata General Hospital, it was first
consecrated in 1898 by Fr. Alphonse and was the first Catholic Church in the
High Ranges. The present day church was constructed in 1938 by the then
Bishop of Vijayapuram.
Mattupetty Lake
Situated 13 kms from Munnar, at an altitude of 1,700 mts, this artificial
lake is a product of a small hydro-electric plant. It is surrounded by hills
and woods.
Eravikulam National Park
Also known as Rajamalai National Park, it was set up in 1978 to preserve
the reticent endangered goat, Nilgiri Tahr. The walk through the park,
though tiresome, offers immense scenic beauty for the discerning,
aesthetically inclined tourist .
Top Station
41 kms from Munnar, at an altitude of 2,200 mts, it is on the border of
Tamil Nadu. It gets its name from a ropeway that connects it to Lower
Station via Middle Station. It offers spectacular views of not only the
Western Ghats but also the plains of Tamil Nadu.
Mattupetty
Situated at a height of 1700 m ,Mattupetty is famous for its highly
specialised dairy farm-the Indo-swiss live stock project. Over 100 varieties
of high yielding cattle are reared here.Visitors are allowed into three of
the eleven cattle sheds at the farm.
The Mattupetty lake and dam , just a short distance from the farm, is a
very beautiful picnic spot.The sprawling Kundala tea plantations and the
Kundala lake are other attractions in the vicinity.
Rajamala
The natural habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr,Rajamala is 2695 m above sea level.
Half the world's population of the rare mountain goat or tahr, which is fast
becoming extinct, is now found here. The Nilgiri Tahr in Rajamala is now to
be found in small herds found in Eravikulam-Rajamala region. The total
number of Nilgiri Tahrs in Rajamala is estimated to be over 1300. Visitors
are not allowed during the monsoon.
Activities
Cycling in Munnar can be great fun with not all cycle rides being too
steep. The options vary from an 8 kms ride up to Letchmi Estate to a ride to
the southern end of Munnar. Both rides take one close to the great bounties
of nature.
