Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is a protected area in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, south India. Famous as an elephant and tiger reserve, the Park is often called the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary or Thekkady. Set high in the Western Ghats, the Park surrounds a picturesque lake and is home to several speices including the Gaur, wild pig, Sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, Dole or Indian wild dog and the ocassional tiger. This happens to be one of the most prominent national parks in Kerala. The bird life here comprises of darters, cormorants, kingfisher, the great Malabar hornbill and racket-tailed drongo. Even though the access town to Periyar National Park is Kumily (interchangeably used with Thekkady), the tourist flow is centered around the forest and nothing else. It is the single most draw of the destination. There are several options to explore the national park for a wildlife filled holiday. Spread over an area of dense 305 sq km, the national park and wildlife sanctuary is skirted by low mountain ridges, which contain thick tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests, wide grasslands and copses of local trees. A network of river systems run inside thereby keeping the population of flora and fauna rife. The semi submerged dry trees in the middle of the lake offer the trademark landscape of Periyar National Park. It is recommended to reach out to the Eco Tourism Centre run by the forest department in Thekkady, which organises nature walks, green walks, jungle scouting, bamboo rafting, border hiking, overnight stays in the jungle and four trips inside the Periyar sanctuary on a motor boat. Of these, the bamboo rafting is the most scenic and private of the lot.

One can often spot wild hogs, deer, gaur, Indian giant squirrel, sambar, Travancore flying squirrel, jungle cat, sloth bear, Nilgiri Tahr, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Salim Ali's fruit bat, stripe-necked mongoose, Nilgiri marten and elephants in the jungle. If you are lucky, you may also spot a tiger at the banks of the lake. Bookings should be done well in advance, even for short trips into the jungle. Unlike many national parks in the country, Periyar stays open all year round. The best time to visit is during the cooler, drier months from October to February. However the aroma of the moist vegetation in the monsoon season also gives it special appeal. If you are keen on elephant spotting, the best time is during the hotter months of March and April, when they spend the most time in the water. Word of caution here; don’t expect to see a lot of wildlife during the monsoon season because they are not dependent upon water bodies at that time.