Lakshmi Hills Hike

Those who start early will be rewarded with the first glimpse of sunrise from “windy rock point”

After assembling at the starting point, a naturalist will guide you to the Valley View Point. This is the first leg of the hike.

After about a half hour’s walk through rolling tea hills, the trail reaches Valley View Point. Fascinating views of the western Ghats slope, alongside peaks, valleys, gorges and plateaus stretching between the eastern and western horizon can be seen from this point.

A deep cleft through which the Munnar River passes is separated by the high peaks of Chokkanad and Lakshmi Hills. This geological process formed two escarpments facing one another.
The Valley View Point is in the neck of Windy Rock Point. After spending a few minutes taking in the views, turn uphill through a narrow path to the Windy Rock Point.

From this point, the Chokkan Mudi Peak set in the West Ridge Hills can be visible. The trail further extends to the summit and turns downhill through the treeline. From the treeline, Anamudi, the highest peak south of the Himalayas, can be seen.

The trail further leads to Lakshmi Estate Valley. Here, find workers picking tea leaves, tiny blue houses along the Nallathanni River meadow, children playing cricket and football, and wandering cows.

Pause to listen to the sweet whistling of the Malabar whistling thrush as well as a good number of other endemic birds like the blue flycatcher, Nilgiri laughing thrush, and black and orange flycatcher.

The trail meets a navigable road after 3 hours of walking. From this point, you can choose a Jeep back to the starting point or continue the hike passing tea plantations, beautiful wayside plants, and birds.