Kerala
Idukki
Munnar, Thekkady and the high range
The high range: tea on the hills around Munnar, spice gardens around Thekkady, and between them the forest of the Periyar reserve.
Together they make the middle of most Kerala journeys: down out of the tea, two nights in the spice hills, then on to the water.
- When to go
- September to May. In the monsoon the views are often in cloud, though the tea is at its greenest.
- How long to stay
- Two nights in each, and three in Munnar if you are walking.
- Getting there
- Cochin airport to Munnar is 110 km, about three and a half hours on a slow, climbing road. Thekkady is about three hours on from Munnar.
Places to see
In Idukki
03 places
01
Munnar
Tea planted across the hills in every direction, at about 1,600 metres. The nights are cold enough that people who packed for the backwaters often buy a shawl on the first evening. Stay on an estate rather than in the town.
02
Thekkady
A different climate from Munnar: cardamom, pepper and coffee, and the smell of them on the road in. A walk through a spice garden with the person who farms it is the best way to understand the place.
03
Periyar
The reserve around a lake made by a dam about a century ago, with drowned trees still standing in the water, and elephant and gaur in the forest. Everyone takes the boat; the better hours are a walk with a guide.
Tell us about your journey
Since 1997
Our team has been in tourism since 1997. Scenic Escapes India Private Limited is a private company registered in Kerala and based in Karunagappally, Kollam. Its registration details are published for anyone to check.
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