Kolukkumalai Tea Estate
കൊളുക്കുമല
Said to be one of the highest tea estates in the world. Ride a jeep up before dawn to see the sunrise and cloud sea over the Western Ghats.
The tea estate lies on the Tamil Nadu side at an altitude of more than 2,000 m, but it can only be reached from Suryanelli in Kerala via a rough dirt road. You need to take a local jeep, about 1.5 hours each way, and a charter costs about 2,000–3,000 rupees. Most visitors leave at 4 a.m. to watch the sunrise, when the cloud sea rises from the valley and rows of tea spread out below. The estate has a small factory that still uses traditional methods and can be visited.
The road is bumpy, so anyone prone to car sickness should be careful. It is very windy at the top, so bring a warm jacket.
Opening hours
Sunrise tours depart about 04:00
Nearby sights
- Meesapulimala
- Top Station
- Anayirangal Dam
- Kundala Lake
- Echo Point
- Mattupetty Dam
- Lockhart Tea Factory
- Vattavada