Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary shows a drier side of the Munnar region, with scrub forest, rivers and rare wildlife. It is a long day trip via Marayoor.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the eastern, Tamil Nadu side of the Anamalai Hills in Idukki district, contiguous with Eravikulam National Park to the south. It sits in the rain shadow of the southern Western Ghats and receives only about 500 mm of rain a year, so its landscape is very different from Munnar's tea country: dry deciduous forest and thorny scrub on the lower eastern slopes rise to moist forest, grassland and shola at higher elevations.

The Munnar–Udumalpet road (SH 17) runs through the sanctuary for about 16 km, and the entry point is about 9.3 km from Marayoor bus stand. The sanctuary is known for the grizzled giant squirrel, which DTPC Idukki describes as among the most endangered species, and hosts the country's only rehabilitation centre for the Indian star tortoise.

Its 28 recorded mammal species include elephant, gaur, leopard, tiger, spotted deer and sambar, and the Chinnar and Pambar rivers hold Kerala's largest population of mugger crocodiles. Around 225 bird species and 156 butterfly species have been recorded. The Marayoor sandalwood forest is also part of the area. DTPC Idukki lists entry at Rs 10 for adults and Rs 5 for children, open 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, with tickets sold on site, and mentions tree-house stays.

Treks and other eco-tourism programmes are charged separately; their rates are not listed by DTPC.