Trip to Munnar

You are right, just got back from Munnar. The drive was great till Poopara, but then a lot of traffic (crazy drivers) and fog. Weather was great in the mornings, but rained a lot during afternoons. return trip was good too and we took a different route from Munnar to Poopara through Rajakad, nice wide road with lesser traffic, but a few steep inclines.

Any pics?? kindly post!!

Guys,

Guys,

Planning for a trip in April to Munnar. Can anybody give me some info on the road condition from Theni to Munnar?

Also please share some important places that needs to be visited in and around munnar. I don't want to miss the places which is must to visit.

Thanks.

@ritzyguy: road from theni goes to bodi and then its uphill till bodi mettu which is the border. after that till poopara roads are good. after poopara, roads are fine as long as you are in the tea plantations. once you go past them, roads are pretty bad; when i say bad, i am comparing to mountain roads in ooty/kodai. the shoulder is hardly there and the drivers in kerala drive crazy. i did that stretch at night and had a bad experience. i suggest you do the theni-munnar stretch during daytime.

there are many places around munnar that should be seen. how many days are you there?

Thanks for the update Himakiran.

Of Course, I'm planning to do during daytime. I will be starting from Chennai around 1 or 2 AM, so no problem at all. Also I hear from lot of friends that the route to munnar from udumalaipet is very scenic. So I might take that route, but not yet decided.

I'm planning for 2 Nights/3 days. So i will be reaching before noon in munnar on the first day, check-in in the resort, and go out for sightseeing.

Also I need information on the resort/hotels over there. I already in touch with few travels for booking the resorts. I'm looking for some budget (2-3k per room) accomodation in munnar. Can anybody suggest some good resorts/hotels?

we stayed at a tea estate. it was kinda ok. there are many hotels right in munnar and a few resorts away from the town.

@Sarandilip

I visited Munnar in 2006 when the exotic Neelkuranjini flowers bloomed (These flowers bloom only ONCE in 12 years and once they bloom the entire valley gets covered in Violet color). In Eravikulam national park we got to see the two rare entities together - The Neelkuranjini flower along with the critically endangered mountain goat - The Nilgiri Thar.

My most memorable moment is the Top Station.

At first I was a bit skeptical in going there as it was a good 2.5 hours away from Munnar town. I initially thought that it would be just another place with good view. However in the end just decided to go there. When we reached the place, I looked here and there and saw nothing special. Then the Taxi Wallah told me to look straight downwards and then ahead. And my heart skipped a beat...............

You are standing on the edge of a hill, the hill is sloping downward beneath you and is merging with land and after that border of land-hill merger what you see is FLAT surface. Complete FLAT land with hillocks spaced between.

I felt as if I am seeing Almighty's playground where he has placed small blocks over a surface and as if he is going to come and play with them.

I understood why Kerala is called as God's own country.

We were lucky to have a clear sky that day. Else this breathtaking would have gone unnoticed.

I would like to know how comparable is it to driving uphill to Munnar ( as compared to Tirumala - as i did once up and down in my K10 ) As everyone are aware tirumala has 2 routes one for uphill and one for down hill ( separate ones ).

And are there any dangerous curves without any walls in the edge of the mountain ? how many hairpins are there to reach the top ?

I doubt munnar has only one single road for both sides.

Planning to make the munnar trip during this year ( may be not in summer )

@sunsril: Tirumala is probably the best ghat road in India!

The uphill to Kumily from Cumbum or Bodi to Bodi Mettu have probably 12-15 hairpins. After that the roads to Munnar are narrow and with hardly any barricades on the side. Water runoff has damaged the shoulder and its best to drive carefully here. I suppose you are planning to go there during monsoon.

Munnar is a town in Kerala with access from several sides like Bodi, Cumbum, Idukki, Kochi, Udumalai. But all roads are 2 lane with traffic both ways.

Other than that, its a beautiful area and definitely worth a drive/visit.