Regardless of how big a cliché it might be to go vacationing at a hill station during summers it cannot be denied that the experience is extremely pleasant. One such hill station that attracts a huge number of tourists annually with its natural beauty is Munnar, Kerala. It’s one of the most spectacular hill stations in southern India. However, do not expect it to be one of those quaint little destinations, tucked away in the heart of the mountains. It’s a busy tourist destination and has been that way since the time of Britishers, who used it as a summer retreat. Yet it’s still not heavily commercialized because its charm lies not in the Mall Roads and colonial architecture but in its natural bounty.

1. Celebrate India - Tamil New Year & Vishu
Regardless of how big a cliché it might be to go vacationing at a hill station during summers it
cannot be denied that the experience is extremely pleasant. One such hill station that attracts a
huge number of tourists annually with its natural beauty is Munnar, Kerala. It’s one of the most
spectacular hill stations in southern India. However, do not expect it to be one of those quaint
little destinations, tucked away in the heart of the mountains. It’s a busy tourist destination and
has been that way since the time of Britishers,
who used it as a summer retreat. Yet it’s still not
heavily commercialized because its charm lies not
in the Mall Roads and colonial architecture but in
its natural bounty.
Forgive me if the details are a little sketchy
because I visited Munnar a really long time back
but one thing I do remember is that I was there
during the festival of Vishu andPuthandu (Tamil
New Year). Their New Year celebrations are just
like anyone else’s but it’s this festival Vishu that
steals the lime light. By the way, just for your
information it is the south Indian equivalent
of Baisakhi.The most important event
in Vishu is Vishukkani, which literally means “the
first thing seen on the day of Vishu after waking
up”. For this purpose, the eldest woman of the
house arranges in the pujaroom of the house a panorama of auspicious items, including
flowers, fruits, vegetables, clothes and gold coins. The celebrations are accompanied by
firecrackers, special feasts and rangoli decorations. The best part is that the air all around the
town is fragrant because of the flower decorations and the natural flower oils that the locals
use as perfume. That reminds me, if you happen to visit Kerala this is one thing you should
spend your money on. These natural oils can be expensive but totally worth it. Just make sure
you do not end up buying fake ones.
Since you would surely like to visit some tourist spots, here are some of my recommendations
for the same. From lakes to plenty of high cliff waterfalls, from rivers (in fact 3 of them) to tea
plantations, from deep forests to view point high in the western ghats, from wildlife sanctuaries
to beautiful gardens,Munnar basically has it all for all nature enthusiasts. However, you can

2. start with the tea plantations, most of which are owned by the TATA group and there is also a
TATA Tea museum for the history geeks. Top Station and Echo Point are totally cool and you
must not miss them at any cost. The first one offers spectacular ‘above-the-clouds’ views of the
Western Ghatsmountains and the latter is a place where every loud call makes is return
manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills. There are several wildlife & bird sanctuaries
but Munnar Carmelagiri Elephant Park is the coolest of them all. Activities like rock climbing,
rappelling, boating etc. are also available. Last but not the least, if you have the stamina for it
then you can experience all this on a cycle, which you can hire at a nominal rate.
There is a huge list that can go on and on and I have not covered even 10 percent of it. But, that
was not my intention; my intention was only to get you excited about Munnar and to let you
know that Kerala is not only about back waters, houseboats and beaches, there is much more
to it than meets the eye.
This is where I take my leave,
Until next time,
Ciao.