Hills & Wildlife

Two to three hours inland from the coast, the land climbs into the Western Ghats, a mountain range so biologically dense that UNESCO lists it among the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biodiversity. Munnar's rolling tea estates sit at over 1,600 metres, planted by British colonists in the 1870s and still hand-picked today. Wayanad and Periyar, further south, hold rainforest, spice plantations, and some of India's best-managed wildlife reserves.

We build hill itineraries around early mornings, when the light is best and the wildlife is out: a guided tea-garden walk before breakfast, a jeep safari through Periyar at dawn, a spice-plantation trail through cardamom and pepper vines. Evenings are for slowing down, with plantation-bungalow stays, bonfires, and views that stretch across entire valleys.