Experience the joy of shopping in Munnar! Buy a variety of eco-friendly and local products ranging from tea, spices, naturally dyed clothing, handmade chocolates, crafty souvenirs, essential oils, honey, and much more at its local markets, handicraft bazaars, tea plantation outlets, and malls!
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Why go shopping in Munnar
Munnar, the crown jewel of the Western Ghats in Kerala, offers more than misty landscapes, sprawling tea estates, and a tranquil ambiance.
It provides an enriching retail therapy that is bound to turn anyone into a shopaholic! From authentic local merchandise and natural produce, to skillfully crafted handicrafts, everything created in this gorgeous hill town in the Nilgiris carries a piece of its charm you’d regret not taking home with you!
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Munnar’s markets and shops offer a deep insight into this region’s rich heritage, culture, and natural bounty. Everything you buy here is authentic, high-quality, locally produced, and directly benefits the native sellers whose livelihood depends on it.
Here’s a compact guide on the best shopping places in Munnar and the best things to buy in Munnar.
Best places for shopping in Munnar
Munnar has a diversified marketspace offering different kinds of products from tea to home decor items!
See which places you must check out for some authentic Munnar shopping.
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1. Munnar Local Market
Tucked in the heart of the town, this market offers a wide array of products ranging from fresh food products to handicrafts, handmade chocolates, and spices.
This sprawling market packed with busy shoppers and the aroma of fresh fruits and spices is the ideal place to buy artsy souvenirs, essential oils, handicrafts, homemade chocolates, textiles, local garments, wooden items, earthen pots, copper and bronze utensils, and brass figurines among other things.
You also get fresh produce in the form of local fruits and vegetables, especially strawberries, herbs, tea, coffee, spices, and other forest produce.
2. Tata Tea Museum Outlet
An insightful tour of the Tata Tea Museum in Munnar is incomplete without a visit to its in-house Munnar tea shop stocked with a variety of premium quality Munnar tea!
You can find everything from masala tea to black tea, green tea, lemon tea, and a variety of flavored tea here to take home. Produced at this factory itself, these high-quality tea blends come from the best tea plantations across Munnar including Kannan Devan Hills and Kolukkumalai Tea Estates.
You can also find delightful tea-themed souvenirs here like cups, mugs, artsy kettles, and more. These souvenirs and tea blends also make for amazing gifts to give to your loved ones!
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3. Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Outlet
The most popular plantation-owned store in Munnar, Kannan Devan outlet is the go-to place for shopping in Munnar for lovers of tea, coffee, and spices.
The outlet is known for churning out unquestionable high-quality products ranging from various tea flavors and types, coffee bean varieties, and other goods derived from this and nearby plantations.
It’s a great place to buy tea-based products like tea-scented candles, tea-flavored chocolates, tea candy, and even skincare products.
But that’s not all! You’ll also be taking home a variety of authentic and aroma-infused spices, dry fruits, and herb-based oils from here.
While you’re here, you should head 4 km downhill to the Nalla tanni Estate which sells a variety of freshly prepared jams from fruits like strawberries, blueberries, oranges, and more.
4. Mattupetty Dam Bazaar
This petite market overlooking the scenic Mattupetty Dam and its surrounding hills is known for selling a variety of local wooden items like utensils, toys, home decor articles, pen stands, souvenirs, and more.
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It also sells high-quality honey and homemade chocolates among other locally sourced Munnar products and a range of handicrafts.
A visit to this economical bazaar will greatly enhance your experience of shopping in Munnar while giving you a chance to tour the dam and lake area as well!
5. Carmelagiri Elephant Park Shops
The Carmelagiri Elephant Park has in-house shops selling eco-friendly articles made out of bamboo, coir, and wood. You can get all sorts of handcrafted bowls, mats, hand fans, toys, animal figurines, paintings, carvings, and tribal artifacts.
Its souvenirs made out of local forest-based materials as well as locally harvested honey are some of the best things to buy in Munnar. Don’t forget to try their range of herbal products!
6. Chithirapuram Handicrafts Bazaar
Located in the quaint village of Chithirapuram 12 km away from Munnar, this vibrant handicraft market sells eco-friendly handicrafts and handmade products made by local families.
You’ll be intrigued by the rustic vibe of the bazaar and intricately crafted articles made out of coconut shells, coir, wood, bamboo, and other articles. Their terracotta pots and carved wooden figurines are bestseller items and make for great souvenirs!
Top things to buy in Munnar
Here’s our pick of the finest things to buy in Munnar during your trip!
You’ll easily be able to find these locally sourced products and handicrafts that Munnar is famous for at its local markets, factory outlets, and bazaars.
1. Munnar tea and authentic Kerala spices
Tea is, without a doubt, the most symbolic product of Munnar! Its acres of lush tea plantations stretching into the horizon produce the finest tea varieties in India!
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You can buy everything from good quality black tea, Malabar tea, green tea, cardamom tea, ginger tea, lavender tea, and fruit-flavored tea, to the rare white tea at subsidized rates from several premium outlets scattered across Munnar hills and plantations.
In addition to tea, you can also purchase freshly harvested and authentic Kerala spices like cardamom, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, turmeric, and cinnamon at various spice garden outlets and plantation outlets.
Where to buy: Tata Tea Museum Outlet, Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Outlet, Lockhart Tea Factory, Abbas & Co. Tea Merchants, Munnar Inn Spices Shopping Mall, Munnar Local Market
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2. Handmade chocolates
Handmade chocolates remain a hidden treasure of Munnar that most tourists don’t know about! Munnar produces some of the finest and highest-quality handmade chocolates in South India!
Munnar chocolates are available in a variety of flavors, including exotic flavors like tea, coffee, orange, blueberry, pear, apricot, and strawberry molded into freshly prepared white, dark, and milk chocolate to make interesting combinations and flavors.
You must buy handmade chocolates infused with nuts, spices, herbs, and dried fruits that give them a unique twist and make for great gifting items!
Where to buy: Mattupetty Dam Bazaar, Marakkar Shopping Centre, Munnar Market, Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Outlet
3. Oils and herbal products
Shopping in Munnar is incomplete without bagging some of its exotic oils, Ayurvedic products, and herbal skincare products.
A wide variety of medicinal herbs and rare flora grows in the hills of Munnar courtesy of its cool climate, ideal moisture levels, and the rich soil of the Nilgiris!
Natural ingredients like eucalyptus, neem, turmeric, aloe vera, tulsi, Ashwagandha, Shatavari, sandalwood, Nagarmotha, Pathimugam, and amla grow in abundance in these hills and are used to produce everything from essential oils, aromatherapy oils, herbal medicines, herbal soaps, Ayurvedic products, and skincare products.
Munnar in Kerala, the Land of Ayurveda, is a great place to buy these products in high quality and with a long shelf life, especially Eucalyptus oil. They are available in several Government-approved plantation outlets and shops across Munnar.
Where to buy: Kannan Devan Hills Plantation, Kallar Spices
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4. Locally Made Honey
The jungles of Munnar are home to thriving bee colonies that provide some of the purest and sweetest honey you’ll ever taste, which is why it’s one of the best things to buy in Munnar.
For generations, the locals have harvested this honey in the most eco-friendly and sustainable way to bring you pure, organic, and high-quality honey!
Courtesy of the varied locations of beehives in Munnar, you get a wide range of honey flavors here including wildflower, cardamom, eucalyptus, rosewood, bamboo, and tribal forest honey sourced by the native tribal populace from deep within the forest.
Where to buy: Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Outlet, Anayirankal Plantation Outlet, Tribal Heritage Museum Shop, Chinnakanal Eco-Shop, Lockhart Tea Factory Outlet
5. Handicrafts and naturally-dyed textiles
Kerala’s rich cultural heritage and nature’s bounty are greatly reflected in its unique handicrafts and clothing. Travelers love to buy a wide array of locally sourced products in places like Munnar, Alleppey, Kochi, and Trivandrum.
Some of the most popular eco-friendly handicrafts you can take home from Munnar include coir mats, carpets, bamboo articles, wooden miniatures, wooden caskets (Nettur petti), elephant figurines, brass ornaments, straw mats, banana fiber crafts, lacquerware, bronzeware, sandalwood products, and home decor items made out of coconut shells.
Clothes shopping in Munnar is also gaining popularity owing to its naturally and responsibly procured dyes with minimal damage to the environment!
Dyes made from leaves, roots, flower petals, bamboo, and other raw materials acquired from the forests of Munnar are used to create high-quality fabrics with vivid colors and patterns.
You can buy a variety of stoles, shawls, dress fabric, and sarees, including the famous Kasavu sarees, in Munnar made from natural dyes.
Where to buy: Aranya Naturals, Munnar Handicrafts Centre, Cottage Handicrafts Munnar, Johnson’s Wood Craft, Deeja Gift House, Mattupetty Dam Market, Munnar Local Market
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There’s a range of things to buy in Munnar from handicrafts, tea, spices, honey, oils, and Ayurvedic products that you can pamper yourself with or gift to family and friends. It’s a true paradise for shopaholics with all the bustling, vivid shopping places in Munnar.
Now that you know where you could go and what you could buy while shopping in Munnar, when are you planning to visit? Browse our range of Munnar tour packages and let us create a memorable holiday for you! Happy tripping!
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