Marayoor sits in a rain shadow region just a short drive from Munnar, and the landscape shift is immediate — misty tea hills give way to dry plains, sugarcane fields, and Kerala's only natural sandalwood forest. Scattered across the area are dolmens and rock shelters left by prehistoric inhabitants, some carrying cave paintings believed to be thousands of years old. It's a destination for travellers who want to see a side of the Western Ghats that looks nothing like postcard Munnar — quieter, drier, and steeped in a much older history.
