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South India · India
Devikulam & Eravikulam
A sacred lake said to hold water from the Ganges, and the national park next door where you can walk grassland right up to Anamudi, the highest peak south of the Himalayas.
Photo: Vishnu1409, CC BY-SA 4.0
Devikulam is Munnar's calmer neighbour, nine kilometres out, with a lake considered sacred and a slower pace than Munnar's main bazaar. What makes the area exceptional is next door: Eravikulam National Park protects high rolling grassland, the endangered Nilgiri tahr, and Anamudi, at 2,695 m the highest peak in India south of the Himalayas. Eravikulam is managed with a strict daily visitor cap, so it stays wild even with Munnar's crowds a few kilometres away.
Munnar's quiet side, and South India's highest peak. Works for everyone. Best months: Jan–Apr, Aug–Dec.
When to go
September to March is clearest. Eravikulam closes annually, typically from February to March, for the tahr breeding season — check current dates before planning around it. The Neelakurinji flower blooms here once every twelve years across these hills.
Getting there
One-way ticket price per person — double it for the return, which is what the cost example below uses. The cheapest sensible option is marked.
| Option | Notes | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus from Munnar CHEAPEST Munnar → Devikulam | Frequent local buses; also an easy taxi or auto ride. | 20 m | ₹20 one-way |
| Train + bus → Aluva, then bus/taxi up | Aluva, near Kochi, is the nearest railhead for this side of the Ghats. | varies + 4 h | ₹1,500 one-way |
| Flight + road → Kochi (COK), then 4 h | Kochi is the nearest airport, about 130 km. | 1 h + 4 h | ₹6,000 one-way |
What it actually costs
Example for a couple, 7 days, mid-range, starting from Munnar. Return transport, a bed each night, three meals a day, local travel and entry tickets are all included. This is one example, not a quote — use the live planner to price your own dates, party size and budget style.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Return bus from munnar (Bus from Munnar one-way ₹20 × 2 × 2 people) | ₹80 |
| Beds, food, local travel & tickets (7 days, mid-range) | ₹25,256 |
| Total for the couple | ₹25,336 |
Getting around
| Option | Notes | Suits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eravikulam shuttle bus | Private vehicles aren't allowed inside the park; a shuttle takes you to the walking trail. | Solo, Couple, Family, Group | ₹50/trip |
| Auto/taxi | Between Devikulam, the park gate and Munnar town. | Family, Couple | ₹400/trip |
Where to sleep
| Tier | Notes | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Homestay · Devikulam village | Quieter and cheaper than staying in central Munnar. | Solo, Group | ₹1,200/night |
| Estate Tea-estate stay · Around Devikulam | Estate accommodation without Munnar bazaar's noise. | Couple, Family | ₹2,800/night |
| Govt KTDC lake resort · Devikulam lake | Government-run, right by the lake. | Family | ₹2,500/night |
Eating
Easy. Kerala meals and estate-stay cooking are largely vegetarian-friendly.
| Tier | What | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹100 | Kerala meals | Simple local eateries in Devikulam. | ₹100 |
| ₹300 | Estate-stay meals | Most estate stays cook for their guests. | ₹300 |
What to actually do
| Activity | Notes | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eravikulam National Park walk | A gentle trail on a paved path to a viewpoint, with a strong chance of seeing Nilgiri tahr up close. Daily visitor numbers are capped — go early. | 2 h | ₹150 |
| Devikulam Sita Devi Lake | A calm, considered-sacred lake with a short walking path around it. | 1 h | ₹20 |
| Anamudi viewing point | You don't summit Anamudi on the standard visit, but you see it clearly from inside the park. | Included in park visit | Free |
| Tea estate walk | Estate walks around Devikulam, quieter than the ones directly around Munnar town. | 1 h 30 m | ₹150 |
| Pallivasal & Chinnakanal falls | Waterfalls on the road between Munnar and Devikulam. | Half day | ₹100 |
More of Devikulam & Eravikulam
Photo: Jiths, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Aashishbhagya, CC BY-SA 3.0
What goes wrong here, and how to do it cheaper
What goes wrong:
Eravikulam closes for several weeks a year for the tahr breeding season — check current dates before you build a trip around it.
Private vehicles cannot enter the park; budget time for the shuttle queue in peak season.
The Nilgiri tahr are used to people on the paved trail, but they are still wild animals — do not feed or corner them for a photo.
How to do it cheaper:
Stay in Devikulam rather than Munnar town for a quieter base only twenty minutes from the same sights.
Arrive at Eravikulam's gate as early as possible — the daily visitor cap means later arrivals can be turned away in peak season.
The park walk is paved and gentle, making it one of the most accessible wildlife encounters in the Western Ghats.
Nearby
| Place | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munnar 9 km | Bus or auto | Half day | ₹20 |
| Top Station 35 km | Bus via Munnar | Onward | ₹60 |
| Vagamon 110 km | Bus via Kottayam | Onward | ₹150 |
| Kochi 130 km | Bus | Onward | ₹200 |
Money & connectivity
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Cash | Park tickets, shuttles, small eateries. |
| Card & UPI | Larger hotels. |
| Mobile signal | Good. |
| ATMs | Munnar town, 9 km away. |
When is the best time to visit Devikulam & Eravikulam?
Jan–Apr, Aug–Dec is the best window. September to March is clearest. Eravikulam closes annually, typically from February to March, for the tahr breeding season — check current dates before planning around it. The Neelakurinji flower blooms here once every twelve years across these hills.
How do you get to Devikulam & Eravikulam?
The cheapest sensible option is bus from munnar (Munnar → Devikulam), around ₹20 one-way per person.
How much does a trip to Devikulam & Eravikulam cost?
For a couple travelling mid-range for 7 days from Munnar, budget roughly ₹25,336 total — return transport, stay, food, local travel and entry tickets. Shoestring and comfortable budgets run lower and higher; use the live planner on tripunder.com to price your own dates and party size.
Plan your own Devikulam & Eravikulam trip
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks for budget travel and change with season and demand — always check live fares and rates before you book; the live planner links straight to where you'd book each piece. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.