Thekkady The Kashmir of Kerala

Thekkady is situated about 257 km (160 mi) from Trivandrum, 145 km from Cochin International Airport and 114 km from Kottayam railway station. Thekkady is located 4 km away from Kumily, a plantation town in Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. Due to the density of the forest, sightings of elephants and especially tigers are highly unlikely.

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km2 (300 sq mi), of which 360 km2 (140 sq mi) is thick evergreen forest. The 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. The greatest attractions of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants, deer and bison that come down to drink in the lake. The sanctuary can be accessed by trekking, boating or jeep safari.

Thekkady is considered a haven for natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutmace, ginger, and clove.

How to reach

Road

Driving through the quaint countryside painted with the green colour of tea plantations and forests, is quite an experience. From cities like Cochin, Madurai, Trivandrum, Munnar, Kottayam, one can easily book a cab or get behind the steering wheel of their car to drive to Thekkady.

While on the road to Thekkady, do not forget to keep your camera ready to click pictures of the scenic views. Also, do remember to take an extra 10 to 20 litres of petrol or diesel with you in case you run out of fuel as there is no fuel station nearby.

The most inexpensive way to get to Thekkady from nearby cities like Cochin, Trivandrum and Kottayam are the government or private run buses. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses are available at regular intervals from Kottayam, Cochin and Trivandrum to Thekkady.

Railway

The nearest railway station to Thekkady is in Kottayam, located 114 kilometres away. The railway station in Kottayam is well-connected to major cities across India.You can hire a cab from Kottayam to get to Thekkady, or even board a government or private run bus.

Airport

Thekkady does not have an airport of its own and the Madurai airport located at a distance of 136 kilometres from Thekkady is the nearest domestic airport. From Madurai, you can hire a cab to get to Thekkady. The nearest international airport is the Cochin International Airport, which is 190 kilometres away. This airport is well-connected with all major cities in India and abroad. The best way to get to Thekkady from Cochin is by hiring a cab

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Activies in Thekkady

THEKKADY WEATHER