📍 Kerala, India
Kerala · 11 destinations & hidden spots
Chellarkovil, near Anakkara, Idukki district
A sleepy border village atop the Western Ghats ridge featuring a stunning panoramic watchtower and eco-balcony overlooking the coconut plains and vegetable farms of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, and cascading seasonal waterfalls that vanish into the valley.
Rajamalai, Munnar, Idukki district
Kerala's premier national park along the crest of the Western Ghats, sheltering the largest surviving wild population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat). Home to rolling shola grasslands, mountain streams, and South India's highest peak, Anamudi (2,695 m).
Hidden Gem
Gavi, Pathanamthitta district (accessible via Kumily/Thekkady)
A pristine, remote forest haven in the Ranni reserve forest, made famous by Alistair International as one of the leading eco-tourism projects in India. Renowned for dense tropical evergreen woods, two quiet forest reservoirs, endangered lion-tailed macaques, and cardamom plantations.
Vazhathope, Idukki district
A stunning double-curvature parabolic arch dam standing 554 feet tall between two granite hills named Kuravan and Kurathi over the Periyar River. One of the highest arch dams in Asia, surrounded by rugged wildlife forests and serene backwaters.
Kottakudi / Munnar border, Idukki district
Perched at nearly 7,900 feet above sea level, Kolukkumalai is the highest organic tea plantation in the world. Accessible only by rugged 4x4 Jeep trail, it offers awe-inspiring sunrise cloud inversions, crisp mountain air, and a traditional 1930s Orthodox tea factory tour.
Hidden Gem
Deep inside Periyar Tiger Reserve, Idukki border
An ancient 1,000-year-old stone temple built by the early Chera dynasty atop a 4,300-foot forested ridge inside Periyar Tiger Reserve. Dedicated to Kannagi, the legendary heroine of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram, surrounded by wild elephant trails and mist.
Hidden Gem
Marayoor, Idukki district
A unique rain-shadow valley renowned as the only natural sandalwood forest in Kerala. Scattered across the granite hillsides stand ancient Megalithic dolmens (Muniyara) and stone cists built by prehistoric humans dating back over 3,000 years, surrounded by sugarcane jaggery farms.
Mattupetty, Munnar, Idukki district
A concrete gravity storage dam nestled at 5,600 feet, surrounded by mist-draped tea hills and tranquil lake waters where wild elephants occasionally gather to drink. The nearby Echo Point offers a scenic natural acoustic phenomenon along the reservoir edge.
Thekkady, Kumily, Idukki district
One of India's premier tiger and elephant reserves, established around an 1895 artificial lake in the Cardamom Hills. The highlight is a silent two-hour boat safari across Periyar Lake offering sightings of wild elephants, bison (gaur), sambar deer, and otters on the shoreline.
Ranni taluk, Pathanamthitta district
One of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, drawing an estimated 40 to 50 million devotees annually during Mandala-Makaravilakku. Perched atop a hill surrounded by 18 sacred mountains inside Periyar Tiger Reserve, pilgrims observe a 41-day vratham and trek through dense forests from Pamba.
Kannankavan, Munnar border, Idukki district
The highest elevation point on the Munnar-Kodaikanal road (6,170 ft), historic terminus for the vintage Kundala Valley monorail that once transported tea down to Kottagudi. Offers breath-taking 360-degree vistas over the rolling clouds and the deep plains of Tamil Nadu.
