THEKKADY - breath-taking natural beauty

Thekkady (Idukki district) is the location of the Periyar National Park. This is India's  largest wildlife sanctuary and one of the 27 tiger reserves in India. The 120 years old 'Surki' dam built across Peryiar, Poorna in Vedic parlance, is a major tourist attraction. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 777 Sq.Kms, surrounded by an artificial lake over an area of 25 Sq.Kms. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park.

The greatest attraction of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake. Boating through the placid lake also provides a rare opportunity to watch elephants and other wild animals at close quarters. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs.

Thekkady is also considered a heaven for natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and clove.

How to Reach Thekkady / Periyar?

By Air
Nearest Airport is  Madurai in Tamil Nadu at a distance of 140 km. Closest airports in Kerala are Kochi (Cochin) which is at a distance of 190 km and Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) at a distance of 265 km.

By Train

The nearest railhead is at Teni 60 km in Tamil Nadu. Madurai rail head is at a distance of 140 Km. The nearest rail head in Kerala are Kottayam and Changanaseery both at a distance of about 114 km.

By Road

Thekkady is connected to all major towns and cities in Kerala through an excellent network of roads. The nearest place is Kumily at a distance of 4 kilometers.There are frequent buses from Kumily to various tourist centres.

Distances from Thekkady / Periyar

Thekkady to Kumily - 4 Km                  Thekkady to Munnar -  106 km
Thekkady to Peermede - 40 Km            Thekkady to Vagamon -  70 km 
Thekkady to Kumarakom - 118 Km        Thekkady to Kollam -  220 km
Thekkady to Kodaikanal - 149 Km         Thekkady to Alappuzha -  164 km

Thekkady to Kochi - 172 Km                Thekkady to Ooty -  390 km

Thekkady to Trivandrum - 265 km         Thekkady to Chennai -  594 km

Thekkady to Madurai - 134 Km             Thekkady to Bangalore -  496 km

Thekkady to Coimbatore - 238 Km

Thekkady to Sabrimala via Pullumendu - 50 Km (Via Erumeli - 134 km) 

Must See in Thekkady

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary - Lying close to the plantations, in the rich jungles of Periyar in Thekkady is one of the world's most fascinating natural wildlife reserves - the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Spread across 777 sq. km, of which 360 sq. km is thick evergreen forest, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar river adds to the charm of the park. (Entry time - 0600 to 1800 hrs). There are three sanctuary watch towers for observing wild life - at Edappalayam, Manakkavala and Thannikudi.

Kumily - This plantation town, closely associated with Thekkady, is situated on the outskirts of the Periyar Sanctuary. It is an important shopping centre and spice trade centre, the main bus station and most of the medium range accommodation in the Periyar region is in Kumily.

Pandikuzhi - At a distance of  5 km from Kumily lies this beautiful spot which offers great opportunities for trekking and is a photographer's delight.

Vandiperiyar - At a distance of 18 km from Thekkady the river Periyar flowing through the centre of this town nourishing its vast tea, coffee and pepper plantations. A major trade centre, Vandiperiyar is also home to a number of tea factories.

Vandanmedu - 25 km from Kumily lies Vandamedu which is one of the world's largest auction centres for Cardamom. A walk through the sprawling cardamom plantaions of Vandanmedu is a beautiful experience.

Murikkady - This place consists of spice and coffee plantations. It is about 5 km from Thekkady and is a panorama of cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations.

Chellar Kovil - This is located about 15 km from Kumily and leads to the Theni district of Tamil Nadu. This place has a lot of waterfalls and cascades. It is very beautiful and extremely serene

Mangala Devi Temple - The 2000 year old temple built in the Pandian style of Kerala architecture is dedicated to the brave Mangaladevi or Kannagi, the protagonist of the Tamil epic Sillapadhikaram. It is situated about 15 km from Thekkady and sits at an altitude of 1337 m above sea level. Prayers are conducted in this temple only once in a year on Chithra Purnima, the full moon day in the month of April-May.

Pullumedu - The winding journey to this hill town, along the Periyar river, offers a stunning view of the rolling hills draped in lush greenery. Velvet lawns, rare flora and fauna add to the beauty of Pullumedu which can be accessed from a jeep. The famous Sree Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala and the Makara Joythi illuminations at the shrine are visible from here. Pullumedu lies at a distance of 46 km from Thekkady and 26 km from Periyar.

Peermade - Peermade at a distane of 32 km is named after Peer Muhammed, the sufi saint who spent his last days here. The Mausoleum of the saint, the summer palace of the erstwhile Travancore Royal Dynasty and the residence of the Diwan are situated near by and all are worth visiting.

Wagamon - At a distance of 60 km from Thekkady lies Wagamon. The cool mountain air, mist, grass-covered hills, velvet lawns etc make Wagamon a perfect holiday resort. The chain of three hills Thangal Hills (Muslim name) Murugan Hills (Hindu name) and Kurisumala (Christian name) is a mark of religious harmony. (Click here for Hotels and Resorts in Wagamon (Vagamon)).

Activities in Thekkady

The main activities possible in thekkady are Bamboo Rafting, Nature Walk, Jungle Petrol, Bullock Cart Discoveries, Tribal Heritage Trail and Periyar Tiger trail.

Rajasthan Holiday Packages

Royal Rajasthan (14 days)	Forts and Palaces tour (21 days)
Rajasthan with Golden triangle (16 days)	Rajasthan Cultural Tours (16 days)
Pushkar Fair Tours (19 days)	Rural Rajasthan Tour (12 days)