Mattupetty Dam

1 dayBest: Sep–MarLakes#dam#boating#elephants

Reservoir with boating and elephant rides

Why this weekend?

Speed boatingElephant campDairy farm

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The day-by-day plan

Day 1 · The dam lake
- Dam walk
- Boat ride
- Elephant stop
- Tea views
- Return

Geography & terrain

Mattupetty Dam lies in the Idukki district of Kerala at about 1,700 m, 13 km from Munnar and 180 km from Kochi — the dam reservoir of the region, its boating, the elephant stop and the hill views set on the Ghats' tea country.

History & culture

The dam's story runs with the 1953–1965 hydroelectric era — the reservoir of the Munnar's hydro project and the storage of the Kundala stream, with the dam's modern role as the boating and the picnic stop of the Munnar circuit and the home of the domesticated elephants' feeding point; the dam's history of the shola forests and the tea estates' edge, gives Mattupetty its dam-lake character.

Where to stay

Budget

₹1,000–2,500/night

Mid-range

₹2,500–5,000/night

Comfort

₹5,000+/night

Things to do

Dam reservoir
Boat waters
Elephant stop
Tea hills
Shola forests

Eat & drink

Karimeen pollichathu
Appam with stew
Malabar porotta
Sadya on banana leaf

Getting there

Fly: Kochi (COK) / Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) / Kozhikode (CCJ)
Train: Kochi, Kollam, Kozhikode junctions
Road from Kochi: varies by district — 50–400 km
Getting around: Autos, KSRTC buses, ferry networks

Budget snapshot

Total: ₹3,000–8,000 (1 days)
Per day · Stay: ₹1,000–5,000/night
Per day · Food: ₹600–1,000
Per day · Transport: ₹600–1,000
Per day · Activities: ₹700–1,100

Month by month

Jan · Best: 20–31°C · None rain
Feb · Best: 21–33°C · None rain
Mar · Hot: 23–35°C · None rain
Apr · Hot: 25–36°C · Moderate rain
May · Pre-monsoon: 26–35°C · Moderate rain
Jun · Monsoon: 24–32°C · Heavy rain
Jul · Monsoon: 23–31°C · Heavy rain
Aug · Monsoon: 23–31°C · Heavy rain
Sep · Monsoon tail: 24–32°C · Heavy rain
Oct · Good: 24–33°C · Moderate rain
Nov · Best: 22–32°C · Light rain
Dec · Best: 20–31°C · None rain

Practical info

Language: Malayalam (English understood in tourist spots)
Best window: Sep–Mar
Connectivity: good 4G in towns
UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops

Practical tips

The season (Sep–Mar) holds the lake's calm
The boating runs on the dock counters
Pairs with Kundala for the lake circuit

Frequently asked questions

What is Mattupetty?

The dam reservoir of the Munnar hills.

What is there to do?

The boating, the elephants and the views.

How long is the visit?

A full day.