Activities and amenities

Boating

Bird watching

Butterfly walks

Cycling

Interactions with local farmers

Local cuisine demonstration

Local school visits

Nature trails

Photography sessions

Village walks

Spice plantation visits

Munnar sight-seeing

destinations

Mattupatty Dam

Tea plantations

Tea Museum

Eravikulam National Park

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Anayirangal Dam

The Lockhart Gap

Rhodo Valley and Meesapulimala

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Boating

The very picturesque Sengulam Reservoir is less than a kilometre from Ecotones. Boat to your heart's leisure on the peaceful pedal boats that do not pollute.

Bird watching

The rural agricultural landscape mingled with patches of reserve forest near Ecotones serves as very important refuges for birds. Western Ghat endemics such as the Malabar Whistling Thrush, Malabar Hornbill, Nilgiri flycatcher, Yellow-browed Bulbul can be spotted right inside the property. Grab a pair of binoculars, and walk down village roads and small spice plantation trails—we're sure that an amateur birder will be able to spot more than 100 bird species in a couple of days' time.

Butterfly walks

Butterflies are some of the most easily noticeable and charismatic invertebrates. Ecotones and the rural landscapes around Muthuvankudi houses shelter some of the most interesting butterfly species, such as India's largest butterfly, the Southern Birdwing and the smallest, the Grass Jewel. Come spot these and many other tiny critters with us on our guided butterfly walks which are sure to enchant you.

Cycling

Experience the cool caress of the breeze on your face as you cycle along the quiet country roads of Muthuvankudi. Set your own pace and take breathers midway to soak in the captivating charms of the spice plantations and picturesque panoramas around.

Interactions with local farmers

What is farming in the south Indian hillsides like? Experience it first hand by harvesting local organic produce in our local farmers' fields. Interact with these simple folk to find out more about spices, local farm produce and organic solutions to better farming—such as mixed cropping, crop rotation and the like. Nature trails and plantation walks are part of this activity.

Local cuisine demonstration

The cuisine of the High Ranges is very distinctive. Tubers—elephant yams, colocasias, purple yams and tapioca are favourites and form an integral part of the local diet, served along with spicy non-vegetarian curries, including chicken, pork and dried fish. Learn the basics of some flagship yet simple dishes from housewives through our cuisine demonstration sessions.

Local school visits

Spend a day at the local school and interact with the children there. A translator will help you communicate with the students.

Nature trails

Interested clients can opt for guided nature walks, which will take you through small woods with streams trickling by, spice plantations or reserve forests, depending on the client's choice.

Photography sessions

Photo buff? Book your photography session in advance and our in-house photographers will guide you on nature trails through plantations and villages while giving you theoretical and practical tips on how to the make the most of your camera and capturing art.

Village walks

Muthuvankudi is a small village, where most households engage in agriculture of some sort. Walk around these little villages, along plantain fields and unexplored paths that will take you across the hamlet to sample the essence of village life.

Spice plantation visits

Walk alongside immaculately tended cardamom plants or through the vibrant green oceans of tea gardens on our plantation visits. Go on guided coffee, pepper or cocoa plantation tours with our local farmer-friends and listen to their stories of harvest and hard work.

Munnar sight-seeing

Clients can access numerous tourist spots from Ecotones.

Mattupatty Dam

Mattupatty Dam is 30 kilometers north of Ecotones Camps. The reservoir formed by the 61 year-old dam is a popular boating destination. Wild elephants, often in herds, are spotted in the vicinity of the dam. Other wildlife such as sambhar deer are also seen here sometimes. The Dam and its reservoir are a stunning sight to see, especially in the early morning. Boating facilities are available here, and tourists can choose from speed launch, slow speedboat and motorboats.

Tea plantations

Tea plantations abound in the vicinity of the resort. The nearest tea plantations are just two kilometres away from the resort. The nearest tea estate—Pallivasal Estate—begins from around 8 kilometres to the north. From this point onwards, tea plantations flank the road from both sides. Many estates have tea factories, which tourists can visit to watch the process of leaf and dust tea production.

The Tea Museum

The Tea Museum located in Munnar is just a fifteen to twenty minute drive by car from Ecotones.
Echo Point, enroute to Top Station, gives you a beautiful view of the Mattupetty Dam and reservoir.
Top Station is the highest accessible point for tourists in Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park

Eravikulam National Park is one of the most beautiful protected areas of Kerala. It is one of the last strongholds of the Nilgiri tahr, a critically endangered mountain goat. The park is also home to the neelakurinji or Strobilanthes kunithianus, a shrub that flowers only once in twelve years. Both this flower and the Nilgiri tahr are in the tourist zone of the park, Rajamalai, which is open to tourists. While planning your trip to Eravikulam, do remember that the park remains closed for 2 months during the calving season of the tahr in April-May every year. The other national parks around Munnar include the Pambadum Shola National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park and the Anaimudi Shola National Park.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park lie along the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Marayur Forests in this area are well-known for wild sandalwood.

Anayirangal Dam

Anayirangal Dam is one of Asia's biggest earth dams. The Dam used to be a favourite haunt of elephants, which is how it derived its name - which roughly translates to 'Descend of the Elephants'. The Dam is surrounded by tea plantations on almost all sides. A picturesque location, definitely worth seeing.

The Lockhart Gap

The Lockhart Gap is a small gap in the mountain range near Lockhart Estate, around 13 kilometres from Munnar town. One side of the gap gives a great panorama of the plains and the valleys below – including areas such as Bison Valley, Rajakumari and Poopara (or the Rock of Flowers). On clear days, these paddy fields and small villages here are distinctly seen. Less than a kilometre ahead, the gap opens up to a completely contrasting sight – of high-elevation, vibrant green tea gardens on the right side of the road. The rocky ledges also contain a small natural cave that are rumoured to be a hideout by highwaymen in days of yore.

Rhodo Valley and Meesapulimala

Rhodo Valley and Meesapulimala are destinations for serious trekkers: the climb can be pretty testing. Tourists can gain admittance to the area only after obtaining permits from the Kerala Forest Department. Large expanses of high-elevation grasslands welcome visitors here. The rhododendron trees found here is a remarkable sight when blooming thanks to its scarlet flower clusters.