Resorts Thekkady
Thekkady’s Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and the manmade Periyar Lake are the most famous landmarks of this hill city. Elephants and wild boars are the most spotted ones at the lake. The kings of Travancore used to visit these forests, and it was declared reserved forests in 1899. The king at the time appointed S.C.H. Robinson as the area’s first game warden. It was on his opinion the reserved forest was made a sanctuary in the early 1930. In 1978, under the Project Tiger, it was declared a tiger reserve. And in 1982, major portions of the reserve became a national park. Elephant, tiger, Nilgiri Langur, civet cat, bonnet macaque, sambar and spotted deer, Nilgiri tahr, leopard and gaur are found here. A lot of birds are found here.
The Mullaperyiar Dam, over the Periyar River, was designed by British engineer, Colonel J. Pennycuick. It was built in 1895. This 170-foot-long dam provides water for villages in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The sanctuary comprises semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, grasslands, eucalyptus plantations and tropical evergreen forests, or Sholas. The endangered lion-tailed macaque population is confined to a small area in the sanctuary. So are the Malabar giant squirrel and the Travancore flying squirrel. One of the world’s rarest bats is the Salim Ali’s fruit bat, found in the Periyar region. The Nilgiri marten, too, is an endangered species.
Tourists can go hiking and rafting activities in the tiger reserve. While rafting, you can enjoy the forests and lakes around. You can see herds of elephants or a small group of deer here. You can go bird-watching, too. Boating, trekking, elephant safaris and nature camping.
The Tribal Heritage Museum inside a tribal settlement has weapons, tribal medicines hunting equipment and bamboo products. Thekkady is 190km from Cochin airport. Theni, in Tamil Nadu, has the nearest railhead, at 60km away. Kottayam is only 120km away. It is connected by buses to Kottayam, Cochin and Trivandrum.
Jungle Resort
Experience the luxuries of nature whileon your jungle holiday. Go trekking, mountain climbing and engage in adventure activities. Run wild across forest streams and spend the night in a superbly-furnished tree house.
Backwater Resort
It's easy on your budget but best on your list of things to do in Kerala. Cruise through lagoons and backwaters of the state, visit waterside villages, watch boat races and take part in village events.