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Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Area Code: 04869

Periyar, about halfway between Kochi and Madurai, is a pleasant place to take a break and to view the wildlife, take a cruise on the lake, and to walk through the jungle. The 775 square km park is home to about thirty-five tigers and leopards, but they are rarely seen. The park is mainly known for its elephants. It has a 26 square km artificial lake, constructed by the British in 1895 to supply water to Madurai. Other wildlife are antelopes, sambars, wild boar, bison, Malabar flying squirrels, langur monkeys, many species of birds (over 200 varieties), and butterflies (over 100 different species). The park is located at an altitude of from 750m to 1500m above sea level. The park is mainly covered with evergreen and semi-evergreen trees. Over 250,000 people visit each year.

From the ruined Mangaladevi Temple, 13km from Kumily, there are good views of the surrounding area. It takes three to four hours to go there and back by jeep.

Information
The Sanctuary is just south of Kumily, a town on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Thekkady, inside the park where the KTDC hotels and the boat jetty are located, is 4km from Kumily. Periyar is used to refer to the entire park and Thekkady is the populated area. To refer to the park people may say Periyar, Kumily, or Thekkady—all in reference to the park.

There is a Wildlife Information Centre in Thekkady near the boat jetty, and a tourist office in Kumily. Entry fee is Rs 60 for the first visit and Rs 10 for each additional visit. It is a good idea to have warm clothing and rain gear, as it often rains in the afternoon. Best to avoid holidays and weekends. Daytrippers usually come on weekends and their noise often frightens the animals away.

The State Bank of Travancore exchanges money (Mon to Fri 10 am to 5 pm, Sat 10 am to noon). Some hotels change money.

Park Visit
Most people take a boat ride on the lake. There are five boats a day departing at 7, 9:30 and 11:30 am, and 2 and 4 pm. You have the best chance to see wildlife on the first (7 am) and last boats (4 pm). The normal park boat costs Rs 25 on the lower deck and Rs 50 on the upper deck. The upper deck, which is much better for viewing, is usually booked by tour groups. To get a seat on the upper deck, plan on arriving half an hour early and hope for a no-show. A little baksheesh to the boatman may also help.

You have a much better chance to see wildlife if you rent your own boat. The smaller the group the better. It costs Rs 500 for a boat ride with up to 12 people.

There is a daily three-hour jungle walk departing at 7:30 am (Rs 20). To walk further into the sanctuary, guides (Rs 100 per 3 hr) can be arranged at the Wildlife Information Centre. Visitors are not allowed to walk in the park without a guide. It is not a good idea to walk around the park during or immediately after the monsoon, because there are leeches everywhere.
It is possible to spend a night in one of the observation towers or resthouses. Observation towers cost Rs 175 a night plus extra for the boat ride there. You have to bring your own food and water. Resthouses cost Rs 300 a night; meals Rs 60. These places have to be booked weeks in advance.

The best time to visit the park is between September and May. From March to May, it can be very hot, but you are more likely to see a better selection of wildlife during this time because the animals’ usual water supply dries up and they are forced to use the lake.

Elephant rides are Rs 30 for thirty minutes for two people.

Where to Stay and Eat
Inside the Park There are three KTDC hotels in the park. These should be booked in advance at any KTDC tourist office or hotel, especially if you plan to stay on a weekend.
The popular Periyar House (322026; fax 322526) has clean, comfortable rooms ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 1600. Price includes breakfast and dinner. Ask for a room with a view of the lake. It is in a pleasant location.
Aranya Nivas (322023; 322282) has comfortable rooms for Rs 1300/2200 and Rs 1400/2400 for an A/C suite. There are good discounts in the low-season. It has a garden, TV lounge, exchange facilities, and a free morning and evening boat trip. The restaurant is very good and they normally have a Rs 300 dinner buffet.
Lake Palace (322023; fax 322282), the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja, has six luxury suites for Rs 5200/7300, which includes meals and boating. Reception is at the Aranya Nivas. It is a quiet and real pleasant place. You must arrive at the Thekkady boat jetty by 4 pm to catch the last boat to the hotel. There are nice views. This place should definitely be booked in advance.
There are Forest Department Rest Houses in the park at Edappalayam (5km from Kumily), Manakavala (8km), and Mullakkudy (39km). You can inquire about vacancies at the Wildlife Information Centre. The rest houses are Rs 250/350. You have to bring your own food, but there is a keeper who will cook meals for you.
The Forest Department Watchtowers (Rs 125), overlooking the waterholes in the buffer zone, are booked at the Visitor Information Centre. They are the best place from which to view wildlife. You have to bring your own food and bedding. You have to get the 4 pm boat and then walk from there. A guide is helpful, as some places can be hard to find. If is has been raining, the leeches will be vicious.

Outside the Park
Lake Queen Hotel (322-084) has rooms for Rs 150/200 to Rs 250/450. See a few rooms, as some are better than others. It has a restaurant.
Woodland Tourist Bhavan has fairly basic double rooms for Rs 125 to Rs 200. They also have dorm beds.
Rolex Lodge (322-081), on the road to the park, has very basic rooms with bath for Rs 125 to Rs 250.
Claus Garden Home, five minutes from the Kumily bus stand, has rooms for Rs 200/250. It is a friendly place.
Muckumkal Tourist Home (322-070), near the Kumily bus stand, has rooms for Rs 150/200 and A/C rooms for Rs 500. It has a veg restaurant.
Hotel Regent Tower (322570), near the bus stand, is a new place with clean rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 200/300.
Hotel Ambadi (322-193) has pleasant cottages for Rs 600 and rooms for Rs 1100. It has a good restaurant. It is a good value.
The Casino Group’s Spice Village (22315; fax 22317) has luxury cottages for $105/115. It has a pleasant garden, a pool, and a very good restaurant. It is well-managed and is a recommended relaxing place.
The popular Coffee Inn is an outdoor cafe with a good range of Western food. They have homemade brown bread. It also has budget rooms with common bath.

Travel
There is a bus every 15 minutes between Kumily and Thekaddy (4km) for Rs 3. Auto-rickshaws cost Rs 40. You can rent a bicycle at the KTDC Periyar House and Aranya Nivas. You can also rent a bike in Kumily. It is a nice shady walk to the lake from Kumily.

Buses from Periyar begin at the Aranya Nivas Hotel in Thekkady and then stop at the Kumily bus stand. There are buses to Ernakulam, Madurai, and Kottayam (4 hr, 110km, Rs 25). Express buses to Ernakulam (four daily, Rs 50) take six hours.

There are buses to Thiruvananthapuram (8 hr, two direct, Rs 65), Kovalam (9 hr, one daily), Munnar (4½ hr, one daily), and Kodaikanal (6½ hr, one daily) in Tamil Nadu.

There are KTDC tours to here that come from both Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. These tours are extremely rushed and practically useless

If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:

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