Marayoor lies on the dry, rain-shadow side of the Western Ghats, a small town in the Anamalai hills of Kerala where the lush tea country around Munnar gives way to a landscape of sugarcane fields, coconut palms and rocky, scrub-covered hills. It is a different world from the damp green slopes just over the ridge, hotter, drier and quieter, and the change happens within a few kilometres. The people here are mostly farmers, and the pace of life is slow.
Marayoor is known for several things. It has one of the few natural sandalwood forests in India, a protected area where the trees grow wild, and the scent of sandalwood sometimes drifts from the woods. It is also famous for jaggery, the unrefined cane sugar that is made in small workshops around the town, and visitors can watch the cane being crushed and boiled in huge iron pans. In the hills nearby stand ancient dolmens, stone burial chambers built by megalithic people thousands of years ago, which are a quiet reminder of how long the area has been settled.
The ride to Marayoor from Munnar is a fine one, descending from the cool tea hills through a series of curves and forests, with the landscape drying out as you go. The road is generally good, with a few narrow sections, and passes through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, where elephants, deer, and the rare grizzled giant squirrel live. The air becomes warm and dry, and the light is sharper and clearer than on the Munnar side. Watch for animals on the road, particularly in the early morning and at dusk.
Marayoor is a small town with fuel stations, shops and simple restaurants, though the choice is limited compared with Munnar, and the food is mostly local and vegetarian, with rice, sambar and fresh buttermilk. If you are finishing a ride here, it is a pleasant place to stop and rest. Be prepared for the heat, bring water, and try to arrive before dark, since the forest road is a poor place to be after sunset.