Trekking

If the spirit of wildlife adventure dictates your holiday destination, then you are on the right page! World Ghoomo is here to take you to one such travel destination in India that will satisfy your outdoor cravings. Whether you’re travelling with your partner or a group of friends, an adventure trip to Thekkady in kerala is all you need to plan for your next outing.

Thekkady – Periyar Tiger Reserve

Location – Located near to Kerala – Tamil Nadu border in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India, Thekkady is the location of the Periyar Tiger Reserve which is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India. Spread across an area of 777 sq. km of forest land, the sanctuary is home to a luxuriant collection of different species of flora and fauna. Eco-tourism forms an integral part of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Thekkady Travel Itinerary – 4 days

In the first 3 days we will cover the activities inside the Wildlife Sanctuary and on the 4th day, cover some attractions outside the sanctuary.

Watch Thekkady Travel Guide Video

Additional Tips & Information

Find below some important things to keep in mind before planning your trip to Thekkady.

Booking Tips & Information

Advance Bookings for Hotels & Activities. It is mandatory to do all the bookings in advance to avoid last minute chaos.

1) Hotel Booking

There are 2 types of accommodation options available in Thekkady – KTDC hotels & Hotels outside the Sanctuary.

KTDC Hotels

There are 3 hotels inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve operated by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC)
Periyar House – for a budget traveller who wish to stay in a wildlife sanctuary
Aranya Nivas – an authentic jungle lodge
Lake Palace – be a part of Royal Legacy
Located on the side of Periyar Lake these hotels are perfect destination for wildlife enthusiasts and eco-tourists.

Things to Consider Before Booking KTDC hotels

Advantages

Staying inside the sanctuary allows you to experience the wilderness 24X7.
The start point of most of the Activities like Wildlife Boat Cruises, Nature Walks & Hikings are inside the sanctuary itself. So, you won’t waste any time reaching the spot.
These hotels can also arrange vehicles for activities carried out outside the sanctuary.

Disadvantages

The gates of the Periyar Tiger Reserve close at 5:30 pm. Since, these hotels are located inside the wildlife sanctuary, you won’t be able to enter or exit the hotel after 5:30 pm.
You won’t be able to explore the nightlife of Thekkady.
Mudra Cultural Centre organises evening shows of Kalaripayattu (martial arts) & Kathakali (dance drama). So, if you are staying inside the sanctuary, you won’t be able to watch the shows.

Hotels Outside the Sanctuary

There are a number of guest houses and small hotels along the lane right outside the reserve forest gate. In addition, there are quite a number of Hotels, Resorts & Oyo rooms in Kumily.

Things to Consider Before Booking Hotels outside the sanctuary

Make sure to pick a hotel/room that is close to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. This will save a lot of time to reach the sanctuary for various activities.
KTDC hotels are expensive compared to the ones outside the sanctuary. So, if you are traveling on a tight budget, pick a hotel in Kumily.

Forest Entry Ticket

Forest Entry Ticket is Rs.40 per person.
You must retain the ticket as you are required to present it everytime you go for any activity inside the sanctuary.

Activity Bookings

Out of the many activities, some might be arranged by the hotel while others need to be booked by local tour operators. Ask your hotel to help you with the bookings or contact directly with the tour operators.
You are required to present the tickets before the activities begin.

Activities Inside the Sanctuary

Activities Periyar Tiger Reserve Thekkady

Wildlife Boat Cruises on the Periyar Lake
Bamboo Rafting & Hiking
Night Scout
Nature Walk
Border Hiking
Full Day Trekking Programmes such as Windy Walk, Cloud’s walk & Periyar Tiger Trail

Wildlife Boat Cruises on the Periyar Lake

The boat on the Periyar Lake ride will give you a glimpse of the wild life sanctuary along with some wildlife sightings along the shores of the lake.

No of Slots: 5
Boating Timings: 7.30 AM, 9.30 AM, 11.15 AM, 1.45 PM, 3.30 PM
Boating Charges: Rs. 500/- for Per Person (advance booking ) Rs. 225 for Per Person ( on-the-spot booking)
Start Point: Periyar Lake Boating Point
Duration: 1-2 hrs

Bamboo Rafting & Hiking

This eco-friendly, entertainment program for the nature-lovers is offered either as a full day or a half day programme. Not suitable for people with physical ailments, kids and pregnant women. Children below 12 years of age are not allowed.

Full-day Programme – Packed food and water is provided.

No of Slots: 1
Timings: 8 :00 am – 5:00 pm
Activity Charge: INR 2000/- per person
Start point: Nature Interpretation Centre opp Bamboo Grove Point )
Duration: 9 hours
Difficulty Level: Hard

Half-day Programme – Packed food and water is provided.

No of Slots: 2
Timings: 7:30 am – 12.30 pm & 9:30 am – 2.30 pm
Activity Charge: INR 2000/- per person
Start point: Nature Interpretation Centre opp Bamboo Grove Point )
Duration: 5 hours
Difficulty Level: Hard

Night Scout

A three hour night trekking provides a rare opportunity to observe nightlife inside Periyar Tiger Reserve.

No of Slots: 3
Timings: 7:30 PM, 10:30 PM, 1:30 AM
Activity Charge: Rs. 1200/- Per Person
Start point: Bamboo Grove Point
Duration: approx 3 hrs
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Nature Walk

The walk covers the moist deciduous forest and grasslands accompanied by a tribal guide. The forest trail interspersed with marshy grasslands offers great opportunity to watch birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Sambar deers,wild boar and Bisons can be seen grazing near the edges of the shoreline of the Periyar Lake.

No of Slots: 6 (Each group has a max of 6 persons + 1 guide )
Timings: 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM
Activity Charge: Rs 700/- Per Person
Start point: Boating area inside the reserve forest
Walking trail: 5 kms
Duration: 3 hrs
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Border Hiking

A full day trekking program conducted on the high terrains of the forests ranging to heights of 1000 to 1200 meters.

No of Slots: 1 (Two groups of six members each are allowed per day)
Timings: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Activity Charge: Rs. 2000/- Per Person
Start point: Bamboo Grove Point
Trekking Trail: 5 kms in which an altitude range of 900m to 1300m will be covered.
Duration: 9 Hrs
Difficulty Level: Hard

Activities Outside the Sanctuary

Off-Roading to Sathram
Elephant ride
Plantation Tour
Waterfall Visit
Tribal Tour
Bullock Cart Rides
Mountain Biking
Kerala tribal art & dance

4 Days Thekkady Travel Itinerary

Day 1 )
Arrival & Resort check-in followed by
Wildlife Boat Cruise on the Periyar Lake

Day 2)
Nature Walk &
Night Scout

Day 3)
Hiking & Bamboo Rafting

Day 4)
Off-roading to Sathram &
Plantation Tours in Kumily

Day 5) Optional – Gavi Wildlife Safari

Packing for Thekkady

Cotton t-shirts
Hiking pants
Comfortable trousers
Hiking Shoes
Floaters
Backpacks
Medications (if any)
Flashlight
Sunglasses
Hat
Hikings sticks

Estimated budget for this Itinerary

Approx INR 70K for 2 people.

After visiting The Sharadamba Temple at Sringeri Chikmagalur, we headed out to the next destination on our humble travel itinerary – Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka. Thousands each year go to Chikmagalur to climb to the top, and we couldn’t wait to make the hike ourselves.

Watch the VIDEO :

But we were in no hurry to get there. We drove at a steady pace and stopped on a couple of occasions to stretch our legs and mainly to admire the greenery. When we finally reached the foot of the hills, dark clouds had gathered, it was raining plus there was a hailstorm. There was zero visibility and we couldn’t possibly drive so we just halted to the side of the narrow road and waited for the rain to stop. Sitting in the car waiting while a small storm raged outside was romantic, enchanting and also brought out the child in us.

Mullayangiri drive on the Hills pics

Towards Mullayanagiri- Hail Storm

It was freezing by the time we finally got to the top of the hill and parked the car. My trusty shawl from the day before was packed away so I borrowed one of my hubby’s tees which turned out to be just a tad over-sized on my petite frame.

We were still 2 kms from the peak. Although it had just rained and everything was muddy, the climb was quite safe because of the stone steps that have been built into the hill. If you’re wearing shoes made for walking and with a gripping sole, you considerably minimise the risk of slipping. Working against gravity did me good. The exertion heated up my frozen bones and put some colour back into my cheeks. The stunning views on either side of us also served to distract from the cold.

Mullayanagiri Pics

The hike to the top is a reward in itself and the bonus was the vistas presented on making it. A small shrine to Lord Shiv has its home on the peak. We offered our prayers then spent the next hour and a half just breathing in the sights and sounds (or rather, the lack thereof).

Reluctant to leave, we knew we couldn’t stay forever and so half-heartedly began our descent and drove bag to Chikmagalur. We spent another night in a hotel there talking about the delights we’d encountered and going through all the pictures we’d taken, knowing that although we’d be returning home the next morning, there was a bit of Chikmagalur that we’d be taking back with us forever.

Mullayanagiri Hills Chikmagalur