Tea County, Munnar South India

Tea County, one of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation's (KTDC) excellent hotels, is situated in Munnar at the foothills of Anamudi, the highest peak in the South of India. Perched 1600m above sea-level in the upper reaches of the Western Ghats, Munnar is a tea-growing hill station which was a favoured summer retreat for the British during colonial times. Munnar is located 130 kms from Cochin International Airport, a scenic drive that takes about four hours; 162 km from Madurai Airport; and 100 kms from Thekkady which is about a three hour journey.

Government-run hotels normally conjure up images of tasteless décor and grumpy service, and this makes Tea County a revelation. It is a spotless and well-managed hotel with a beautiful setting spread across eight acres of tea and landscaped gardens. The rooms are spacious, the décor is smart, the Kerala cuisine is tasty, and the rates reasonable in comparison to some of its over-priced competitors. Tea County takes pride in their rose gardens and the resident horticulturist will spend much time with you explaining the numerous varieties. There is even an unusually named Ayurvedic centre, Age Halt, which purports to use amazing powers of rejuvenation. Unfortunately, our Red Dot representative was unable to test out the validity of these claims so we can offer no guarantees.