Meesapulimala Trek: The Best Adventure Trek in South India

We always believe that a trip to a hill-station remains incomplete without at least one trekking experience, no matter how small or easy it might be. When we planned for Munnar, we kept a day aside for trekking somewhere around Munnar. When it comes to the best and adventurous trekking near Munnar, Meesapulimala comes at the top. So we decided to trek to Meesapulimala on the second day of our trip in Munnar.

Meesapulimala Trek, Kerala. Beautiful Landscape Green Grassland and Blue Sky — Beautiful landscape of the Rhodovalley, Meesapulimal, Kerala

ABOUT MEESAPULIMALA

Meesapulimala is located in the Idukki district of Kerala at a height of around 8670 feet (2640 meters) above sea level and is the second highest peak in Kerala. This amazing 8-km trek can be completed in 3-4 hours depending on the stamina and fitness of the trekkers. There is another route which starts from Kurangani but the length is longer (15 km). This is a perfect heaven for trek lovers and is definitely one of the most astounding gems located in the southern part of the Western Ghats.

Tea Estates on the way to Meesapulimala, Kerala. Beautiful scenery. — Tea Estates on the way to Meesapulimala, Kerala

“Meesapulimala” gets its name due to its resemblance to a tiger’s face. “Meesa” means moustache, “Puli” means tiger and “mala” is the word for hills. It is formed of eight hills which spread like a tiger’s moustache and hence the name!

The beautiful landscape green hills and blue sky — One of the eight hills forming Meesapulimala

HOW TO REACH MEESAPULIMALA

We were three this time and we all were super excited! After getting ready by eight in the morning, we went to the KFDC Floriculture Centre office from where we booked our seats in a shared jeep which would take us to Meesapulimala Base Camp which is around 20 km from Munnar. An expert guide also joined who would be guiding and accompanying us during the entire trek.

The cloud-clad hills, on the way to Meesapulimala. Beautiful scenery — The cloud-clad hills, on the way to Meesapulimala

BEST TIME TO VISIT MEESAPULIMALA

The best time to visit Meesapulimala is between the months of September and May as the weather remains extremely pleasant during this time. It was September when we visited Munnar and the monsoon was towards its end. On our jeep ride to Meesapulimala Base Camp, we were completely amazed by the lush greenery, the beautifully designed tea-estates and hundreds of Rhodondendron trees in full bloom on either side of the road. The distant hills clad in white clouds made the views more breathtaking! The weather was also extremely pleasant, to say the least. We were all set for an exciting journey!

Tents in the Base Camp, Meesapulimala, Kerala

JOURNEY FROM THE BASE CAMP

When we reached the Base Camp, we met our co-trekkers. We became a group of 13 people. Since we were going to take the shorter 8 km trek route, we would be walking through the Rhodovalley. The valley got its name due to the presence of hundreds of Rhododendron trees along the trail.

We started our trek at 10:30 AM. Ten minutes of walk along the base of the hills and then came a narrow trail which started becoming steeper and steeper and then started the trail full of forest shrubs and grasslands.

Beautiful waterfall, Meesapulimala, Kerala — The beginning of the trek with the view of this beautiful waterfall

Greenery on the way to Meesapulimala Trek — Massive greenery on the way to Rhodovalley,

Walking through the forests of Meesapulimala, Kerala — The journey begins through the woods

A few minutes passed and then a lady in our group stopped as she bent to take a look at her feet. It was a fully grown leech. Our trek guide was carrying some salt which helped in getting these little parasites off the skin. The salt came to her rescue and we continued our journey. A few minutes passed and guess what. We all found these blood-sucking creatures crawling on our legs and to be honest, we all got a little panicked as that was the first time we were getting bitten by leeches. We were initially trying to take the leeches off our legs but later realized they were coming in more numbers as we walked into thicker marshy forests.

Hiking through the trails Meesapulimala Kerala — Trying to be extra cautious due to the slippery roads

Blood sucking leeches sucked bloog from legs and left their marks Meesapulimala — This is what the leeches sucked while we were busy hiking

The path of the trek Meesapulimala — The forests were very dense at some part of the trek

After about 30 minutes we reached the top of a waterfall which we crossed very carefully.

Waterfall on the way to Meesapulimala trek — The top of the waterfall that we saw in the beginning of the trek

Crossing stream on the trek to Meesapulimala — Crossing the stream was fun

Marshland forest meesapulimala Kerala — Walking through the marshland

A few meters of walking through the thick canopied forest, we reached the hills of grasslands. The first view of it reminded us of our childhood drawing books full of mountains with all possible shades of green. We were a bit exhausted but our adrenaline was getting released in 8full flow!

Grassland forest Meesapulimala Kerala — The last few steps of the thick forest

Hills in grassland Meesapulimala Kerala — The first view of the first hill that we were about to cross

The first sight of the green hills and the blue sky behind, Meesapulimala — The first sight of the green hills and the blue sky behind

A beautiful creature Meesapulimala Kerala — Found this little creature on the way

As we reached to the top of the first hill, we continued our journey through these scenic grasslands of the Rhodovalley to reach to the next hills. Now the trek became a little easier as heavy winds were hitting our face giving us the much needed respite while walking.

View of hill Meesapulimala Kerala — View after crossing the first hill

amazing landscape of hills Meesapulimala — More such amazing landscapes

Beautiful view of the hills and a lonely tree without leaves standing — The trail offered some amazing spots for photography

A few more shallow streams came our way which we crossed. There came many ascents and descents through the Rhodovalley. We stopped at few points to take snaps of the breathtaking view of the valley.

CLoud-clad hills Meesapulimala trek — The clouds and the heavy wind made the journey more fun

The trail of the Meesapulimala trek, hills green and clouds — The astonishing trail of Meesapulimala, Kerala

beautiful hills and blue sky meesapulimala kerala — It looked like a paradise; cameras could only capture 50% of it

After a few more kilometres of hiking, we saw the waterfall that we just crossed an hour back. It was looking very small from this distance and was sparkling bright with the rays of sunlight.

waterfall meesapulimala green hills cloudy — The zoomed picture of the waterfall, Meesapulimala

After walking for another 20 minutes, everything around us got covered with clouds and the wind blew really strong. We could hardly see anything ahead of us. We crossed another narrow stream after a few while and then we were stopped by our guide and he pointed to the tip of the next enormous hill in front of us. Yes, that’s the ultimate point, the highest point of the Meesapulimala.

During the final stretch, the ascent was steeper but nothing could stop us as we moved uphill with double the enthusiasm. Finally, we reached to the top of the Meesapulimala at around 1:30 PM. It was a magical feeling! It was a great moment of joy!

cloudy meesapulimala peak — The first view from the topmost point; it was fully covered with clouds, Meesapulimala

AFTER REACHING THE PEAK

We were all drained out but we did not sit. We explored the entire peak from one side to the other. The place was occasionally getting covered with fog, mist and clouds! We sat at one point of the cliff and had some light snacks, enjoying the calmness far from the hustle and bustle of the city. We were spellbound by the exhilarating view of the surrounding hills and ranges. Everything seemed so tiny from such a height!

Sitting on edge ofcliff meesapulimala peak kerala — Sitting on the edge of a cliff enjoying the peace, Meesapulimala

plants flowers rhododendron meesapulimala — Spent some time with the plants and flowers of Meesapulimala

THE RETURN TREK

It was now time to go back. Our trek guide took a different route while descending. Coming down was equally adventurous. Hiking downhill required more focus as it was too slippery in some parts and missing a step while descending could be very dangerous. Moreover, it puts a lot of stress on the knees. So we had to be extra cautious. At the same time, we had to keep track of the time as the sun was about to set in a couple of hours. We also had to crawl at some points of the steep descent.

Meesapulimala hills clouds blue sky — View of Meesapulimala peak from another route while returning

Meesapulimala tre hills grasslands view — One last look at the Meesapulimala hills

cloudy hills meesapulimala — The clouds looked amazing, Meesapulimala

sunset through the forest view — The sunset, Meesapulimala

Hiking through a stretch of grasslands and forests, we finally came back to the Base Camp at around 5:30 PM. We had some snacks and tea before heading back to Munnar in the same jeep.

Group photo with co-trekkers Meesapulimala trek — Group photo with the co-trekkers, Meesapulimala

The Meesapulimala trek was truly a hell of an experience! Meesapulimala is definitely one of the best adventure treks in South India away from the crowd of tourists. If you are traveling to Munnar, make sure you include Meesapulimala Trek to your itinerary! You won’t regret, we guarantee you!

Meesapulimala Trek Details and Tips

Contact the KFDC Munnar for the trek details one day before to avoid any last minute hassles.
Best time to do Meesapulimala Trek: Any time of the year. Try to avoid trekking during monsoons as the trail may remain slippery and leeches will be in full.
Carry enough water, energy drink/ food and a first-aid kit
Try to start early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat.

Let us know in the comment section below if you liked our trekking adventure story from Meesapulimala. You can also contact us if you need any information regarding the Meesapulimala trek or regarding trip to Munnar. To learn about other offbeat attraction in Munnar, click here.

Find more similar adventure stories here. Thank you!