Thekkady Hotels

Trekking:

The endless rolling hills and mountains surrounding Thekkady offer very good opportunities of trekking to the adventure enthusiasts. The jungles and hills inside the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary are amongst the popular trekking trails in this region. Trekkers must obtain prior permission from the wildlife authorities and they are accompanied by a guide that will lead them safely through the Reservoir woods. Kurisamala to Kumily and Kumily to Pandikuzhi are some of the most favorite trekking routs and Pullumedu, Kurisumala, Ottakathalamedu and Grampi are noteworthy trekking bases in this area. Daily treks are organized by the Kerala Forest Department that begin from the boat landing station - Thekkady and lead to Nellikkampetty and Manakkavala. Making a way through Thekkady woods is really a thrilling and enchanting experience.

Nature Walk:

Nature walk is a guided day trek organized by the Thekkady Forest Department. This is an interpretative program which offers an excellent opportunity to the tourists to discover the Periyar Forests to the fullest. A group of 5 people which includes an experienced guide traverses through the moist and verdant deciduous forests carpeted with swampy grasslands and evergreen meadows. These nature trails are usually 4 to 5 km long and it takes about 3 hours to complete the nature walk. It begins at 7 in the morning and lasts till 10:30 am and again in the afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00. Nature walks provide an incredible lucky chance to spot exotic wildlife of Thekkady like birds, butterflies, squirrels and others. Nature walk is the perfect agenda to feel the breaths of nature, smell her fragrance and listen to her whispers.

The Periyar Tiger Trail

The Periyar Tiger Trail is a trekking expedition that is organized inside the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and tiger reserve. This unique program is conducted by a group of people that used to be animal poachers once and now leave no stone unturned to protect them. A team of 5 tourists accompanied by 5 guides and 2 armed forest guards undertake this 2 or 3 days tiger trail. The guides have a thorough knowledge of surrounding terrain, routs in the woods and defense techniques too. The expedition needs a prior permission obtained from forest department and the participants need to be medically fit and of age from 15 to 65, as the tiger trail is quite strenuous and risky.
Around 20 to 35 kilometers of distance in the remote dense jungles is covered in this hazardous expedition. Indigenous wildlife of Periyar Sanctuary like elephant, giant squirrel, Nilgiri langur and even tiger can be spotted during this trek. In the night they camp in the forest itself in tents and cook meals from the vegetables and fruits available in the jungle. The poachers who now serve as guides and protectors will tell you exciting stories of their past adventures in the woods with wild animals. Other than adventure, this program also focuses on preventing illicit activities that might take place in the remote parts of the jungle.
The tourists can choose between two options: 1) One night and two days, 2) Two nights and three days. The Periyar Tiger Trail provides an incredible opportunity to get a peep into the marrow of the mysterious forest and confront the king of the jungle: tiger.

Bamboo Rafting

This 1 day program involves hiking and rafting through the jungle routs inside the Periyar Tiger Reservoir. At 8:00 in the morning, the team has to assemble at the boat landing and board rafts made of bamboos. This bamboo rafting continues for almost 3 hours through the Periyar Lake and River. The panoramic views of the thickets carpeting both the banks of the river with lush greenery are really awe – inspiring. Animals like sambar, gaur, and elephants are frequently spotted as they come to drink water of the lake. Then the crew gets down and this is where the hike through the rich green woodlands begins. Variety of birds and animals like Nilgiri langur, giant squirrel, elephants etc can be sighted during that hike. The hikers return to their bamboo rafts at about 5:00 in the evening and start the return journey. This group of rafters includes about 10 tourists, 4 guides and an armed guard. On the rout, the tourists are served tea, refreshment and packed lunch.

Border Hiking

Border hiking at Thekkady is an advanced form of trekking which is conducted on the high regions of the forest at the height of 1000 to 1200 meters. A group of 10 hikers accompanied by 2 guides and 1 armed guard provided by the forest department undertake this adventure of border hiking. The hike begins at 8 in the morning and every day only 2 groups are taken to the forest for border hiking. People between the age of 15 and 65 are allowed to participate in this adventure. Ex – poachers who today serve as the guides recall their fascinating encounters with the wild world and narrate them to the tourists so as to multiply the thrill and the excitement of hike. Their incredible knowledge of the forest and its flora and fauna lets the tourists learn much about the jungle and the wild life there.

Elephant Rides

A visit to Kerala is futile unless it includes an elephant ride. At Thekkady – the land of elephants, nothing can compete with the joy that a leisurely elephant ride through the road skirted with lush greenery on both the sides provides. Riding an elephant munching on banana leafs and marching ahead at a rhythmic pace is an experience of lifetime.

Plantation Tours

The plantation tours include visits to spice gardens, coffee and tea estates, tea factories and tribal habitats. There are numerous spice, coffee and tea plantations in and around Thekkady where they would take you on a tour to their plantation and explain and inform you about their crop and its uses. You can even buy the products from the outlets set up at the plantations. District Tourism information Office at Kumily can also arrange a plantation tour for your sake.