Large
scenic park formed by the watershed of a
reservoir developed around a large, arificial
lake. It is famous for the large elephant
population which can easily be seen as you
travel by boat on the lake.
Other
wildlife sometimes seen from the boat are
the gaur, Indian wild dog and nilgiri langur,
as well as otter, large tortoises, and a
rich birdlife, including flights of hornbills.
Along the water's edge you may see the flashing,
brilliant hues of several kinds of kingfisher,
perhaps even a fishing owl. The best time
is from February to May.
It is 160 kms. from Mdurai Airport , 208
kms. from Cochin Airport and 258 kms. from
Trivandrum Airport. It is 110 kms from Madurai
Railway station, 110 kms. from Kattayam
Railway station, 67 kms. from Bodinayakanur
Railway station.
One of the well known wildlife sanctuaries
in the south, Periyar sanctuary attracts
a large number of nature lovers every year.
Also called the Tekkadi wildlife sanctuary,
this place is ideal for watching the animals
in their natural habitat. The forest here,
slopes into the manmade lake at the bottom
of the hill. This lake serves as the waterhole
for the animals and they come here to drink
or take a dip. Elephants, Gaur, Sambhar
and even tigers can be spotted here. There
are boat services which takes the visitor
around the lake. The best season to visit
the park is between October and June.
Spread over 777 sq.km of the Cardamom Hills
of Western Ghats, the Periyar sanctuary
is located 137 km from Madurai. Although
an excursion on the splendid artificial
lake is the standard way to experience the
sanctuary, you can also walk around with
the local guide in a small group.
Wild Elephant herds come to the lake to
frolic in the water.Other attractions of
the sanctuary are the Sambar, Bison, Spotted
Deer, Tigers, Leopards, Malabar Flyings
Squirrels, Stripe necked Mongooses, etc.
There are over 260 species of birds here,
including Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, blue-winged
Parakeets, White bellied Tree Pies, laughing
Thrushes and Fly Catchers.
The park opens from February to May. The
nearest domestic airports and railway station
are at Madurai and Trivandrum. Hotels catering
to every budget are available.
The sanctuary is well connected only by
road. Thekkady is linked by road with some
of the major cities in Kerala and Tamil
Nadu. There are direct bus services from
Kochi, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram and
Madurai. The main bus stand is at Kumily
(3 Km. from Thekkady Sanctuary) from where
there are buses to various places.
From Kumily Location Timings
Ernakulam 02.15, 05.15, 07.30, 08.30, 09.00,
10.30, 15.00 (6 hrs)
Karunagappally 11.40
Kayamkulam 04.20, 13.00
Kodaikanal 06.00 (Via Theni)
Kottayam Frequent buses (First 02.10, last
21.30)
Madurai Frequent buses (3 1/2 hrs)
Munnar 06.00, 06.45, 07.45, 09.45 (5 hrs)
11.45 Poopara (connection)
Pondicherry 17.45 (Via Dindigul, Trichy)
Rajakkadu 06.30, 06.45, 11.45 am.
Thottappally 02.40 (Via Alappuzha)
Ernakulam 14.30 (6 hrs)
Thiruvananthapuram 08.00 (8 hrs)
Adoor 06.30
