Thekkady Eco Tourism

People oriented and park centered community based ecotourism is the hallmark of Periyar Tiger Reserve at Thekkady. These programmes are conducted by local people responsible for the surveillance of the vulnerable parts of the reserve at the eco tourism destination of Thekkady. By taking tourists along, they are involved in the conservation of the forests of Periyar and some valuable revenue is generated for community welfare. People who once made a living by illegal operations in the forests have since become forest protectors and earn their livelihood through these programmes. Hence, as a visitor, when you join them in any of these eco tourism programmes at Thekkady, you are directly contributing towards forest conservation and community welfare.

The visitors are expected to be supporting a noble cause of forest conservation and community welfare by participating in these eco tourism programmes. In due time Periyar and Thekkady would be made into a heritage trove with the efforts of the Forest department and Kerala Tourism.

The Periyar tiger reserve at Thekkady is an example of nature’s bounty, with great scenic charm, rich bio diversity and providing veritable visitor satisfaction. Sprawled over an area of 777 Sq .km., Periyar is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India and a potentially hot eco tourism destination in Kerala.

Zealously guarded and efficiently managed, the reserve is a repository of rare, endemic and endangered flora and fauna, and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala, the Periyar and Pamba.

Eco sensitisation

The two islets of elevated ground studded with bamboo thickets in Thekkady eco tourism centre is the eco lodge for experiential learning. Here a miniature habitat has been recreated for man and nature to co-exist in the already available milieu of grassy downs, sedges and bamboos and stream fringed with screw pine.Dwelling units made exclusively of natural materials like bamboo and grass and tents are slotted in the available spaces together with tree top huts to give the place an eco-friendly ambience.

Experiential learning and nature sensitization camps are conducted for discerning aspirants and the eco tourism programme addresses different target groups. Lectures, discussions, audiovisual presentations, field visits etc. go with the programme at Thekkady.

Thekkady Eco-Tourism Activities

People oriented community based and park centered ecotourism is the hallmark of Periyar Tiger Reserve. These programmes are conducted by locals who are responsible for the surveillance. By taking tourists along they not only interpret the values of Periyar and enhance the visitor experience but also add to the protection of the park and earn a livelihood out of it. Hence, when a visitor joins in all these programmes is directly contributing to the cause of conservation and community welfare.
Ongoing

Nature Walk and Green Walk

It is an interpretive sandal protection trekking programme offering excellent opportunity of watching birds, butterflies and other wildlife through a range of habitats during the 4-5 km 3-hours walk. These programme are offered between 7 am to 3 pm in different nature trails inside the Park. A maximum of 5 persons can go for trekking at a time along each trail accompanied by a trained tribal guide. It is a programme where one can feel nature’s whispers and her sighs!

Clouds Walk

The programme is a guided trek for approximately 3-4 hours. From the vantage point, you can have a look at grasslands, evergreen, deciduous and riverine forests and the expanses of irrigated arid land across the border where the nectar from Periyar provides the breath of life. Visitors can see the exuberance of Cumbam Valley, the dizzying heights of Mangaladevi, Kumarikulam and other escarpments of the Fort of Periyar and glory of Palni hills farther away from the view point. Possibility of sighting some habitat specialist birds and butterflies including endemics like Nilgiri pipit, broad-tailed grass bird, tree nymph, etc. You can visit the rich cultural heritage of the Mannan Tribe from the yesteryears that have been preserved in the form of the artifacts, metaphors and cultural remnants for the posterity in Tribal Heritage Museum. You will, at the end, have many reflections on the pace of transitions of life and traditions along the tides of times. The Programme will have two slots each day; one in the forenoon and another in the afternoon. The forenoon slots will start between 7.30 and 8.30 am and end before 12.30 pm and afternoon slot will start between 1 and 2 pm and end before 6 pm. A maximum of 5 persons can go for trekking in a group accompanied by a trained guide.

Jungle Patrol

This is a regular night patrolling programme in the fringes of the ecodevelopment zone of the Tiger Reserve in the company of armed guards between 7 pm and 4 am. This programme injects excitement into the experience while keeping smugglers at bay. One really feels like a cop protecting the precious forest wealth. Of course, this best suits younger visitors fit and disciplined enough to walk in the silence of the night.

Border Hiking

It is day-long range hiking programme along the borders of Periyar Tiger Reserve. The route passes through undulating terrains and altitudinal ranges of 900 m to 1300 m where the trekkers can glimpse the lofty escarpments bordering the park, watersheds and the vast stretches of Cumbam Valley below. Gaur, sloth bear, elephants are often sighted apart from birds and butterflies. A maximum of 10 tourists can take part in the programme in 2 different groups. The trekkers along with two guides and an armed forest guard participate in the programme which starts at 8 am and ends in the evening.

Bamboo Rafting

This is the dust to dawn hiking and rafting programme through some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. It starts at 8 am through a mosaic of habitats and forest rich in bird life, arboreal animals like Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri langur, herds of elephants and gaurs. The rafting is of about 3 hours duration where one gets a panoramic view of the forest clad hills reflected on the lake. Five tourists accompanied by 2 guides and an armed guard par taking the programme. This programme caters to a maximum of 10 tourists per day.

Periyar Tiger Trail

In the Tiger Trail, nature lovers are in the hands of a team of guides hardy and dependable who know the forest and its ways intimately. They were once poachers who have been transformed into the protectors of the forest and now part of the protection force of PTR. This is an adventurous camping and trekking programme of one-night – two-days and two-nights – three-days duration. The team consists of a maximum of 5 visitors, 5 guides and one forest official. Normally a distance of 20 to 35 kms is covered during the trail.

Bamboo Grove

It is an eco-lodge and centre for experiential learning where 15 bamboo huts are clustered in an ecofriendly ambience along with a traditionally modern kitchen and a well equipped board room (Kalari). Experiential learning and nature sensitization of camps are conducted for discerning aspirants and visitors who dwell in the bamboo grove. Lectures, group discussions, audio-visual programmes, field visits are the attractions of this eco-lodge. Each hut can house two inmates. Traditional Kerala food here is an added attraction.

Jungle Inn

The forest cottage at Kokkara is an ideal abode for two persons. Here one could relax, read a book or just watch the fire flies as they descend like the stars from the milky way as evening sets in. One can watch troops of langurs, giant squirrels, many birds and the changing colours of the forest. The check-in and check-out timings are 3 pm and 9 am in the following day respectively. Tea, snacks, dinner and breakfast are provided.

Jungle Camp

The programme provides tented accommodations for 30 persons at a time with a board room facility for projection, film shows, trekking in the forest (Windy Walks) and a chance to experience the traditional tribal food prepared by the Urali tribe. The site is located at the river view point in the banks of Periyar River at Vallakadavu, the sylvan surroundings of the forest in Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Bullock Cart Discoveries

This programme takes you in a unique experience through farm lands, vine orchards, jasmine garden, a typical tamil temple, coconut groves, a meandering river side trail and the sleepy village of Gudalur, the setting very similar to R.K.Narayanan’s Malgudi Days. And you ride on a bullock cart guided by people who were once poachers from Tamilnadu. This is a transboundary tourism initiative of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The programme starts at 6 am in the morning and 2.30 pm in the afternoon. It is a 3-hours package. The profit from the programme goes to rehabilitating the group who choose to join the mainstream society four years ago.

Mannan and Paliyan Tribal Dance

The youth of the Mannan and Paliyan tribes living in the fringes of the Park are eager to revive their forgotten culture and the folklores. They have been successful in documenting the lost traditional dance forms of their cult and are all set to launch the traditional dance programmes with the support of Periyar Foundation.

Border Hiking and Windy Walks at Vallakadavu

Both programmes are protection-oriented and community based ecotourism programmes through the grasslands of Vallakadavu in PTR. They have strong elements of adventure, nature education and are designed to provide livelihood to 15 PETS EDC watchers from the local communities.

Dreamscapes

It is really a dreamy escape into wilderness. It is an innovative attempt to protect and utilize an old heritage building in the tourism zone of PTR. It involves protection oriented trekking and rafting programmes to keep a vigil on the illegal transit routes on the periphery of the Park.

Organic Village Visit

It is a programme crafted by the villagers itself in the periphery of the Park which shall take guests to the organic farm lands of the Forest Fringe Farmers Ecodevelopment Committees

Town:: Kottayam - Kumily 110 km (4 hrs) Munnar - Kumily 110 km (4 hrs) Madurai - Kumily 136 km (3 hrs) Thiruvananthapuram - Kumily 265 km (8 hrs) Thekkady - Kumily 4 km (10 min) Kodaikanal - Kumily 149 km (5 hrs) Idukki - Kumily 65 km (21/2 hrs) Alappuzha - Kumily 160 km (51/2 hrs) Ooty - Kumily 390 km (11 hrs)
Airport:: Nearest Airport: Madurai (Tamil Nadu): 140 km, Kochi: 190 km, Thiruvananthapuram: 265 km , Kozhikode: 315 km, Chennai (Tamil Nadu): 570 km
Railway Station:: Kottayam: 114 km (4 hrs), Madurai: 136 km (31/2 hrs), Changanacherry: 93 km (4 hrs), Theni: 60 km (11/2 hrs)
District:: Idukki
Longitude:: 9.602796
Latitude:: 77.160243