High above the sea level, the former retreat for British elites is loved for its cooling weather and remains as a top honeymoon destination in India.
How To Get There
There are two direct flights to Cochin daily from Kuala Lumpur. From Cochin, hire a driver to bring you to Munnar hills. It is located about four hours away from Fort Cochin. Though you can try the local buses, it is not recommended for tourists due to safety issues.
SpiceTree Munnar
What To Do
Explore the famous Matupetty dam around the hills. This is where many Bollywood movies are filmed and you might just catch them on set! The Eravikulam National Park is known for the endangered mountain goat species–nilgiri tahr. This is one place to go during the rainy season because the blue kurunji flowers here bloom once in every 12 years. Apparently, this year is the 12th year and the flowers are expected to bloom in July or August.
What To Eat
Tea is Munnar’s pride because they produce tonnes of tea leaves annually. Every tea shop serves various kinds of boiling hot tea with freshly deep-fried Indian snacks such as Vadai. Keralan specialty such as rice-based iddyappam and vegetable stew are staple breakfast foods, while fish curry cooked in patented Kerala curry is a must-eat for lunch or dinner.
SpiceTree Munnar
Where To Stay
23km from Munnar plantation town is the mountainside hotel– SpiceTree Munnar–with sprawling rooms with breath-taking views. The SpiceTree Munnar spa suite is a premium suite for romantic getaways. There is also a private deck outside the room that opens out to a valley view making the resort a perfect location for the practice of Yoga and meditation with nature.
Good To Know
Electricity is precious in Munnar. Though some hotels and resorts offer hot showers, do not expect heaters as it will get pretty chilly at night. Bring warm clothing if you’re goingfromg November to March.
Text and Photos by Christine Cheah
