<< More About Thekkady

Ramakalmedu [40 km from Thekkady and 75 km from Munnar].

Rolling green hills and the fresh mountain air make Ramakalmedu and enchanting retreat. The hilltop also offers a panoramic view of the picturesque villages of Bodi and Cumbum on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats .

How to reach:

Nearest railway station: Changanacherry, about 93 km.Nearest airport: Madurai (TamilNadu) about 140 km. Cochin International Airport , Nedumbassery, about 190 km.

Kumily

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

How to reach:

There are excellent services to Kumily from Kottayam from both the KSRTC bus stand and the Nagampadom Private Bus stand. The journey takes about 4 hours. Kumily is also accessible from Madurai . Thekkady is 4 km from Kumily. The forest department runs a bus service (Rs. 5) to the sanctuary from Kumily though the bus is not regular, one can reasonably expect it to make a trip once in 2 hours. Auto rickshaw fare will be Rs. 40 from the Kumily bus station. Walking or cycling through the shady roads is also a good alternative.

Periyar forest of Thekkady

Periyar forest is well known for wild life sanctuary, situated on the banks of Periyar Lake and also known for diversity of wildlife and scenic beauty, which attracts visitors from all over the world. It is situated on the high ranges of the Western Ghats which is covered by dense evergreen forests and savannah grass land.  The Periyar wild life sanctuary offers a fairy good chance to seeing the herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques & Niligiri langurs in its natural habitat. Spread across an area of 777 sq km of which 360 sq km is thick ever green forest. In 1978 Periyar wildlife sanctuary was declared a Tiger reserves and from then Periyar has became most fascinating natural wildlife reserves in the world. 

Mangala Devi Temple [15 km from Thekkady]

This ancient temple is hidden in the dense woods at the peak of 1337 m above sea level.  The temple is built in the traditional Kerala style of architecture. 

Visitors are allowed here only on the Chithra Pournami festival day.   The peak commands a panoramic view of the eastern slopes of the Ghats and some hill villages of Tamil nadu.  Permission to visit the area can be obtained from the Wildlife Warden, Thekkady.

 

Chellarkovil [15 km from Kumily]

This sleepy little village with its breathtaking view of the plains and cascading waterfalls is a feast for the eyes.  The village slopes down to the famous coconut groves of Cumbum in neighboring Tamil Nadu.This sleepy little village with its breathtaking view of the plains and cascading waterfalls is a feast for the eyes.  The village slopes down to the famous coconut groves of Cumbum in neighboring Tamil Nadu.

This sleepy little village with its breathtaking view of the plains and cascading waterfalls is a feast for the eyes.  The village slopes down to the famous coconut groves of Cumbum in neighboring Tamil Nadu.

Vandiperiyar [18 km from Thekkady]

Pullumedu can be accessed only by jeep. Since it is part of the restricted forest zone, special permission to visit has to be obtained from the Wildlife Preservation Officer, Thekkady Ph: 322027 ere.  Since it is part of the restricted forest zone, special permission

The River Periyar flowing through the centre of this town nourishes its vast tea, coffee and pepper plantations.  A major trade centre, Vandiperiyar is also home to a number of tea factories.  The Government Agriculture farm and Flower Garden have a delightful array of roses, orchids and anthuria.
Vandiperiyar grew out of the Tea plantation activities which began long before the Pepper and Cardamom cultivation began. Thus it has some old established shops. Even the famous Spencer group had one here. Tamilians make up more than half of the population. Major plantation group like RBT, AVT and Harrison ’s Malayalam have tea plantations near Vandiperiyar. 

Pullumedu [43 km from Thekkady, 26 km from Periyar]

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 only by jeep.

The famous Sree Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala and the Makara Jyothi illumination at the shrine are visible from here. Location: 43 km from Thekkady, 26 km from Periyar.