Mannavanur
Sheep farm village and a lake in the grass hills past Kodaikanal
Best time to visit Mannavanur
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, peak season
- May, shoulder season
- Jun, shoulder season
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, peak season
- Oct, off-season
- Nov, off-season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: February to April and September
- Shoulder: May to June and December to January, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: no month is a write-off here
Mannavanur season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nights drop near 5C and frost sits on the grass; February is the pick, clear blue days for the lake loop and the road out to Poombarai.
Summer March to May Prime time
March and April hold 22C days and flowering shola edges; from mid May storms build most afternoons, so do the walking before lunch.
Monsoon June to September Prime time
June and July are wind, drizzle and whiteout fog on the plateau; September clears quickly and the grassland is at its greenest of the year.
Autumn October to November Quiet, but open
The northeast monsoon does its worst here: October and November bring long rain, leeches and slips on the Kodai ghat road, so come later.
What Mannavanur is actually like
Farm homestays with wood fires and dinner at 8, a few Kodai day trippers by the lake, then only sheep, wind and stars
Getting to Mannavanur
Kodaikanal is 35 km and 1h30 by bus or share taxi; the railhead is Kodai Road, 4h down the ghat
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 2008 m
- State
- Tamil Nadu
- Coordinates
- 10.2241, 77.3464
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Mannavanur?
February to April and September is peak season in Mannavanur. May to June and December to January is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. No month is a write-off here. Nights drop near 5C and frost sits on the grass; February is the pick, clear blue days for the lake loop and the road out to Poombarai.
How many days do you need in Mannavanur?
3 days is the usual stay. Farm homestays with wood fires and dinner at 8, a few Kodai day trippers by the lake, then only sheep, wind and stars.
How do you get to Mannavanur?
Kodaikanal is 35 km and 1h30 by bus or share taxi; the railhead is Kodai Road, 4h down the ghat. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Mannavanur expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Kodaikanal
Tamil Nadu
Misty Palani lake town loved by trekkers, backpackers
20 km from Mannavanur, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kanthalloor
Kerala
Rain-shadow orchard village of apples, dolmens and sandalwood
20 km from Mannavanur, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kolukkumalai
Tamil Nadu
Sunrise above a sea of clouds at the world's highest tea estate
30 km from Mannavanur, roughly under an hour by road
-
Munnar
Kerala
Tea-carpeted hill station, Kerala's iconic highland escape
50 km from Mannavanur, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Valparai
Tamil Nadu
Remote Anamalai plateau of tea estates and wildlife
70 km from Mannavanur, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains)
Tamil Nadu
Cloud-draped tea ridges and dams deep in a young tiger reserve
90 km from Mannavanur, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
Kerala
Teak-and-tiger reserve reached through Tamil Nadu, shut in monsoon
90 km from Mannavanur, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Sirumalai
Tamil Nadu
Hill banana and coffee slopes above Dindigul, empty midweek
110 km from Mannavanur, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Tamil Nadu
- Chettinad (Karaikudi) Tamil Nadu
- Chidambaram & Pichavaram Tamil Nadu
- Coonoor Tamil Nadu
- Courtallam (Kutralam) Tamil Nadu
- Gangaikonda Cholapuram Tamil Nadu
- Gingee Fort (Senji) Tamil Nadu
- Hasanur (Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve) Tamil Nadu
- Hogenakkal Falls Tamil Nadu
- Javadi Hills (Jamunamarathur) Tamil Nadu
- Kalakkad-Mundanthurai (Mundanthurai) Tamil Nadu
- Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu
- Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
- Kazhugumalai (Vettuvan Koil) Tamil Nadu
- Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu
- Kolli Hills Tamil Nadu
- Kolukkumalai Tamil Nadu
- Kumbakonam (with Darasuram) Tamil Nadu
- Madurai Tamil Nadu
- Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) Tamil Nadu
- Manapad Tamil Nadu
- Masinagudi (Mudumalai) Tamil Nadu
- Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains) Tamil Nadu
- Ooty (Udhagamandalam) Tamil Nadu
- Pachamalai (Top Sengattupatti) Tamil Nadu
- Padmanabhapuram Palace (Thuckalay) Tamil Nadu
- Point Calimere (Kodiakkarai) Tamil Nadu
- Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu) Tamil Nadu
- Rameswaram Tamil Nadu
- Sirumalai Tamil Nadu
- Sittanavasal Tamil Nadu
- Thanjavur Tamil Nadu
- Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) Tamil Nadu
- Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) Tamil Nadu
- Tiruvannamalai Tamil Nadu
- Uthirakosamangai Tamil Nadu
- Valparai Tamil Nadu
- Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
- Vellore Tamil Nadu
- Yelagiri Tamil Nadu
- Yercaud Tamil Nadu