Roads winding like serpents amid lush greens abloom with wayside flowers, picture-postcard villages, miles and miles of tea plantations. And that is not all! People exchanging a gossip or two over piping hot tea/coffee at the small wayside shops. A trip uphill to Munnar will be etched for ever in one’s memory. The misty hills of Munnar tucked in at the confluence of three rivers- Muthirapuzha, Nallathani and Kundala, is amongst the most sought after honeymoon destinations in south India, and a must see for anyone coming to Kerala.

History
Munnar was the favourite summer resort of the British. History abounds. Some say that the Duke of Wellington was the first European visitor to Munnar, in 1790, but there is no evidence for this. Legend has it that Munnar was popularly known as the Kannan Devan Hills after a local chieftain named Kannan Devar. (His name now is a popular brand of tea!) One of the earliest documented evidence is an entry made in the diary of a Madras army lieutenant in 1817, that there was a bullock cart track heading out of Coimbatore, across the hills and up the mountains.

The British developed Munnar as a tea plantation. Post-Independence, most of the plantations are owned by Tata Tea. In 2000, the Government of Kerala declared Munnar a tourist spot. The old bungalows were renovated and run as guesthouses to accommodate the growing number of tourists. But much of the population in this hill station are workers who slog it out in the plantations.

What to see
Town by itself has little other than the tea plantations and a colonial era church with some fine stained glass windows. Most tourist attractions are a short distance away. So book a cab for a day/half-day and explore the following places.

Mattupetty
A short drive of 13 km takes you to Mattupetty Dam and Lake. The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) offers boating facilities at nominal rates. With special permission, you can even visit the Mattupetty Indo-Swiss cattle breeding farm. You can call the DTPC at 2530679, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm for details.

Devikulam
About 7 km away this idyllic lake with waterfalls and verdant greens is ideal for trout fishing.

Anayirangal
Some 22 km from Munnar is a reservoir surrounded by a carpet of green. Keep your fingers crossed for a herd of elephants to descend down to the lake for a drink. If you get lucky, it is a treat for the eyes, and of course you can snap away at random. The herds tend to spend a lot of time at the water hole!

Eravikulam National Park
This is the home of the endangered mountain goat called the Niligiri Tahr. The park is open 7 am to 6 pm, but head out early if you want to catch sight of these shy creatures. Eravikulam is about 15 km from Munnar.

Top Station
Some 1,700 m above sea level, this is the highest point on the Munnar Kodiakanal route. It is about 37 km from the town and offers great panoramic views. En route, you can trek up to Echo Point and howl yourself hoarse. Even the smallest sound will reverberate around the hills and come back.

Getaways
Anaimudi Peak
Anaimudi is the highest peak in south India. You can trek to the base of the peak from Eravikulam0 National Park. But you need the permission of the District Forest Officer.

Rajamalai
Their claims to fame are the blue Kurinji, or Neelakurinji flowers that paint the hills of Rajamalai blue every 12 years. Plan a trip this year (2006) and you can feast your eyes.

Pothamedu
About 6 km, away, this spot offers a good view of Munnar and has good trekking and walking trails.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Some 60 km away on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border is this little-visited sanctuary. Dawn and dusk are the only times you can hope to sight any of the big beasts. Visiting time is between 7 am and 6 pm. Get your entry passes from the Assistant Conservator of Forests at the sanctuary entrance.

Dining Out
In the Munnar market locals set up food stalls in the mornings and at night. It’s street food and it’s quite delicious. The restaurants at the bazaar serve a variety of food, south Indian cuisine as well as aromatic chicken biryani (flavoured rice). There are some good multi-cuisine restaurants too.

There are a couple of clubs that still retain a colonial aura. There’s some great pool and snooker to be played, and the bars are quiet and laidback but you can enjoy all this only if a member recommends you.

Shopping
Forget malls, supermarkets and buzzing bazaars. The two bazaars in Munnar are busy places where you’ll get to witness plenty of local colours. The older market (set up in 1900) is great for old world ambience and the new bazaar will take care of all your needs. The local specialties are tea, spices and honey. Do try out the honey, for it is pure and natural. And yeah, you could try out the spice drops-you get cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and ginger- you may get them cheaper at Kochi though!

Visiting
Avoid the monsoon months of June-August if the rains dampen your spirits for here when it rains it pours. But during this time the Western Ghats are flushed with rich vibrant green and the entire landscape assumes a refreshed bathed look. The winters are quite cold in Munnar owing to its height (1600 meters). The summers are ideally cool, a lovely retreat from the sweaty hot plains heaving under the sun’s assault. The months of September-October when the rains have ceased are the best. It really is a cool, invigorating, beautiful season

Tourist Offices
The government run DTPC office will be able to provide not much information but it does have a bicycle rental. The Tourist Information Centre run by Joseph Iype is in the Main Bazaar and is a treasure trove of information.

How to get there

Air
The nearest airport is the spanking new one at Kochi (Cochin) at a distance of 4 hours by road. It receives traffic from all the major Indian cities and from the Gulf.

Rail
The nearest railway station is also at Kochi, or rather at Ernakulum. The Ernakulum Junction is a major junction in the south; it gets trains from all over the country including frequent ones from Delhi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Mangalore and Bangalore.

Road
The best way to get to Munnar’s fabulous tea bushes is by road from Kochi. However, the monsoons that do great things for the tea are not half as kind to the roads and the 4 hour journey up by bus may become a prolonged pain in the...back! Take a cab from Kochi, Kottayam (5 hours), Madurai (6 hours), Coimbatore (6 hours too), or Thiruvananthapuram (9 hours). Both rattling state transport and sleeker privately run buses also service these routes.