Top 5 Hill Stations in Kerala That Everyone Should Visit | IndusGo

Kerala, though often known as the land of beaches and backwaters, is also the land of scenic hill stations. Nestling some of the best hill stations in South India, Kerala is a mystic land. There is no shortage of thrilling and beautiful hill stations in this state, and this is enough for travel enthusiasts to flock to these holiday destinations all year round.

These majestic hill destinations are marked with spice and coffee plantations, thick jungles, envious wildlife, picturesque landscapes, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls. If you want to know more about the best hill stations in Kerala, here is all the information you need.

Planning a trip to top hill stations in Kerala 

If you are looking forward to a hassle-free holiday in the top hills of Kerala ,then the best idea is to opt for car rental services from reliable providers like IndusGo. You can choose a rental car with or without a chauffeur, as suits you best. A self-driven car is a great idea if you are confident enough to drive through. Not only can you get flexible rental options, but you can also enjoy a great self-driving experience. 

Top Five Hills of Kerala That Everyone should Visit 

No doubt, Kerala features the best hill stations in India, but if we have to pick the top 5, here is the ultimate list of hill stations in Kerala!

Vagamon

One of the famous road trips, people like to go on a long drive, is from Kottayam to Vagamon. Vagamon is a hill station situated 1200 meters from sea level. Vagamon is also known as the Paradise of Kerala. The trip, if taken in a rental car in Kottayam, takes around 1.5 hours. One of the places that you should initially visit while reaching Vagamon is the suicide point in the pine forests. If you come from Kottayam, this location will one of the first spots you can visit. 

Another very popular location is the Punjar Palace. You will not be able to enter this old palace as it is closed for visitors now. This palace is more than 500 years old; earlier, it was one of the highly visited spots. Nowadays, most visitors to Vagamon recommend this palace only on the way back from Vagamon to Kottayam. Another half an hour distance from this Punajar Palace is the Maramala Waterfalls. You can also visit this place while returning from Vagamon as it is closer to Kottayam than Vagamon.

Thekkady

If you travel little more than 100 kms from the Kottayam Railway Station,you will reach Thekkady,one of the hill station of  Kerala. Thekkady is a popular connecting point to Munnar, another popular hill station of Kerala and home to the Periyar forests and Periyar wildlife sanctuary. Situated near the Periyar lake, are various sanctuaries, tiger reserves, and elephant reserves. You can take rides on the elephants in the Elephant Junction at moderate prices. One elephant can at most accommodate two persons. Besides Periyar forests, the most attractive spots in Thekkady are the tea and coffee plantations, and spice gardens. You should keep one day for the forest reserves, national parks and doing boat rides on the backwaters. You can then use the other day to visit the plantations and spice gardens.

Also Read: Top Trekking Places in Kerala You Must Visit At least Once

Ponmudi 

Ponmudi is one of the unexplored hill station in Kerala. There are trekking facilities available in this area. If you are well versed in trekking techniques, you can try it on the hills of Ponmudi. This hills station is at a distance of around 1.5 hours from Trivandrum. Being a hill station, it will offer you one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Kerala, Meenmutty Waterfalls. This place has a few sanctuaries, deer parks and safaris which the children will highly enjoy.You can also go to Kallar river from this Meenmutty waterfalls. Across this river are the Thenmala Sanctuary and the Thenmala dam. If you can wrap the tour until Meenmutty falls a little before lunch,you can keep the post-lunch period for the trekking and tree climbing in Thenmala Sanctuary. There are some amusements for kids with a few parks and rides, which you can avail of if you have children in your group.

Also Read: Kochi to Munnar Two Days Weekend Trip Ideas

Munnar

The next location that you should go to is Munnar. You can reach this hill station can also be reached by a drive from Thekkady. However, the roads from Thekkady to Munnar are not in very good condition. Therefore, choosing another starting location for Munnar like Trivandrum would be wiser. One of the popular tourist spots around Munnar is Devikulam, also called the Lake of the Goddess. This place is famous for the Devikulam Lake, in the spring waters of which goddess Sita bathed. People generally come to see this lake alonside the coffee and tea plantations. Then there is the Mattupetty lake and dam here you can opt for boat rides with your family. There is a place in Munnar that launched the first hydro-electric project called Pallivasal. It is not possible that you come to a hill station of Kerala and you don’t trek. For trekking purposes, you should visit Attukal in Munnar (another place on the outskirts of Munnar) known as Lock Heart Gap. If you are a member of a professional trekking group, then you should first visit Lock Heart Gap for trekking and then go to the other popular spots of Munnar.

Wayanad

Finally, Wayanad is another popular hill station of Kerala, at an altitude of around 800 meters from the sea level. Besides being a popular trekking site for mountaineers, Wayanad is home to the second-largest wildlife sanctuary of Kerala. You will find tiger reserves in many of the sanctuaries. The highest peak of this hill station is Chembra peak.  It is advisable to keep at least half a day for trekking or visiting this peak area. It is very popular due to the presence of a heart-shaped lake. This peak is situated at an altitude of more than 6000 feet from the sea level. Two more popular tourist spots in this place are the Tiruneli temple and the Papanashini river. Legend has it that all those who are sinners should take a bath in this papanashini river once before their death to get rid of their sins.

Conclusion

So, if you want to immerse yourself in the lap of nature and witness nature in its full glory, then these 5 Kerala hill stations should be your next holiday destination. Not only will it be a soothing experience for the eyes but also for the soul. The beauty of these places and their pleasant weather will keep you fascinated throughout your stay. So plan your travel itinerary and prepare for a fun-filled and thrilling holiday to these beautiful hill stations in Kerala.