Coimbatore To Munnar- A Complete Trip Guide
If someone paid us a dollar every time we take a dashing drive to Ooty, I bet we would have been a billionaire by now. Honestly not an over the top statement but the fact that we have been drooling over the heavenly Nilgiri hills for a long time has become evident.
Not that we loathe it, but there is something on the other end that has been taunting us to try out the glossy roads. Yes it’s Munnar, a greeny retreat amidst the Western Ghats in Kerala, a complete Coimbatore to Munnar trip guide to know where to start, what to do in Munnar and where to visit.
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Munnar History & Geographical location
A beautiful town and former British station in the Western Ghats of Kerala at 5,200 ft above the sea level. A glorious hill station with tea plantations adorning the scenic backdrop under a clear sky with a dash of mist and fog during the seasonal times. A renowned honeymoon destination for newlyweds, people also call it as the Kashmir of south India.
Munnar had struck a cordial bond with the British and it’s quite obvious with some buildings as the attention to detail is hard to miss and also the aesthetic lines giving us shades of the England vibes, vintage bridges sprawling over the melodic streams flowing below.
The vibrant hill station is well connected by National and state highways. The town lies in the Kochi-Dhanushkodi highway.
It is 157kms away from Coimbatore.
The nearest railway stations are at Aluva, Ernakulam and Udumalpet while the nearest airport is at Cochin and Coimbatore.
How to reach Munnar via Coimbatore
Coimbatore airport is 162 kilometers away from Munnar while the railway station stays away at 158kms from the hill station. You can book a direct cab from the airport or railway station and hop on to a 4 hours’ drive through the Pollachi road. From the center, you take the intersection road that takes you to Udumalpet-Palani road from where you can continue your journey through the forest at the foothills of Munnar.
The roads are a bit grumpy initially if you are planning for a bike ride, but once past the foothills the tantalizing corners of Munnar roads tempt you to keep twisting the throttle to go even further.
There is a check post at the foothills near a bridge set up by the forest department to monitor the activities in the forest.
Tourist places in Munnar
The lush green vibes just doesn’t end with the road and climates but transits throughout the town with tea estates leaving behind a dash of magical spell for travellers to indulge into nature. Munnar is never short on the tourist places as the wow quotient keeps blooming as we check past different beautiful spots in the town.
Take a look at some of the best tourist destinations in Munnar that’s sure to leave us all spellbound.
Eravikulam National Park
One of the most sought after places in Munnar, Eravikulam National Park is nuzzled on the lines of Western Ghats in the Idukki district of Kerala sprawling at a huge 97kilometers stretch. It is 150kms away from Coimbatore.
If you are an avid wildlife lover then this Park is a feast to your eyes as there is a long list of exotic birds and butterflies adorning the place with some rare variety of lion, leopards. There are also lion tailed Macaque, Nilgiri langur, atlas moth etc. And not to forget the Nilgiri Tahr that seems to be the people’s favorite here.
Book your tickets upfront to avoid the long pain staking queue. A well maintained protected area by the Government without letting the quality and safety go off for a toss.
Make sure to reach there in advance to save your time on the verification and security check process, once you are good to go, you can board their special busses that will take you on a breezy drive through the impeccable tall woods. The drive lasts anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes as it is a 5kms blissful drive across the bumpy roads and spectacular view points.
The panoramic view offers an undiluted view of the misty hills covering the green layer of the town below. The Park is known for its herd of majestic looking wild goats and there are plenty of them adoring the sidewalks.
A wonderful hiking experience amidst the breezy waves of fresh cold air, especially during the months of November to February when the ambiance comes to life.
Address:
The Wildlife Warden Munnar PO, Kerala 685612
Ratings:
4.3
Mattupetty Dam
Another surreal destination joins the hoard of tourist places in Munnar. Mattupetty Dam blazes past its counterparts to be people’s go-to location here in Munnar as it offers an unrivalled view of the town and the light greenish blue water that steals the souls of Nature lovers in the house.
Located at 10 kilometers from the center of Munnar, the dam looks spectacular with the Mountains at the backdrop adding to the seductiveness of the overall ambiance, making people crave for more of the blissful beauty.
We can’t really blame people’s choice as there are tonnes of activities that you can get here, some of which can never be seen anywhere around Munnar. You can avail the boating services, speed boating or even jet skis to raise the bar a notch higher.
Address:
Munnar – Top Station Hwy, Mattupetty, Kerala 685616
Ratings:
4.1
The place is always busy with shops, snack counters outside, souvenir shops. It literally feels like a carnival out there during the weekends.
If lucky you can spot herds of wild tuskers getting down to quench their thirsts.
There are other tourist places like the Anamudi peak that gives you an unparalleled bird’s eye view over the foggy clouds passing over Munnar, The Blossom International Park where the idea of Tranquility strikes our heart.
If you are still holding yourself from trying out the misty hills of Munnar, let your hair down for a wild ride of your lifetime as the beautiful town of Kerala holds the reputation of sprouting blissfulness in the hearts of people visiting.