Munnar Tea Gardens

മൂന്നാർ

A British-founded tea hill station at 1,600 meters in the Western Ghats, with rolling tea gardens, the Tata Tea Museum, and Nilgiri tahr in Eravikulam National Park.

Munnar is a tea-growing hub established by the British in the late 19th century where three rivers meet in the Western Ghats. At an elevation of about 1,600 m, its hillsides are clipped into neat rows of tea bushes. It is the largest tea-producing region in South India, and most of its estates now belong to the Kanan Devan company. Temperatures run more than 10°C lower than on the plains. Highlights include the Tata Tea Museum (Tata Tea Museum, entry about 150 rupees, closed on Mondays, where you can see old tea-processing machines and taste tea); tea estates and factories such as Lockhart and Kolukkumalai (2,100 m, one of the world's highest organic tea estates, reached by jeep to watch the sunrise); Eravikulam National Park 13 km north of town (about 500 rupees for foreign visitors, where about 700 endangered Nilgiri tahr graze along the trails, and the park closes during the lambing season in February and March); Anamudi Peak (2,695 m), the highest mountain in South India, which is closed to climbers; the Top Station viewpoint overlooking the plains of Tamil Nadu; and Mattupetty Dam, with boating and an elephant camp. To explore, hire a jeep or tuk-tuk for the 4 to 5 hour tea-garden loop, or join a 2 to 3 hour tea-garden trek through tea rows and worker villages. From Kochi, a hired car takes about 4 hours over 130 km of mountain road, with waterfalls and spice gardens along the way to stop at. There are no trains. Plan to stay 2 nights, as resorts among the tea gardens outside town are quieter. Mountain roads have many bends and can cause car sickness. Bring a jacket for cool mornings and evenings. Weekends and Indian public holidays are very crowded.

Munnar Tea Gardens

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