Traversing along the mountain road on our way to Periyar Tiger Reserve, we passed by picturesque tea plantations which are generally associated to Munnar. Only that the first tea plantations I saw in Kerala was not the one in Munnar. The road signs read Pattumala, Idukki district. Only then I realized there are many hill stations in Kerala, mostly planted with various kind of tea trees. For example, Idduki, Wayanad, Thekkady, Ranipuram, Vagamon, Vythri to name a few.
Velankanni Matta Church
At Pattumala (literally means hills draped in silk), there was a church in the middle of the tea plantations sharing common look to that of Disneyland castle. It was the Velankanni Matha Church, a famous pilgrim center. It was built entirely of granite.
We stopped for lunch at Spice Village by CGH Earth, Thekkady. A lovely setting of a unique hotel which has gone beyond the extreme to promote responsible eco-culture. When we entered the Spice Village, it seemed like we walked into a different world. There was calmness with only the Bansuri flute soothing instrumental music serenading the scene.
Spice Village by CGH Earth, Thekkady
The cottages were sheltered with thatched roof made of elephant grass; identical to those used by the tribal huts of the region. No air-conditioned here, which is located in the fine of mountain areas. The spice smell was by default the fragrant of Spice Village because the compound was planted with various kind of spices.
Spice Village was not our destination of the day. As I said earlier, it was just a lunch break though I felt compelled to highlight the uniqueness of the Spice Village by CGH Earth, Thekkady.
Periyar Tiger Reserve
The destination of the day was the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady. Sprawled over an area of 925 sq km, Periyar Tiger Reserve which is one of 27 tiger reserves in India, has undulating peaks, thick forests, river basin, mount plateau, endemic and endangered flora and fauna. Without a doubt, it is one of the most diversified areas in the Western Ghats.
When in a tiger reserve, one would expect to see tigers. Wrong. The chances of a sighting are rare because they live in the thickness of the forest and hardly come into the buffer zone area, where visitors are allowed to partake in the activities organized by Periyar Tiger Reserve.
One of the star attractions in Periyar Tiger Reserve was the cruise along the Periyar Dam to spot the wildlife. It was proven by the long queue to board the cruise boat. While waiting for our turns, we were kept entertained by cheeky long-tailed macaque at the waiting area. There was also info center where you can read all about Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The Periyar Dam was a man-made lake formed in 1895 to provide irrigation facilities for the people of Tamil Nadu. Now, it provides scenic views all around. Not only that, it is the bird watchers’ paradise.
On board the cruise boat, we sat uneasily as we tried to extend our vision on the horizon in the hope to spot elephants or other wildlife. Once in awhile, the breeze swept through our face from the windows of the cruise boat.
30 minutes into the journey, we only saw birds sitting on tree branches that popped out of the water and those flying freely in the airspace. All of the sudden, the cruise boat slowed down. There were 2 adults elephants and a baby elephant ahead, I was told. We quickly rushed to the left side of the boat making the boat tilted to the left. The guide reminded us to keep the boat in balance despite our excitement to see the elephants.
The engine was turned down so as not to scare the elephants. It was a jolly time for the happy elephant family; we were overwhelmed with the happy family moments. We spent quite some time until the happy family retreated into the thick forest.
We continued cruising the Periyar Dam and saw barking deers.
Bisons.
And many birds.
Seeing the elephants and cruising at the Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the highlights of my trip to Kerala.
Things you need to know:-
1. The Periyar Tiger Reserve is best visited during the driest part of the year as the animals (tigers included) spend a lot of time near the Periyar Lake.
2. Things to bring :- camera, binoculars (can also be rented at Periyar Tiger Reserved), sunscreen, hat, raincoat, umbrellas, hiking shoes, leech-socks.
3. The park is open from 7am-6pm.
4. Animal sightings are a matter of sheer luck.
5. Periyar Tiger Reserve website is full of information.
The trip was made possible by Kerala Blog Express 2016 from 15-29 February 2016. #keralablogexpress2016