At a time when Keralites across the state are battling the heat wave effect, the Kashmir of South India, Munnar, is unaffected. For the past one week the daytime temperatures are between 23 and 27 degree Celsius and at night and dawn, it's between 6 and 7 degree Celsius. As it's vacation time, many tourists are also flocking to the hill station to enjoy the weather.
Most hotels booked
Officials said that 90 per cent of hotels and resorts in Munnar are already booked for the holiday season. The town is also expecting to host around 2 lakh visitors just during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday.
Eravikulam National Park opens
The Eravikulam National Park in Rajamalai, Munnar, has reopened for visitors from April 1, marking the end of the two-month closure that began on February 1. The closure was implemented considering the mating season of the Nilgiri Tahrs, an endangered species that primarily inhabit the area.
The authorities had observed the birth of three Nilgiri tahr fawns at Rajamalai, prompting the closure of the park and prohibiting entry to Rajamalai. During the closure, the park underwent maintenance work and new cafeterias and selfie points were established for visitors.
The national park is home to the largest concentration of Nilgiri tahrs. Last year, 785 tahrs were sighted inside the park during the annual census. The species, known locally as Varayadu, is a mountain ungulate endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Vattavada's strawberries
Vattavada in Munnar is a winter farmland of Kerala that's a popular tourist spot. This picturesque countryside is just 45 kilometres away from Munnar. Known for step cultivation, Vattavada which lies close to the Tamil Nadu border, stands out for its verdant farmland.
Interestingly, Vattavada is cooler than Munnar. Summer fruits like strawberries, passion fruit, butter beans and cabbage could be freshly purchased from the farmers. The plump strawberries at Rekha’s orchard near the Green Valley Resort here are every bit delicious and juicy as they appear to be. Fresh strawberries are sold for Rs 600 per kilo at the local farms. Jams and wine too are prepared at the farms using these delicious strawberries.
