Munnar Visit - A Personal Experience

For centuries, Kerala has been admired for its natural environs, backwaters, forest cover and hills. It was rated amongst the world’s top tourist destinations by the National Geographic Magazine and is the favorite holiday spot of beach lovers visiting India from all over the world.

My visit to Munnar in December last was a trip that is unforgettable. The first thing you notice when you arrive at Munnar is the hillside air and the expanse of greenery all around town. I found that the JJ Cottage opposite the KSRTC bus stand offers decent accommodation for the price it charges.

I had heard about the Top Station and made it my first stop in Munnar. It is about 1,700 meters above sea level. The stunning thing about the view from Top Station is that you actually stand level with the clouds and can even gaze into the details of those that are but a stone’s throw away. The surprise that Top Station throws: the Neelakurinji flower that floods the hillsides in a riot of purple-blue tint, is a sight to behold!

Other spots that I checked out were the Anayirangal Dam, Powerhouse Waterfalls, and the Tea Museum. The Anayirangal Dam is surrounded by tea plantations. The view from the reservoir is a photographer’s muse. Edge-to edge greenery of the tea and coffee plantation fills the visual field with the dark brown mountains rising in the backdrop while the placid waters of the dam are a shining blue; an enchanting enclosure of the elements.  

The waterfalls are en route the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. People were eagerly gulping water from the nearby lake of Sita Devi Kulam. “Won’t you get ill?” I asked a youngster to which he replied, “Chill. The water is so powerful, it actually cures all ailments.” He went on to say that the water is the only thing that gives him relief from his acute migraine. I was not fully convinced, but shared my cardamom-flavored coffee (courtesy Coffee Caza in the Fort Munnar) with him and filled my flask up with the so-called cure-all anyway. (You know, you never know!)

The tea museum is run by Tata Tea. The collection is devoted to many objects and exhibits that trace the beginnings and evolution of the tea plantations in Munnar. Not only is the tea manufacturing process illustrated, but the tea culture across continents is also compared and the souvenir shoppe has many thingamajigs that interest the tourist.