About

Marayur or Marayoor is a town in Idukki district of Kerala situated on eastern side of the Western Ghats. located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17. Marayoor is a unique place where natural beauty meets adventure. With enchanting beauty, magnificent history, mesmerizing art, and the captivating wildlife - Mrayoor offers diversity in every aspect of its land and culture This is the only place in Kerala that has a natural growth of sandalwood trees. The sandalwood factory of the Forest Department, the caves (muniyaras) with murals and relics from the New Stone Age civilization and the children's park spread across a hectare of land under the canopy of a single Banyan tree are of great interest to tourists. Thoovanam Waterfall and Rajiv Gandhi National Park are also nearby. Marayoor is known for its natural sandalwood forest, dolmens, cave writings, and jaggery making units. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests. Ancient dolmens and rock paintings in Marayur date back to the Stone Age. Marayoor as a pristine, heavenly and unexplored tourist spot is comparable to Munnar which is one of the most sought after hill stations in India in every respect. The place is especially an excellent trekking spot for adventure seekers. the journey from Munnar to Marayoor travel is a scenic ride along tea gardens, waterfalls, shrub forests, and plantations. The final part of it is through sandalwood forests, which starts before Marayur. Yes, you can travel through the sandal forest. However, you cannot touch the trees or smell them as the whole forest is fenced off.

Flora and Fauna

At Marayoor, you can stroll along the sugarcane plantations or visit a spot where they make the famed jaggery, and taste it, while it is still on the boil. Or if you are more of the adventurous type, you can try the many trek routes to deep woods to see what life is like in the high altitude montane evergreen - the shola forests and grasslands up the hills. With ferns, lichens, and orchids, the pristine shola woods is a hark back to those times when all nature was pure, serene, free of any pollutants. Up the branches, you can see Nilgiri Langurs and Giant Malabar squirrels all along on your trek. You’d be amazed at the variety of butterflies and birds that find in this place their dearest abode.

Timings