Top Tourist Places in Karela

1. Munnar (Karela)
Munnar, Kerala is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the state, with both Indian honeymooners and foreign tourists. People don’t visit Munnar for the small scruffy town, but for the stunning green hills that surround it, and most of all for the tea. Munnar is the centre of Kerala tea production, and visitors can enjoy the breathtaking views of the tea plantation covered mountains, as well as sample the quality tea itself.
The climate in Munnar at 1600m is much cooler than other parts of Kerala, with temperatures falling to 10 degrees celsius during the winter months. This makes it an ideal place for hiking, with plenty of beautiful walks to explore.It’s always a good idea to take warm clothes and rain gear.

What to do

Take a Tour – You’ll need transportation to visit the tea planations and hills surrounding Munnar. Your hotel, any rickshaw driver or the Tourist Information Service (run by legendary Munnar-expert Joseph Iype) will be able to arrange a days sightseeing for you.
Tata Tea Museum – The museum shows the basic process of making tea as well as old photos and machinery from the tea growing colonial era.
Trek – Walking is the best way to explore the tea plantations and hills up close. The Tourist Information Service can advise on routes, and the Green View Guesthouse runs a team of guides.
Waterfalls – There are many beautiful waterfalls around Munnar. Attukal is one of the the most spectacular amongst jungle and hills.

Top Station – This is the most popular excursion from Munnar. Top Station has spectacular views of the highest tea estates in India (see photo above). For the best views visit early in the morning before the mist builds ups.

Kolukkumulai Estate – Top Station can get crowded with tourists so Kolukkumlai is a great alternative with even more incredible scenery. It is officially India’s highest tea plantation at 2400m, and can only be reached by jeep.

Where to stay

It’s best to stay outside of Munnar town in the beautiful hills, although prices are higher and you’ll spend more on transport. Here are some good options:



Kollam – This small market town isn’t an obvious attraction, but it’s the southern gateway to the backwaters, and a quieter alternative to Alleppey for organising houseboat and canoe trips. We also enjoyed the untouristy and authentically Indian feel of the town.

Alleppey --is one of the most popular destinations in Kerala. It is the houseboat hub and a good place to set off and explore the Kerala backwaters. However the number of houseboats here has grown over the last few years and houseboat traffic jams are now a common sight. This takes away somewhat from your relaxing houseboat experience, and also causes a lot of water pollution in the local area.
A Kerala houseboat trip can be a wonderful experience though, so as part of our ongoing Quiet Alternatives Series here are some other places you could try for your houseboat journey.

Kollam

Kollam is an easy place to rent a houseboat, but sees far fewer visitors than Alleppey. We took an overnight houseboat trip from Kollam-Alleppey and the backwaters near Kollam were definitely quieter and more unspoilt. We also liked Kollam as an authentically Indian town without the hassle and touts that you find in more touristy places.
To hire a houseboat just head down to the jetty and ask at the tourist office. They’ll arrange a houseboat for you. We arranged ours the day before, but you could even head down early in the morning on the day you want to leave, as the boats don’t leave until around 11am. Read our Essential Guide to Kerala Houseboats for more on what to expect on your journey.
Kollam is also a good place to stop between the southern beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, and Cochin. It’s only a 30 minute train ride from Varkala. Read our Keralan coast itinerary in our 1 Week Kerala Suggested Itineraries post for an idea of how to fit Kollam into your trip.

Valiyaparamba Backwaters

If you really want to avoid the crowds then you need to leave the southern backwaters behind and head to Northern Kerala. The houseboat scene is far less developed in the Valiyaparamba backwaters, so you’ll have a much more tranquil experience.
The backwaters are 50km north of Kannur (a great place to stop for a quiet beach break). There aren’t many houseboat operators so you’ll need to be more organised than in Alleppey, but Bekal Boat Stay offers cruises on traditional rice barges. It’s more expensive than Alleppey but the trade off is beautiful backwaters all to yourself.