Munnar is located at the Idukki district of Kerala State in India. The word "Munnar" means three rivers. 3 mountain streams (Madurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala) are joining together here.

During the British rule in India, Munnar was the summer resort of the Government officials. The natural beauty, calmness and mild cold climate throughout the year makes it the favourite tourist place of both Indians and foreigners.

There are about 30 tea plantations in and around Munnar. Among these, majority of the plantations are owned by Tata Group's Kannan Devan Tea Estate. 

The tea estates, hills, lakes and forests inside Munnar range exposes it's beauty. The Munnar hills are covered by tea plants which makes the feeling of seeing a wide green carpet.

The local people here speaks Malayalam (the official language of Kerala) and Tamil (the official language of Tamilnadu). English is taught in schools from the primary level and even common people can read and speak English. 

Munnar owes its existence to the numerous British planters who cleared large stretches of forests from these hills to cultivate tea on the manicured slopes. Tea still reigns supreme here and Munnar holds the honour of growing tea at the highest elevated land, over 7,200 ft. above sea level. Nearly eighty percent of these estates are owned by Tata Tea Ltd and its holdings. According to the book, Facets of a Hundred Years of Planting (published by Tata Finley Ltd.) the estates initially belonged to Scotsman James Finley some hundred years back. The Tatas purchased them in the 1960s and named it Tata Finley Ltd and finally Tata Tea Ltd. 

Munnar is a part of the Idukki district, better known as the spice garden in the land of the 'Kera' (Coconut) and is most nature rich in the whole state. The fabled Malabar Pepper or the 'black gold' and cardamom that brought the Foreign traders to this tiny land crossing the vast stretch of blue water in those ancient times are found here in ample quantity. So much so that the majority of the world's share of these is supplied from Kerala alone. 
 
The morning dawned bright and clear and after a heavy breakfast of oven hot parathas and deep-fried potatoes we set out to explore. We went past sloping tea gardens of Rajamalai - a frequent haunt of the film units down south. The lush green gardens looked so uniform that we wondered whether they were gnarled and cut like bonsai. Later our views were confirmed by a planter who said that otherwise the plants would reach up to 7-8 meters, not at all suitable for a good yield. We stopped at a garden to photograph women plucking "two leaves and a bud". We were fascinated by the efficiency with which they did the job balancing the huge basket on their back at the same time. 

All of a sudden the quiet mountain was humming with activities as tourists rushed forward to get a closer view. There was a mad scramble for cameras and binoculars and in doing so everyone forgot the basic rules of the jungle. Excited voices echoed all around, the Tahr misinterpreted our excitement and camouflaged itself in the grassland leaving its eager followers completely baffled. We waited for a long time but no, luck did not favour us a second time. 

Mattupetty Dam, our next destination, was nestled amidst luxuriant tea gardens boasting splendid views. The district promotion council of Idukki organized boating (both paddle and speed) in the mirror-still waters of the lake that rippled and splashed only when speedboats swerved past. We, however, preferred to sit in the shadow of the surrounding trees contemplating the quiet bounty of nature. The nearby Swiss dairy firm was an example of nature's harmony with human activities. The well-nourished cows grazing in the lime green valley aptly set against the backdrop of an aquamarine sky was a treat for the eyes. 

On our return journey from Windermere we visited the Devikulum waterfall. The mountain streams formed a crystal lake called the Sitadevi Lake. Despite the cool November wind local devotees continued to bathe in the cold water here. They also drink this sacred water, believing in its natural curing abilities. The lake is ideal for trout fishing. 

Destination Munnar>> Tourist information and travel guide on Munnar, Sightseeing in Munnar, honeymoon destination, summer getaway, trekking in Munnar, tea plantations 
If you’re looking for quiet strolls along rows of tea bushes, if you’re looking for the enveloping calm of cool mist, if you are partial to pristine green-green-‘oh heaven....so green’ countryside laid out below clear blue sky....then you’ve been looking for, and will be hooked by, Munnar. 

A misty, lush green hill station 1600m ASL in the Annamalai range of Kerala, Munnar is fast making a transition from a tea, coffee and spice plantation centre to a prime holiday resort and wildlife reserve. The town retains its colonial British character with neat bungalows, cottage gardens filled with flowers and the smell of fresh spices, tea and roasting coffee beans that hangs heavy in the air. The surrounding hill slopes are covered with orderly rows of tea bushes, the plantations amongst the highest in the world stretch for miles only interrupted by pockets of forests teeming with local fauna and flora. Amongst the unusual flowers that grow here is the Neelakurinji that blooms once every twelve years and bathes the entire area in a beautiful blue colour. The Neelakurinji is next due to flower in 2006.