'MARAYOOR', ALSO TERMED AS ‘MARAYUR’, A NEARBY HILL STATION, POPULARLY CHOSEN BY HONEYMOON COUPLES, RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC GROUPS AND MOVIE MAKERS, DUE TO THE SILENT AND COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE TO THEIR HOLIDAYS STAY AND RELATED JOBS, IS IDEALLY LOCATED AT THE FOOT HILLS OF WESTERN GHATS AMIDST KERALA SANDAL WOOD RESERVES. THE WIND HERE IS SO MEDICATED BECAUSE OF RARE SPECIES OF HERBAL PLANTS IN VAST COLLECTIONS. MARAYOOR IS VERY EASILY REACHABLE BY MUNNAR (ONE HOUR) AND TOWARDS UDUMALPET, COIMBATORE ROAD. TOURISTS FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS (EAST FROM MUNNAR AND WEST FROM COIMBATORE) SPECIFICALLY SHOWS INTEREST TO STOP HERE FOR ITS OWN SPECIALITIES. ABOVE ALL, THEY HAVE FOUND THE PLACE TO BE FREE OF CONTAMINATED POLLUTION FROM THAT OF THE TOWN. THOSE FROM VARIOUS STRESS OF LIFE FIND IT TO HAVE A BREATH EASY ATMOSPHERE AND SURE COMFORT FROM EVEN THAT OF AYURVEDIC FACILITIES WHICH EASES THEIR BODY, MIND AND SOUL. ELEVATION IS 3200 FT. ABOVE ‘MSL - METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL’. MOST PART OF THE YEAR IS SUNNY AND PLEASANT EXCEPT DURING MONSOONS.

SNEAK AWAY FROM THE SICKENING CITY LIFE. TAKE A BREAK. ENJOY YOUR STAY AT THE CHANDANA GROUP OF HOTELS IN THE HEALTHY SURROUNDINGS OF MARAYOOR, THE MOST PLACID VALLEY OF THE HIGH RANGES, FORTY KILOMETERS AWAY FROM THE CROWD OF MUNNAR AND ANOTHER FAMOUS TOURIST SPOT IN MUNNAR.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE MYTHICAL PANDAVAS ON EXILE HAD CAMPED IN MARAYOOR. THE PANDAVA CAVES AND THE MUNIYARAS (ROCK DWELLINGS OF ANCIENT SAGES) ADD SUBSTANCE TO THIS BELIEF. HISTORICALLY MARAYOOR WAS A HIDEOUT FOR THE FUGITIVE TAMILS WHO FEARED THE WRATH OF TIPPU'S MIGHTY SWORD, WHEN THE MYSORE TIGER WAS ON A RAMPAGE, RAVAGING THE SOUTH.

AT MARAYOOR BECAUSE OF THE THICK CULTIVATION OF SUGARCANE, SARKKARA (JAGGERINE) IS RICHLY MADE HERE. OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES ARE THE CENTURY OLD CELLS OF HERMITS, ROCK PAINTINGS, SANDALWOOD FORESTS, FLORA AND FAUNA, RARE SPECIES OF STAR TORTOISE AND GIANT SQUIRREL, RAJIV GANDHI CHILDREN’S PARK, THOOVANAM WATERFALLS, CHINNAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KANTHALLOOR KNOWN FOR ITS EXTENSIVE WINTER VEGETABLE AND FRUITS CULTIVATION WITH VAST PADDY FIELDS. TRIBAL DANCE ALSO IS ARRANGED HERE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN TRADITIONAL VIEWS. THIS IS ONE UNIQUE PLACE WHERE THERE ALWAYS SEASON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF FRUITS OR VEGETABLE.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED TO HAVE PRIVACY, COULD BE ASSURED TO HAVE ALL THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES AND EASILY VISIT MUNNAR HILL STATION AND TEA PLANTATIONS TOO FROM HERE.

IDUKKI

IDUKKI ONE AMONG THE 14 DISTRICTS OF KERALA STATE, IS THE EXCLUSIVE LAND OF EXOTIC SPICES AND MISTY MOUNTAINS. THE LANDSCAPE OF IDUKKI IS A BREATHTAKING PANORAMIC VIEW OF MISTY MOUNTAINS AND LUSH GREEN VALLEYS PUNCTUATED BY NUMEROUS STREAMS, RIVULETS AND MIGHTY WATERFALLS. AN ENCHANTING LANDMASS OF TEA PLANTATIONS, CARDAMOM HILLS AND IMMENSE BIODIVERSITY, IDUKKI HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN INDIA. THE WORLD FAMOUS MUNNAR HILLS, SITUATED 130 KMS FROM COCHIN, ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK SITUATED 14 KMS FROM MUNNAR, MARAYOOR, THE ONLY SANDALWOOD FOREST IN KERALA, SITUATED 40 KMS AWAY FROM MUNNAR, THE NEAREST TOWN, AND ON THE WAY TO UDUMALPETTU, COIMBATORE ROAD, AND SEVERAL OTHER MUST SEE DESTINATIONS LIKE kanthalloor, WHERE ‘NEELAKURINJI’ BLOSSOMS IN PLENTY AS IN ERAVIKKULAM, ALL AWAITS TRAVELLERS TO THESE ROUTES WHEN COMING TO MUNNAR.

MUNNAR

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL HILL STATION COVERED WITH UNENDING EXPANSE OF TEA PLANTATIONS AND IS 133 KMS FROM COCHIN, WITH AN ALTITUDE RANGING FROM 1600 TO 1800 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL. MUNNAR BOASTS OF HOLDING THE HIGHEST PEAK IN SOUTH INDIA ‘ANAMUDI’ 2695 METERS HIGH. MUNNAR WAS THE FAVOURITE SUMMER RESORT OF EUROPEAN SETTLERS FOR CENTURIES. THE NAME ‘MUNNAR’ MEANS ‘THREE RIVERS’ AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY THREE MOUNTAIN STREAMS, MUTHIRAPUZHA, NALLATHANNI AND KUNDALA, CONFLUENCE AT THE HEART OF THE TOWN, MEETING ALL THE WATER REQUIREMENTS OF THE SETTLERS AND VISITORS IN THIS AREA.