Mattupetty Dam

Mattupetty Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the hills about 13 km from Munnar, Kerala, completed in 1953 to store water for hydroelectric power. Its reservoir winds between tea estates, eucalyptus plantations and shola forest, and Mattupetty has become one of the most popular stops on the Munnar sightseeing circuit.

Mattupetty Dam lies on the road from Munnar to Top Station, one of the most scenic drives in Kerala. Close by is the cattle breeding farm started in the 1960s under the Indo-Swiss project, which gave the area its name among visitors as the Indo-Swiss dairy farm. The lake is busy with speedboats and pedal boats in the daytime, and in the early morning or late afternoon, wild elephants sometimes come down to the far shore to drink. The drive continues past Echo Point and Kundala Lake before climbing to Top Station on the Tamil Nadu border.

What to see

• The reservoir from the dam wall, with tea estates on the slopes behind
• Speedboat or pedal-boat rides on the lake
• Wild elephants on the shoreline in the early morning or late afternoon
• Echo Point and Kundala Lake further along the road
• Roadside viewpoints over the tea estates

What to wear

Mattupetty is cool and often breezy near the water, so bring a light jacket, and a rain layer in the monsoon from June to September. Life jackets are provided for boating; wear shoes that can get wet. On sunny days the glare off the lake is strong, so sunglasses and a cap help. The traditional dress of the region is the Kerala kasavu saree and white mundu, alongside the Tamil saree worn by many estate families.

Local food to try

Stalls near Mattupetty Dam sell roasted corn, mango with chilli, tender coconut and hot tea, and a few kiosks serve omelettes and tea. For a proper meal, Munnar town has Kerala restaurants serving appam with stew, puttu with kadala curry, and parotta with beef or chicken fry, plus banana-leaf meals at lunch. Munnar's homemade chocolates and fresh estate tea are sold in the market and at stalls along this road.

Good to know

• Best time: September to March for clear weather; morning or late afternoon for elephants
• Open daily, roughly 9am to 5pm, with boating in daylight hours
• Small entry fee; boating charged separately by boat type
• Allow one to two hours, or half a day with Echo Point and Top Station
• About 13 km, or around 30 minutes, from Munnar town
• Keep a safe distance from wild elephants and do not stop on the road to watch them

Nearby places

Mattupetty Dam is part of a day around Munnar, easily combined with the Tata Tea Museum on the edge of town and the grasslands of Eravikulam National Park to the north.