Munnar

Hidden amongst vast swathes of tea plantations, the town of Munnar lies in the shadows of the highest peaks of the south-western Ghats, the mountain range that divides Kerala from its neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. To reach this former hill station, we will travel across the spectacular scenery of the Cardamom Hills, where entire valleys of spice plantations meet the thick tropical forest.

Dotted with the yellow, orange, and fuchsia saris of the tea-pickers that keep them in pristine order, the tea plantations that surround Munnar are among the highest in the world.

Munnar is also the gateway to Ana Mudi, South India’s highest massif at 2,695 meters. Eravikulam National Park, which encompasses over 100 square kilometres of evergreen forest and grassland is home to the Nilgiri thar, an extremely rare species of alpine goat renowned for its friendliness.

As a globally recognised bio-diversity hotspot, the Western Ghats rank amongst the top 25 biologically richest areas in the world. The cool and moist climate of the area around Munnar supports a type of high-altitude forest known as Shola; these unique ecosystems contain myriads of species of plants and animals which are found nowhere else in the world.

Amongst them, the frog Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, which was found in 2003, marking the first discovery of a new frog family since 1926. Known also as Purple Frog, this amphibian is recognised as being a living fossil.

During our stay in Munnar we will explore the sheer magic of this region.