HEAVENLY KOLUKKUMALAI

Kolukkumalai is the world’s highest organic tea plantation which is located about 8000ft above the sea level. The off-road Journey towards the top of Kolukkumalai is adventurous one. Tourists can hire jeep from suryanelli where government authorized jeeps are available which cost around Rs2000 for one jeep. The tea estate is the private property of Harrison Malayalam ltd. They are India's largest producer of rubber and also south India's largest cultivator of Tea. 

The sunrise beauty of kolukkumali should experience once in your lifetime. To experience that one need to catch early morning jeep service which starts around 4`O’ clock. It takes 2 hours to reach the top of the hill through the bumpy off-road. It is better for pregnant women and people with back pain should not avail this trip. Nilgiri Tahrs, which are found only in the Western Ghats can be spotted in Kolukkumalai. The local jeep drivers are very friendly and explain every minute scenes throughout the journey.

The first attraction before the hill top view was the Tea Factory which is built by the British during 1900s.The entry fee to visit the old tea factory is Rs 100 per person. They explain the process of tea manufacturing in a detailed way. The factory does not have any modern machine or computerized systems and they are date back to the 1940s. The jeep will stop at a parking point and one need walk about 500mtrs to reach the top of the hill station. The peak gives a beautiful view of both Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It borders Kerala and Tamilnadu.

The mind-blowing scenic views on the top of kolukkumalai is heavenly one. It is very beautiful site to watch the mist suddenly cover and uncover the huge peak. Meesapulimala, the second largest peak in Western Ghats is also visible from Kolukkumalai. Be aware of the blood drinking leeches hiding over the small bushes and plants on the peak. It is very difficult to take them out if it bite us. Neelakurinji which is blooming once in 12 years will cover all over the hills when its season starts. But the non-responsible tourists are plucking the flower and spoiling the beauty of the nature. It’s better to carry eatables and necessary drinking water because it takes 4 hours to visit and return back to suryanelli. Best time to visit is  from November to March.