Guidebook
Lonely Planet India
Lonely Planet · 2024
The 20th edition covers every state with a fall on this site, from Goa and Karnataka to Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh.
India · Tamil Nadu
Monkey Falls
Monkey Falls are natural waterfalls located near the uphill ghat road Valparai on the Pollachi-Valparai road in the Anaimalai Hills range, in Coimbatore district. Monkey Falls is about 30 km from Pollachi.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Monkey Falls drops over a series of steps, inside Anaimalai Tiger Reserve. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Valparai, India. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Monkey Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Valparai are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Monsoon-fed: flow builds from July and the falls are fullest, and usually safest to approach, from late August to November once the rains ease.
Getting there
- Base town Valparai, India
- Country India
- Region Tamil Nadu, South Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Monkey Falls
India
Height—Width—
Most similar
Vattaparai Falls
India
Height—Width—
Also a cascade waterfall and in India too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Monkey Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
10.45781, 76.96889
Quick answers
Where is Monkey Falls?
Monkey Falls is in India (Tamil Nadu), inside Anaimalai Tiger Reserve. The nearest base is Valparai, India. Its coordinates are 10.4578, 76.9689.
When is the best time to visit Monkey Falls?
Peak flow is August to November. Monsoon-fed: flow builds from July and the falls are fullest, and usually safest to approach, from late August to November once the rains ease.
What can you do at Monkey Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Monkey Falls?
The usual base is Valparai, India. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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Kerala's largest waterfall
Siruvani Waterfalls
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