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Periyar wildlife reserve
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Known as one of the most well managed tiger reserves in India, the Periyar Tiger Reserve or the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady is situated in the state of Kerala. The cultural and natural beauty has earned Kerala the name ‘God’s Own Country’. Also famous for its spice cultivations, thousands of tourists, both domestic and foreign throng this state just to experience the sanctity of nature.


Statistically talking, the protected area occupies 925 square kilometres, out of which 350 square kilometres are dedicated to the Tiger Reserve. The sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in the year 1978 and since then has been contributing highly to the conservation of the endangered Bengal Tiger, the lion tailed Macaques, elephants, Indian bisons, boars and the Nilgiri langurs. Apart from these animals Gaurs, Wild pigs, Mouse deer, barking deer, wild dogs and sambars are also found here.


 The Western Ghats envelop the sanctuary and a picturesque lake at the centre makes it further attractive. A manmade wonder, the Thekkady Lake gets its water from the Mullaperiyar Dam which is built across the beautiful Periyar River. This river is known as the lifeline of the sanctuary owing to its unobstructed support to wildlife and efforts for conservation. The Indian elephants wandering playfully around the lake are a delightful sight and many tourists come to Periyar just to savour it. The elephants are an integral part of the lives of the people of Kerala. They are known to be the ‘sons of Sahya’ (the Western Ghats). So much is their importance that they are on the emblem of the Government of Kerala.


Being a sought after tourist destination, specializing in both nature and adventure tourism, Periyar is one of its kind. The ambiences of the evergreen forests create a visual treat for visitors. The most appealing factor about Periyar is that the reserve remains open all around the year unlike most of the tiger reserves in India. You can just pack your bags and leave for Periyar. However it is best to visit it during winters, from October to February.


Exploring the sanctuary by taking a boat ride is the most exciting activity. You can see herds of deer and elephants that come to drink water at the shore, hear birds chirping and the leaves of the trees ruffle in the dead silence of the forest. Every boat boards five to six tourists at a time and moves silently from one part of the sanctuary to another so that the wildlife is undisturbed. The diverse flora and fauna of the forest enchants one and all and it is a thrilling experience to observe the wildlife up and close. This is the time when you just cannot stop clicking photographs. Two hour slow boat rides are conducted by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the first one leaves at 7 A.M and the last one at 4 P.M. The ticket booking window can be found near the Wildlife Information Centre.


Various activities under eco-tourism are promoted by the sanctuary. Hiking through the forest with guides (rehabilitated poachers), patrolling the jungles at night, bullock cart rides to the nearby tribal villages and tribal heritage visits are the most popular ones. Touring the spice and coffee plantations in Murikkady which is around 15 kilometres away from Thekkady is a convenient getaway option. Bird watching, bicycle rides, trekking and mountaineering, thirty minute elephant safaris, tiger trails, bamboo rafting and camping in the jungles are other adventure oriented activities in Periyar. It is necessary to remain fit and fine to enjoy the above activities as they involve great physical durability. Bamboo rafting and hiking trips begin at 8 in the morning and it is advisable to go with a group of friends or your family members to enjoy the trips to the fullest. Most of these adventure activities are weather oriented, if the weather is pleasant you might be very lucky. Moreover, everything is affordable and satisfying to the tourists as the management promotes safe yet thrilling wildlife tourism. It must be taken into account that at weekends, the sanctuary is very crowded and it gets almost impossible to get a wildlife sighting. It is always better to plan your itinerary accordingly.


The people of Thekaddy are very warm and help the tourists in each and every way possible. The shopping markets sell exquisite spices, tea powder and coffee along with wooden artifacts, tribal artifacts, handicrafts, T-shirts with tiger and elephants prints and herbs. If you are lucky and present at Thekkady during Onam, the biggest festival of Kerala, you can taste the traditional feast and be a part of the royal festivities. Onam falls during the months August and September. The tribes in and around Thekkady also celebrate different festivals, but not many are well known. There are many eateries that serve local cuisine which contain fresh spices and herbs.

 

When you look at the Thekkady lake at the sunset, and think about its stunning beauty, you are amazed by how close you are to nature being at Periyar. Unexpected adventures and unforgettable experiences await you at Periyar, so just check your calendars for rejuvenating holiday.


Rating:
63.0
68 votes
1 2 3 4 5
Total Reviews : 5
 
 
Reviews by users : (5)
The Wilderness of Periyar - by Tapas Banerjee Dated : 2011-12-17
I visited the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary last summer. It is a very nice summer destination. I explored the sanctuary in a boat and it was a never before experience for me. I could see the forest closely. I saw deer in herds and elephants on the shore of the lake. They seemed undisturbed as our boat was at a safe distance from them. I just couldn’t stop clicking photos. I also took a bullock cart ride to a nearby village to see how the tribal people of the region lived their lives.
Adventure tourism in Periyar constitutes of bamboo rafting and hiking, trekking, mountaineering and elephant safaris. But I was more interested in the elephant safari. Thirty minute elephant safaris are conducted by the authorities. Here poachers are rehabilitated as guides. I was really impressed by this. I bought tea and coffee from the shopping markets and also some wooden artifacts to gift to my relatives.
I really liked Periyar, it is very well maintained and tourism is promoted very properly by the authorities there.
Thekkadi, A Nice Place - by Prakash Pathare Dated : 2011-11-21
I had been to Thekkadi with 2 of my cousins. We visited Thekkadi during the end of November. I’ll tell you the route that we took to reach Thekkadi. We landed in the Kochi airport and we had booked a private taxi, which took us all the way to Thekkadi.

Thekkadi is a place where a lot of natural spices are grown. These spices are black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Thekkadi is rightly called the ‘spice capital of the world’.

The best time to visit Thekkadi is in the month of March, April and May. There was a boat tragedy which took place in Thekkadi recently, in which 46 people lost their lives. This happened due to the careless attitude of the governing authorities.

The boat rides in Thekkadi are very popular. Murikkadi is located at a distance of 5 kilometres from Thekkadi and has coffee, cardamom and pepper plantations. The Mangala devi temple is located 15 kilometers from Thekkadi. This temple is located 1337 metres above sea level and is hidden in the woods.

The Mangala devi temple is built in the old Kerala style architecture. Visitors are allowed in the temple only on Chithra purnima day. Thekkadi got its name from ‘thekku’, which is the local name for teak trees.

There are camping facilities available in Periyar National park and tiger reserve. Thus, Thekkadi is good for a visit.
Thekkadi, a Wonderful Destination - by Ranjan Gore Dated : 2011-11-18
I had been to Thekkadi with 3 of my friends. Thekkadi is located in Kerala. Once you go to Thekkadi, you should not miss the boat ride in the game reserve.

I have to mention here that the reservation of the boat ride in Thekkadi is of prime importance, because without reservation, you cannot go for the boat ride. The reservation for the boat ride closes at 3 pm and I suggest that you should go early and book tickets.

The tickets for the boat ride cannot be got through phone or via internet. There are 2 boat rides for which you can book tickets. One is the government owned boat and the other is the private boat. The tickets for the government boat are not that expensive. The tickets for the private boat are very costly.

Thekkadi is situated at the confluence of Periyar River. This river is located in the Idukki district. Thekkadi is India’s largest wildlife sanctuary and is a dream destination for tourists. The wildlife sanctuary is spread over a 777 square kilometres and is surrounded by an artificial lake which has an area of 25 square kilometres.

Thekkadi is the only tiger reserve in India and has a treasure of flora and fauna which you may not get to see elsewhere. It is also home to many endangered species. It also has a rich tribal culture.

Thekkadi, a Fun Place - by  Hiten Jaju Dated : 2011-11-17
I went to Thekkadi with 2 of my college friends. After we reached Thekkadi, we went for one of the hikes in the game reserve.

The guide, who took us to the game reserve, was not carrying any weapon or means of communication with him. I found that surprising because we were looking for tigers in the game reserve and thus, it could have been dangerous. A little while later, I realized that the guide won’t take us to an area which would bring is very close to the tigers and elephants.

The hikes and jeep tours are reasonably priced. Rafting is also reasonably priced. The thing about going on any of these tours is that there is no guarantee that you will see any wildlife, but if you see any wildlife, you should consider yourself lucky.

Periyar is a tiger reserve, but tiger sightings are not that common, but you will be able to see leeches, elephants and bisons.

On our second day in Thekkadi, we went for a boat ride. During the boat ride, you will not only get to see animals, you will also get marvellous views of the lake and forest.

Thus you can see that Thekkadi will bring you very close to nature and you will enjoy the experience to the fullest if you are a nature lover. The place is fantastic.
Thekkadi, a Traveller’s Paradise - by Mahesh Joshi Dated : 2011-11-16
I went to Thekkadi with 4 of my colleagues. We had hired a car and since we were quite a big group, we enjoyed a lot. Thekkadi was really a place of enjoyment.

Periyar valley in Thekkadi has 27 tiger reserves in India and it had several species of birds, butterflies and animals. My colleagues and I along with a much bigger group went for a small trek to see tigers. We were accompanied by armed guards. The guards were carrying rifles and we were carrying torches.

We also went for a boat ride which was a lot of fun. During the boat ride, we saw exquisite butterflies in all colours. We were lucky to spot elephants bathing near the lakes and playing in water. We also saw baby elephants near the lakes.

Everyone enjoyed the boat ride, as we also saw sambhars, squirrels, eagles and birds. Trekking in the mountains and wildlife sanctuary was divine and the boat ride was very serene. The whole experience was out of the world.

After the boat ride we went for a walk in the sanctuary and saw wonderful views of tea plantations, spice plantations and we also got to see monkeys.

The various activities that you can do in Thekkadi are that you can go on different lengths of hikes, jeep safaris and you can also go for rafting. Thekkadi is a fun place.