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Tourism
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Wayanad
Idukki
- Eravikilam National Park | Periyar National Park (Thekkady) | Munnar
Idukki
Idukki is one of the most nature rich area of Kerala with mountain ranges and wooded valleys. Idukki offers the tourist diverse attractions like wild life sanctuaries, hill stations, mountain treks and elephant rides.
Eravikulam
National Park
Opened in 1978 and situated in Idukki district, the park is spread over an area of 97sq.km. The nearest town is
Munnar, 24km away from the park. Cochin is the nearest railhead as well as the airport.
The park has sub-tropical hill forests. The important fauna are elephant, leopard, tiger, Malabar civet, Nilgiri
thar, Sambar, barking deer, Nilgai, langur, phyhon etc. The birds found are imperial pigeon and grey jungle fowl.
October to April are ideal months for visiting the park.
Accommodation:
Royal Retreat at Kannan Devan Hills, Residency at Top Station Road are above medium hotels. East End at Temple Road has some rooms and cottages. Sree Narayana Lodge (S N Lodge) near Post Office old Munnar are less expensive hotels.
Periyar National Park (Thekkady)
Periyar National Park was established in the year 1950 and is named after the Periyar river. It is set on an attractive lake side. Situated in Idukki district, it spread over 250sq km. The nearest town from the park is Kumaly, 4km from the park. The nearest airport from here is Cochin. Kottayam is the nearest rail head 114km away.
Periyar national park is famous for its scenic beauty. It is covered with dense evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests interspersed with grass lands on the upper slopes. These forests provide an ideal habitat to wild life. The Wildlife sanctuary, near the border of Tamil Nadu was designated a part of Project Tiger in 1973. It is very much known for the tusk less elephants.
The animals found in the park are elephants, gaur, sambar, bison, barking deer, Nilgiri languor, pig, tiger, panther, leopard, sloth bear, jungle cat, small Indian civet and Malabar squirrel, macaque. There is a variety of birds in the park including the Great Indian hornbill, Indian darter, king fisher, black necked storks, butterflies etc. The tiger and leopard are sighted when the forest water holes dry up and these animals come and drink water from the river.
The best months for visiting the park are from October to April. There is facility for boating. The ideal times for cruise e the dawn and dusk. Elephant rides are also available. The ride on an elephant is more to see than the boat trip. There is a special viewing platform inside the forest.
Accommodation:
Muckumkal Tourist Home at Kumily (4 kms away from the Lake) is close to Bus stand and reasonable. Rolex Lodge is also reasonable.
The Spice Village (resort) and Hotel Ambadi at Kumily have expensive and attractive cottages.
Munnar
147 Km away from Kottayam. An excellent hill station with an exotic flora and fauna. A major centre of tea industry. It is surrounded by 30 tea estates, some of which are amongst the highest in the world. Among the exotic flora found in the forest and grasslands here, is the Neelakurinji, which blooms once in twelve years. The next bloom is in 2006. Anaimudi, the highest peak in South India at the height of 2, 695 metre is situated nearby.
The Pothmedu (6 Km from Munnar) offers an excellent view of the tea, rubber and cardamom plantations. Devikulam (7 Km of Munnar) is an idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns. The Mattupetty (13 Km from Munnar) is situated at a height of 1700m is known for its highly
specialized dairy farm - the Indo Swiss Livestock Project. The Rajamala (15Km from Munnar) is the natural habitat of the Nigiri Tahar. Half of the world population of the rare mountain goat (Hemitragas hylocres) which is fast becoming extinct, is now found here.
Accommodation:
Sree Narayana Tourist Home near Tourist Information Office is one the best and less expensive lodge in
Munnar.
Hotel Isaac's The Residency, Hotel Hill View, Edassery Eastend and the Royal Retreat are mid-range expensive.
References:
http://india-tourism.com/
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