MUNNAR  JEEP SAFARI ACROSS PALANI HILLS-EX MUNNAR

Destinations:Kundala-Anamudichola National Park-Kanthallore-Marayoor-Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary-Vaguarai-Munnar

Programme:Guided Jeep Safari-Hiking-Wildlife Watch-Birding-Archeological Site Visit-Village Walk-Ethnic Lunch (Option for Cycling also through the same route.)

8 AM Pick up from your hotel in Munnar after breakfast to drive to Anamudichola National Park through Madupatty and Kundala. The traverse is through elephant corridor of Madupatty. Stop at Kundala lake. Anamudichola National Park is the largest high altitude cloud forest in Asia, which is more than 60 Million years old.This forest harbors many endemic species of primitive plants, orchids and animals. It has high endemism of plants and birds. It posses 12 species of endemic birds of western ghats like, Nilgiri fly catcher, Nilgiri laughing thrush etc. The golden tree ferns and other spore producers from Gondwanaland is the high light of this forest. This forest also holds Tiger, leopard including black panther, rare and endemic Nilgiri marten, clawless otter, golden cat etc. Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel etc are the arboreal animals of the forest.

We have a soft walk through the forest to enjoy the forest canopies, birds and flowers.Reach Perumala – in the out skirt of the forest by noon. Have a quick visit to a mountaoin village and tribal settlement- their contour farming, agricultural activities, lemon grass farm and distillery etc.

Later proceed to Marayoor valley. Taste a traditional lunch in banana leaf. Visit to a rock cut temple, ancient inscriptions etc. Walk to the Mount of the Dead, a world famous Megalithic site with dolmens, dolmenoid and dolmenoid cists.Visit to a traditional sugarcane farm and Jaggery (black sugar) manufacturing.Marayoor is famous for its Sandalwood Forest which is protected by the Forest Department.

Proceed to Chinnar wildlife sanctuary. Hiking through the wildlife zone and visit to a Mesolithic Cave art site. As you go on the nature trail in Chinnar, you are bound to come across a fascinating plethora of bird and animal life. Chinnar Sanctuary is located in the eastern slope of Western ghats sharing its flora and fauna with Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park. The sanctuary has an area of 90 sq.km. Chinnar has the unique thorny scrub forest with Xerophytic vegetation . The undulating terrain with rocky patches manifolds the scenic splendor of the sanctuary. As the altitude varies from 500 to 2,400 m above sea level within a few kilometer radius, there is a drastic variation in the climate and vegetation.

This sanctuary has also rainfall ranging from 600 mm to 3000 mm and a dry season ranging from three to six months. Elephant, gaur, leopard, spotted deer, sambar, grizzled giant squirrel, hanuman languor ,long eared fish owl etc. inhabit the Chinnar forests. The grizzled Giant squirrel is an endangered species

Return to Munnar through Vaguarai and Anamudi (Highest mountain peak in south India) view point.