With its beautiful valleys, high majestic mountains & sprawling tea gardens located at the Western Ghats – Munnar in Kerala is one of the must visit places during the monsoon.
The hill station enjoys a favorable and pleasant climate all year round but monsoon has its own story to narrate.
In the middle of July 2016, Kamal & I decided to make our 2nd trip to this Beautiful Hill station. This video is about our experience at the Beautiful Tea Harvester Hotel where we stayed for 2 nights.
WATCH the VIDEO:
Munnar – Tea Harvester REVIEW
ROUTE:
Located at a distance of around 490 Kms from our house in Bangalore, the long 7 hrs journey demanded an early morning drive. So we started at 5:00 am and took the Bangalore – Salem – Coimbatore – Munnar route. Roads were good and the route was scenic. We took a couple of stop-overs in-between to enjoy the scenic views and in around 7 hrs we reached the hotel.
LOCATION:
Located about 10 Kms away from the hustle and bustle of Munnar town, The Tea Harvester is nestled bang in the middle of the tea gardens and spice plantations. The breathtaking setting of the hotel left us awestruck but wait, that was just the beginning.
RECEPTION:
The friendly staff welcomed us with a glass of fresh juice and escorted us to the reception area ‘Tea House’ which was spacious, clean and beautiful. The walls were adorned with photo frames showcasing the history of Munnar from just being a Rain forest to a worlds leading Tea planter and exporter.
The counter also has the classic tea flavors such as black tea, green tea and white tea on display.
ROOMS:
After completing the check-in formalities, we were escorted to our room which was on the 3rd floor.
A narrow corridor overlooking the lush tea gardens in the front lead us to the corner room which was spacious, beautiful and clean equipped with all the basic amenities one would probably need when away from home.
The room has wood paneling on the floor and is equipped with a hug bed and 2 side tables and soft lights. The bed boasts of a high quality mattress, clean and beautiful linen sheets, pillow covers and curtains. The room also has a television, a coffee maker, an almirah and 2 couches.
The view from the hotel is serene and calm. It offers a spectacular 180 degree view of the lush green tea gardens from the front lobby and views of cardamom plantation, trees and valley from the spacious balcony behind every room. You will also get to hear the sound of a small stream running through the trees from the balcony.
The Bathroom was clean and aesthetic equipped with all the contemporary toiletries. Since, the hotel is new, everything was sparkling clean and very well-maintained.
Since, it was already time for lunch, we quickly unpacked and headed towards the dining area – “Tea Trees” set on the top 3rd floor. Besides offering stunning views of the plantations around, the multi-cuisine restaurant has quite a lot of greenery inside as well with a number of planters lined up on all the 3 sides. The Pouring rains made the ambiance cool & refreshing.
The meal was delicious and Everything we had was fresh, warm and tasty – Just the way we like.
PLANTATION TOUR
After lunch, we took some rest. In the evening, the resort manager Tony took us for a plantation tour. He provided us valuable insight into how tea is processed and manufactured. He also showed us the cardamom plantations and informed us about the exotic species of flora and fauna in Munnar.
Munnar – Tea Harvester REVIEW
After the plantation tour, it was time for a bicycle ride into the estate which was fun and beautiful. It was mist and fog all around with the sweet chirping of birds and pleasant aroma.
On our return, it was time for snack. We ordered peanut masala and warm tea which we enjoyed from the balcony. It was getting cold and everything was soon covered with fog.
At 7:30 pm, Tony had arranged a tea brewing session for the guests at the restaurant. The tea is handpicked and brewed from the estate. He also demonstrated brewing and offered flavors brewed and blended from Rose, Vanilla, Ginger & Cardamom.
DINNER:
At 9:00 pm, Tony was kind enough to arrange for a candle lit dinner for us. Food was once again delicious which we enjoyed to our heart’s content.
Post dinner, we went for a gentle walk in the rain following which we called off the lights.
DAY 2 :
The next morning after breakfast, we decided to visit the Kolukumallai hills. The friendly guy -Tony, took us for a 4 wheel drive up to the hills. You can watch the Kolukumallai hills video for a detailed review.
After spending 2 beautiful days at Munnar and experiencing a wonderful stay at The Tea Harvester, We checked out from the hotel on the 3rd day and made our way back to Bangalore.
VERDICT!
The great things about The Tea Harvester are:
- Delicious food,
- Courteous and friendly staff,
- Good hospitality and The brilliantly designed architecture – spacious & well-maintained rooms offering picturesque view of the tea plantation that instantly soothes and relaxes the senses.
Tea Harvester in Munnar is a perfect package!