Eravikulam National Park

Eravikulam National Park is a protected area of about 97 square kilometres in the Kanan Devan Hills just north of Munnar, Kerala, covering high-altitude grasslands and pockets of shola forest. Eravikulam is best known as the main stronghold of the Nilgiri tahr, an endangered mountain goat found only in the Western Ghats, and it holds the largest surviving population of the species.

Eravikulam was declared a sanctuary in 1975 and upgraded to a national park in 1978, after years in which the land was a private game reserve of the tea companies. Anamudi, at 2,695 metres the highest peak in India south of the Himalayas, rises within the park. The grasslands are also home to the neelakurinji, a shrub that flowers across the slopes in a haze of purple roughly once every twelve years; the last mass bloom was in 2018. Visitors are limited to the Rajamalai tourist zone, while the rest of the park is kept for wildlife.

What to see

• Nilgiri tahr grazing close to the road at Rajamalai, often with young
• Views of Anamudi, the highest peak in South India
• Rolling grasslands and dark shola forest in the valleys
• Lakkam waterfall and the tea estates below the park
• Neelakurinji blooms in flowering years, and wild orchids and balsams after the rains

What to wear

Eravikulam National Park is cool and often misty, so bring a fleece or light jacket, and a waterproof layer in the monsoon from June to September. The paved walking road climbs gently, so wear comfortable walking shoes. Sun on the open grassland can be strong on clear days, so a cap and sunscreen help. The region's traditional dress is the Kerala kasavu saree and white mundu, and the Tamil saree and veshti worn by many of Munnar's estate families.

Local food to try

There is no restaurant inside Eravikulam National Park, beyond a small snack and tea counter near the bus point, so eat in Munnar town before or after. Try puttu with kadala curry, appam with stew, or parotta with chicken fry in town, and a Kerala meals lunch on a banana leaf. Munnar's homemade chocolates and fresh estate tea are sold in the market. Carry water, but do not take plastic into the park.

Good to know

• Best time: September to January for clear views; the park closes around February to March for the tahr calving season
• Open daily from about 8am into the afternoon; the last bus up leaves in mid-afternoon
• Entry fee includes the park bus; foreign visitors pay a higher rate; book online as daily tickets are capped
• Allow two to three hours including the bus and queue
• The ticket counter is about 11 km from Munnar town on the Marayur road
• Do not feed or touch the tahr; plastic is banned in the park

Nearby places

Eravikulam National Park is usually combined with a day in Munnar, including the Tata Tea Museum on the Nallathanni Estate and the lake at Mattupetty Dam on the other side of town.