Get Set and Travel to Munnar in Kerala

The months from November to January is usually considered as the winter season in Kerala as you expect, the winter season in Kerala is not accompanied with extreme cold climatic conditions. Kerala is a beautiful piece of land in the southern part of India and is blessed with amazing climatic conditions that can be tolerated by people from any part of the world. The most important seasons of Kerala are summer, winter and Monsoon seasons and when you take an average, you will not see any place in Kerala that experience a temperature higher than 45 degree Celsius or lower than 20 degree Celsius.

The hill stations of Kerala are the only places where you can experience extreme winter season and at times the temperature dips to around minus 5 degree Celsius. The hill stations of Kerala are positioned at a huge altitude above the sea level and this is one of the major reasons why, the hill stations of Kerala maintains a cool climatic conditions throughout the year. Such a unique feature makes the hill stations of Kerala a perfect holiday destination spot in Kerala.

When we talk about the hill stations of Kerala, one of the most popular hill stations that come to the mind is the Munnar hill stations which are located in the Idukki district of Kerala. Munnar is famous for its cool climatic condition and amazing natural beauty. Majority of the areas of Munnar are tea plantations and the sight of the long stretching and trimmed tea plantations is something that adds a special beauty to these hill stations.

The winter season is the best time to visit Munnar and since winter has already started in Kerala, people from different places are rushing towards this amazing tourist destination in Kerala. People rarely visit Munnar during the monsoon season which is marked with heavy rain and travellers really find it difficult to go out and explore Munnar in a better way. There are also chances of various natural calamities and disasters during the monsoon season which keeps the travellers at bay. Due to these factors most of the foreign tourists avoid visiting Munnar during the monsoon season, citing these issues.

But once the rainy season is gone, the tourism industry in Munnar starts getting a boom and this year a lot of reports have come out about the blooming of Neelakurinji in Munnar. Neelakurinji is a rare flower species which blooms once in every 12 years. So this year there will be a huge flow of travellers to Munnar as they will not miss out on any opportunity to view the Neelakurinji flowers and enjoy the beauty of Munnar hills that are covered with the blue colored Neelakurinji flowers.

Now the stage is all set for exploring Munnar hills and it is quite evident from the increase in the number of tourist vehicles heading towards Munnar. These days I have noticed that the main road from Kochi to Munnar is experiencing heavy traffic and most of the vehicles are those of the tourists. The business establishments, restaurants, coffee shops and other places have really got a uplift in their income as most of the travellers halt on their way to Munnar and enjoy some time over there.

Munnar is not just about enjoying the beauty of the tea plantation and the hills, rather there are various other travel activities and places to visit. There are a lot of small and mid-sized waterfalls in and around Munnar where you can spend some good time. The water falls are the best places to take a small break and capture the beauty of the falls in your camera. You can also take a small shower under the waterfalls, provided you do not cross the danger limits. The water will be too cool and pure, and we can see a lot of people collecting water in bottles and drinking it.

For adventure lovers, there cannot be a better place in Kerala than Munnar. There are a lot of adventure destinations in and around Munnar which adds more value to the overall tourism industry in Munnar. Some of the major adventure activities include off road jeep riding, trekking, para gliding, boating, off road biking etc. There are also some adventure parks that provides various adventure activities for the travellers.

If you are a nature lover, then Munnar can provide you some of the best nature viewing experience that are quite unique in nature. There are also a good wealth of wildlife resources in Munnar and the Eravikulam National Park is a great place to spot some of the rare and unique wildlife species, especially the Nilgiri Tahr. You can also spot some beautiful and unique bird species and there are also a lot of migratory birds that are worth watching.

The hills of Munnar are usually covered with mist and the hills usually looks like being covered with a white blanket. The mist makes the hills more beautiful and provides a great platform for taking photos and the misty mountains become more beautiful during the sunset and sunrise period. During the evening and early morning, even the roads will be filled with mist and hence one need to be highly careful and alert while driving vehicles.

The Munnar town is the major center where you can see some shops, markets, hotels and other useful things. The town is a small but vibrant one with a lot of travellers passing by. You can shop at the local market to get some good quality tea, spices and fruits. There are a lot of small restaurants which offers food, but based on my experience I suggest everyone to be extremely careful while taking food from these restaurants as most of them provide low quality food.

The presences of a large number of small and mid-sized dams are another major feature of the places around Munnar. These dams are creatively built and most of them play a major role in generating electricity and also fulfilling the water needs to some extent. There are also dams where you can enjoy a boat ride with a minimal fee. Since boating in the dams is relatively cheap, we can see a lot of travellers heading towards these dams.

Accommodation in Munnar is something that you need to book in advance especially during the peak tourism season, as most of the accommodation facilities will be full and booked much earlier. There are a lot of quality hotels, resorts and lodges in and around Munnar and you will be surrounded with a wide range of accommodation options. There are also eco lodges which are located in remote locations where there is no electricity and mobile coverage. You will really feel like staying in the middle of a big jungle, but these eco lodges are also equipped with the most necessary facilities and amenities.

For those coming from outside Kerala, visiting Munnar will be something that needs to be planned well and one of the best things is to hire any of the reputed travel tour operators who can get it done for you. You must also create self-awareness about what to do and what not to do in Munnar as there are a lot of activities that can create health problems. For those who are suffering serious diseases, a trip to Munnar must be done only after consulting with a physician.

So why are you waiting for? The stage is all set for exploring Munnar and just get everything packed and head of to Munnar before this amazing tourism season ends.