Club Mahindra Munnar
Club Mahindra Munnar Attractions:
Neelakurinji
Blessed with a rich variety of flora and fauna, Munnar has a very rare and unique species of shrub, Neelakurinji or Kurinji that can be found only in high altitudes between 1,600 metres and 2,600 m and what makes it so special, apart from its beauty, is that it blooms only once in 12 years.The flowering season comes between August and November and peak in late September and October although some varieties exhibit little variation. It looks light blue in the early stage of blooming and has purplish blue colour when aged. It will be breathtakingly beautiful to witness the Kurinji flowers covering the hills of Munnar in a blanket of blue during this season.
During the last blooming in 2006, the biggest Neelakurinji flowering was at the Eravikulam National Park in Munnar. It also bloomed gregariously at several places around Munnar and in Kodaikanal. The next mass flowering is expected to take place in 2018.
Tea Gardens
With around 30 tea estates, Munnar's top attraction is its scenic tea gardens and is top priority on any travel itinerary in this area. Though all are privately owned, most managers allow you to wander around the estate for free.Tea factories at the estates offer a great opportunity to witness the entire process by which tea changes from being a fresh, hand picked leaf to the fragrant product that makes it to breakfast tables across the world.Mattupetty Lake and Dam
Mattupetty Lake and Dam, situated at about 13 km from Munnar, at an altitude of 1700 mt, are popular picnic spot with visitors. The lake and dam surrounded by wooden hills and tea plantations, makes a spellbinding view.The Shola forests around Mattupetty are ideal for trekking and bird watching, with the variety of birds found there. Small streams and waterfalls cut through the tract here and there, which again adds more attraction to the place.
Boating is also allowed on Mattupetty Lake and combined with picnic and trekking, makes for a great outing from Munnar.
Swiss Livestock Project Farm
Also known as Mattupetti (cattle village), the Swiss Livestock Project is a highly specialized dairy farm where over a hundred breeds of highly yielding cattle are reared in eleven cattle sheds. Visitors are allowed into three of the sheds during fixed hours.Top Station
Top station, situated at an hour's drive, 41 km from Munnar lies on the Tamilnadu-Kerala State borders. The place is aptly named, as it is home to some of the highest tea plantations in India and commands a panoramic view of rolling green hills.Boating is also allowed on Mattupetty Lake and combined with picnic and trekking, makes for a great outing from Munnar.
Echo Point
On the way to top station, at about 15th Km from Munnar is a spot on the lake embankment, amidst some hills, every loud sound is echoed manifold by the surrounding hills - the spot is called Echo point, which also offers spectacular views. An excellent place, especially for young travelers to disembark for a while, yell out - and listen to your voice coming back to you!.Marayoor
Marayoor lies 40 km from Munnar. It is a place not to be missed for its combination of ancient caves, sandalwood trees and souvenirs from ancient civilization and more. A natural forest of fragrant sandalwood trees, Other popular attractions at Marayoor include a children's park that lies under a banayan tree extending over a hector of land, and the Thoovanam waterfall.Rajamala
A precious but little-known place situated at a distance of 15 km from Munnar, Rajamala is home to almost half the population of Nilgiri tahrs (a rare mountain goat). In fact, the Eravikulam-Rajamala region is the natural habitat of this almost extinct species with around 1,000 of them staying here.Nyayamakad
This water falls cascades from a whooping height of about 1600. Located between Munnar and Rajamala, Nyayamakad is a land of breathtaking waterfalls of Kerala.Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
With a mixture of thorny scrubs and deciduous forest, this place is the home to the Kerala's wildlife. Situated at a distance of 60 km from Munnar, this sanctuary cradles the highly endangered giant grizzle squirrel of which as estimated global count is less than 200. Other than this extremely rare creature, Chinnar's resident species include elephants, tigers, chital, sambar, Indian bison and monkeys.Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam is one of Kerala's finest wildlife reserves, and its excellent location, a mere 16 km from Munnar, makes it an unforgettable experience for any lover of the outdoors. The park, a spread of 97 km across Rajamalai Hills, is a combination of grassland and shola forests. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque, leopards, tigers, etc.Anamudi Peak
Anamudi Peak inside Eravikulam National Park is the highest peak (2695 m) in peninsular India. It towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The hill is abundant in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. It is best know for the endangered Nilgiri tahr. An ideal place for trekking, and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
The sanctuary lies near Kothamangalam and is 80 km from Munnar. Also known as the Dr.Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (after India's most famous ornithologist, who was instumental in its establishment). Thattekad spreads out over a relatively small area of 25 sq km of dense forest of rosewood, teak and mahogany. But don't let the diminutive size of the sanctuary put you off; this modest bit of land harbours a fairly impressive selection of avifauna, guaranteed to have any avid bird-watchery yearning for more. Thattekad's resident species number more than 270.