Exotic Munnar - Flowers Plants & Trees

This is the best time to visit Munnar.After copious rains during monsoon the entire region is filled with dense vegetation and there is lush greenery all around.In particular there is a proliferation of rare beautiful wild and exotic flowers some of which are pictures below.And of course a pleasant suffusion of sunlight and profusion of mist and low clouds adding to the mystique of Munnar..

 

Tea Plantations,Silver Oaks & Sunshine in Munnar

This is my post No:400. I suppose you can call it a milestone of sorts.The pictures below were clicked on one of the morning walks from our Home Stay "Rangerwoods".You can see a large variety of flora - tea plants,silver oak trees,cardamom plants,and many quaint and exotic plants and flowers.The pictures will speak for themselves about the unparalleled beauty and magnificence of Munnar.December is the best time of the year to visit as rains are minimal and it is pleasant and cool. You could carry light woolens.

Rangerwoods Munnar

At Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary there were four check posts to contend with - 2 on the Tamilnadu side and another 2 on the Kerala side. There were dozens of rhesus monkeys boldly roaming around these check posts,climbing atop the cars and peeping through the windows in search of food. Mira was truly fascinated as she had never seen so many monkeys in the wild. After Chinnar we proceeded towards Marayur amidst a panorama of scenic water falls and green mountain ranges.After Marayur we came across a huge extensive sandalwood plantation covering thousands of acres belonging to the forest department.Then started the steep climb towards Munnar. As we approached the sunlight disappeared,the sky was overcast and low lying clouds descended on the hills seriously affecting visibility.We emerged to the breathtaking lush green tea plantations of Munnar on the slopes of the western ghats. We finally reached Munnar around 6.45 pm and checked into cool cosy home stay bungalow called the Rangerwoods.

RangerWoods Homestay is located in a Cardamom Plantation 7 km away from the Munnar town.Its just 4km from Kochi-Madurai NH-47.To get there,take deviation from Ramaswamy Iyer Headworks Dam.There is a nice viewpoint on the way to RangerWoods.
It is located at about 4300 metres above sea level.

For more on Rangerwoods Munnar log onto: http://www.rangerwoods.in/

Udumalpet to Chinnar

Pictures clicked on the Udumalpet - Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary road. The road was narrow,patchy and had a small gradient as we ascended gradually towards Chinnar. Exotic plants, breathtaking waterfalls dense green vegetation and panoramic views came our way. We were fortunate to sight a lone tusker about 50 yards from the road. He must have strayed from the herd in search of food.