India GOLakes in Munnar
Every lake around Munnar is a reservoir behind a dam, and each one has tea bushes running down to the water. Three are worth the drive: Mattupetty, the busy one closest to town; Kundala, quieter and a little further along the same road; and Anayirankal, out in the other direction, where wild elephants come down to drink.
Three lakes, three moods
All three are dam reservoirs, and boating on each is run by Kerala Hydel Tourism, the tourism arm of the state electricity board. Boat fares and hours are in the place cards below.
Mattupetty: the busy one, 13 km out
A concrete dam from the late 1940s, built for the Pallivasal hydroelectric project, about 13 km from town on the Top Station road. Nearly every tour stops here, so expect crowds of Indian families, fountains and photo stands rather than quiet water. Kerala Hydel Tourism's boating centre here lists speed boats, shikara (covered Kashmiri-style boat) and pontoon rides, and its entry pass costs roughly ₹40. Mattupetty is also known for the Indo-Swiss livestock farm, set up in 1963 under an agreement between India and Switzerland. Mattupetty Dam.
Kundala: the prettier one, further along
Past Mattupetty on the same road, with tea gardens right to the waterline and noticeably fewer people. The dam, also called Sethuparvathi, was built in 1946 for the same Pallivasal project. This is the lake with the widest choice of boats: pedal and row boats, shikara, coracle (round basket boat), bamboo raft and kayak. On the official tariff half an hour costs roughly ₹400–600 per boat, the entry pass is roughly ₹10, and the last half-hour slots start around 16:30. Cherry trees on the shore flower twice a year, and the slopes behind are neelakurinji country. Kundala Lake.
Anayirankal: the quiet one, with elephants
The name means "where elephants come down", and herds still walk out of the forest to drink here. It is an earthen dam from the 1960s, 22–28 km from town beyond Chinnakanal, reached through the Lockhart estate and the rock cuttings at Gap, a road as good as the lake. Most circuits skip it, so it stays empty. The Elephant Abode boating centre stands on the shore, but the official site lists its facilities as temporarily unavailable, so plan on a viewpoint and ask locally about boats.
How to fit them into one day
Mattupetty, Echo Point, Kundala and Top Station sit one after another on a single road east of town, so one morning covers both lakes and the viewpoints: Mattupetty at about 13 km, Echo Point at about 15 km (a viewpoint over the same water, where people shout for the echo), Kundala further on, and Top Station at the end, about 32 km out. Top Station is clearest before 7 AM, so the classic order is to drive to the far end first and stop at the lakes on the way back.
Anayirankal lies on a different road, east past Chinnakanal, and makes a separate half day; combine it with the Lockhart Gap viewpoints rather than with Kundala.
The points are far apart and there is nothing to hail between them, so a car with driver for the day is the usual way; a rickshaw is the cheaper, slower version. Fares are on the getting around page.
When to go
October to February is the clear season, with the best light on the water. June to August is the heavy monsoon: landslides close stretches of the Gap Road on the way to Anayirankal, and hill roads are unlit at night, so plan to be back before dark in any month. Mornings are the time for all three lakes: mist tends to roll in by the afternoon, and the last boats at Kundala go out around 16:30. Month-by-month averages are on the Munnar weather page.
Good to know
A few things that save surprises at the water.
- Elephants are wild — At Anayirankal the herds that come to drink are wild animals: watch from the road or the shore at a distance, no flash and no walking towards them.
- Kundala is cheap to enter, Mattupetty is crowded — The entry pass at Kundala is roughly ₹10; the boat is the real cost. Mattupetty is on almost every tour, so expect a crowd.
- Two kurinji populations — The slopes around Kundala and Mattupetty belong to a different neelakurinji population from the one inside Eravikulam National Park, on its own twelve-year cycle, so a bloom year for one is not a bloom year for the other.
FAQ
Can I go boating at Kundala Lake?
Yes. The Kundala boating centre rents pedal and row boats, shikaras, coracles, bamboo rafts and kayaks, roughly ₹400–600 per boat for half an hour on the official tariff; the last slots start around 16:30.
Is there an entry fee for Kundala Lake?
Only a small one: Kerala Hydel Tourism lists an entry pass of roughly ₹10, sold for slots from about 9 AM to 5:30 PM; boats are paid separately.
Which is the best lake in Munnar?
For scenery and fewer people, Kundala. Mattupetty is the busiest and the easiest to reach; Anayirankal is the quietest, with a chance of wild elephants at dawn and dusk.
Does Munnar have three rivers?
Yes, the name comes from "munnu aaru", three rivers: the town stands where the Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala rivers meet.
Can you see elephants at the lakes?
At Anayirankal, yes, with luck: herds come down from the forest to drink, most often early in the morning and at dusk.
Sources (6)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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