Tea estates near ValparaiChallengingour rating
Valparai ghat ride
Forty hairpin bends from the Aliyar foothills up into the tea country.
What to expect
About two hours from Pollachi, through the Anamalai sanctuary and past Monkey Falls, up to Valparai's 56 tea and coffee estates.
- Where
- Aliyar → Valparai ghat road, via Monkey Falls
- The climb
- 40 hairpin bends to Valparai, about 1,060 m above sea level
- Stay safe
- Narrow road shared with buses. Elephants cross forest stretches, so don't stop inside the forest. Entry is restricted after 6 pm.
Our tips
- Drive in daylight: entry is restricted after 6 pm.
- Use low gears and engine braking going down.
- Mobile signal is weak in the estates; download maps first.
Sources: Onmanorama: Valparai safety · Wikipedia: Valparai · Photo: Kkdi63, CC BY-SA 4.0