MEGHAMALAI TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO MEGHAMALAI
Hill Station
About Meghamalai
#24 of 25 Places to visit in Tamilnadu
Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days
Nearest City to Meghamalai: Madurai (126 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Meghamalai: October to May
Peak Season: December to January & March to May
At a distance of 55 km from Theni, 59 km from Gudalur, 92 km from Kumily, 126 km from Madurai, 127 km from Munnar, 130 km from Dindigul, 214 km from Kochi, 216 km from Alappuzha, 250 km from Tirunelveli, 294 km from Thiruvananthapuram, 344 km from Kanyakumari, and 563 km from Chennai, Megamalai or Meghamalai is a beautiful hill town in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the offbeat hill stations in South India, and among the top places to visit near Madurai.
Popularly called Highwavys Mountains, Meghamalai is an unexplored paradise in the Western Ghats and is very little known even to the people of Tamilnadu. It is also known as 'Paccha Kumachi' meaning 'Green Peaks' in the local Tamil language. The town was called High Wavys during the British period. Later, locals call it Megamalai since the peak is always covered with clouds. If you are looking for a calm and tranquil weekend from the hustle-bustle of city life, Megamalai is one of the perfect place to visit in Tamilnadu.
Perched at an altitude of 1,500 m, this small hill station is a place of natural beauty dotted with cardamom plantations and tea estates. It is a perfect getaway to beat the heat and enjoy some peaceful time relaxing amidst nature. Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Highwavy Dam, Megamalai Viewpoint, Manalar Dam, Suruli Falls, Iravangalar Dam, and maharaja Mettu are some of the must-include places in Meghamalai tour packages. Its long winding roads through lush green tea plantations are ideal for nature walks. Also, Meghamalai offers many opportunities for its visitors including trekking, mountain walks, bird watching, and wildlife spotting.
With an elevation of 1650 m above sea level, Vellimalai forms the heart of the Meghamalai Mountain range. Silver-lined clouds gently resting on green hilltops is a common sight here. This region is also the abode of the river Vaigai. The hill range also affords a wonderful view of the entire range of Varusanadu Hills. There are a few large private tea and coffee plantations in and around Meghamalai include The Highwavys Estates, Ananda Plantations, Ponsiva Plantations, and Feildmede Estate which give plenty of scope for leisure walks.
Madurai Airport is the nearest airport which is about 137 km from Megamalai Bus Station. It has direct flights from Chennai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru. Madurai Railway Station is the nearest railhead which is 126 km from Megamalai. It has well-connected trains from all the major cities of India. From here, one can reach Megamalai by bus or hiring a cab to reach Megamalai. Megamalai is well connected by a few buses with Theni and Chinnamanur (4.30 AM, 6 AM, & 10 AM). Theni Bus Stand is the nearest major bus station and has well bus connectivity with Madurai, Palani, Dindigul, Thiruchirappalli, Kumuli, Bangalore, Coimbatore, and Chennai. It is always better to travel by SUV due to the pathetic road condition.
There are few deluxe, medium to budget accommodation options are available in Megamalai to stay and explore the nearby places.
The best time to visit Megamalai is from October to May with cool and pleasant weather for sightseeing. Avoid visiting Megamali in monsoon as there is a chance of landslides and road blockages.
None
.jpg "Iravangalar Dam")
