Major Halts

There is only one entry point in Periyar National Park through small village in Thekkady. In best possible manner to square one the reserve is the boathouse, roughly 2 kms from the entry gate and paseo can be covered on foot or in a vehicle. Sailing by the boat is the best possible way of browsing the reserve is on boats on the Periyar Lake. All vehicular traffics inside the park are seen from 6am-6 pm, however, it is unsafe to wander inside the park without the guard. There are number of activities you can chip into; day and night trekking, camping, bamboo rafting. To conjoin the fun here contact the Eco-tourism Center at Ambady Junction, for signing the up for these programmes. All these activities are popular and booked months in advance.


» Halt 1 : Boathouses
The best chances of viewing wildlife are during the boat ride on the Periyar Lake. The reservoir itself has many creeks, promontories and small islets serving as habitat for wildlife. Sighting elephants around during the fun filled boat rides are quiet common. The boat in which you ply are either run by forest department or Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. The boat jetty near Wildlife information Center.

Professional Wildlife Photographers have the option of hiring a small two seater for Rs 350 per trip, the small boat facilities offers a quieter and closer approach to animals.

» Halt 2 : Nature Walk
One of the eco-tourism programmes is the nature walk, covering 4- 5 kms on different routes and lasting for 3 hrs. It provides tourists with a good opportunity to t spot birds and butterflies, and occasionally,large animals. The charges are Rs 100 per person of five persons in each group. The charges are Rs 100 per person, and there can be a maximum number of five persons in each group.

» Halt 3 : Around the Jungle
There is a habitué` of jungle patrols in the fringe areas of the dense forest. The 3 hrs night long trek can be undertaken in one of slots like 7-10pm, 10 pm-1m, and 1-4 am. Each slot visitors moving in two separates teams. An armed forest guard accompanies with each of the group.

» Halt 4 : Bullock Cart Discoveries
This half day package gives a visitors the novel experience of travelling in a covered bullock cart to the farms of a village adjacent to the reserve. A maximum of nine persons can take the trip at a time, at the rate of Rs 500 per persons; there has to be a minimum payment of Rs 1,000. The trip starts at 6 am and ends at 2.30 pm.

» Halt 5 : Bamboo Rafting
This is a full day exciting programme involving trekking trough different tracks. It starts at 8 am; the guide takes you inside the forest for a trek and then back to your raft to sail back in the evening. The programme gets over in the evening. The charges are Rs 1000 peer person, inclusive of two persons.

» Halt 6 : Tour with Tribal
Besides a tour through the village where Mannans -one of the oldest groups to inhabit the forest here-live, visitors can get a glimpse of tribal culture during a visit to the Tribal Heritage Museum displaying medicinal plants, vessel and furniture models and painting.

» Halt 7 : Border Hiking
This is a full day hard trek oriented towards conservation, starting, at 8 am and ending at 5 pm. The trail passes through altitudes of 900-1,300m, offering the tourist several challenging treks. Sightings of gaur and elephants are also common on the routes. The charges of Rs 750 per person covers the entrance fees and refreshments.

» Halt 7 : Periyar Tiger Tracks
It includes two days programmes (1N/2D and 2N/3D), which can only be practiced by medically fit people. Held by poacher turned protectors the programme covers 20 and 35 kms, depending upon the chosen routes. The charges include Rs 3000 per person for 1N/2D trek and Rs 5000 per persons for two 2N/3D trek. The best part about the programme is not only the fact that the route passes through hills and valleys, giving you a chance to see wildlife and you get to hear stories from poachers.

Other Attraction Near Periyar : Gavi(18 kms), Peermade(39kms), Pachakanan(42 kms)