The tourism hotspot, which has been in the news of late for large scale destruction of illegal structures, is second only to Tokyo while Siem Reap in Cambodia bagged the honor for the third best at the TripAdvisor’s 2010 Traveler’s Choice Destination awards.

According to the website, the winners were determined by a combination of travelers' destination comments, favorite places and overall destination popularity on TripAdvisor.

“Sprawling tea plantations surround the serene hills of Munnar, which attract adventure travelers hungry for paragliding, treks to Anaimudi (South India's highest peak) and hikes originating at the confluence of three mountain streams,” it says.

“The stone Christ Church, built by the British in 1910, is adorned with renowned works of stained glass, and Eravikulam National Park, about 10 miles away, is home to equally colorful wildlife, including the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (ibex), ruddy mongoose and 120 bird species”.

Eight other Indian destinations also made it to the top 25 Asian destination choice list, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands (6th favorite spot), Manali (7), Hampi (8), Goa (9), Udaipur (12), Gangtok (19), Bangalore (20) and Dharamsala (22).

Kerala Tourism officials are elated at the recognition as TripAdvisor has 15 million registered members, more than 34 million monthly visitors and 30 million traveler reviews and opinions and they hope them to convert into business.

“Millions of travelers rely on TripAdvisor for travel inspiration. So we are thrilled and humbled that Munnar has been honored by travelers this year,” said Venu V., secretary, Kerala Tourism. “The TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards are particularly meaningful, as they are determined by real travelers.”

Now in its eighth year, the annual awards honor the world’s best destinations every year. The winners are based on the millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions about destinations on tripadvisor.com and content from across the web.

Kyoto, Japan (4), Naha, Japan (5), Hoi An, Vietnam (10), Luang Prabang, Laos (11), Yangshuo County, China (13), Singapore (14). Biei-cho, Japan (15), Nara, Japan (16), Miyakojima, Japan (17), Kobe, Japan (18), Chiang Mai, Thailand (21), Lijiang, China (23), Taipei, Taiwan (24) and Maldives (25) are other top Asian destinations.

Kerala recently announced its plans for a master plan for Munnar to ensure sustainable development of the spot extending to ten villages, following a massive demolition drive that scared away a good chunk of tourists.

Tourism is now Kerala’s biggest industry with its annual revenue crossing 130bn Indian rupees and its beaches, backwaters and hill stations attract some 550,000 foreign tourists and 7.8 million domestic tourists to the state every year.