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 It’s four in the evening when we reach Thekkady. Almost six hours
by road from Ernakulam. The weather is cool and pleasant. We are informed by the
receptionist at Periyar House, where we are staying overnight (within the forest), that
the last sightseeing boat has just left for the evening trip. So instead, we trek to the
lake (26 sq. kms. in length and the hub of the sanctuary) to see whether we can sight any
animals near it.
There you are. A few sambar are standing by the lakeside
leisurely enjoying the cool evening breeze. Some egrets, darters and woodpeckers are
flying around almost making you believe that it’s a bird sanctuary you’re
walking around in and not a famous tiger reserve.
 A lot of people are clustered around the lakeside waiting patiently for the
unexpected to happen. Maybe come face to face with a tiger. Shiver! A chill is creeping in
the air now. Time to return. We stroll back. Hush! What’s that? A rustle in the
undergrowth! We peer through the bushes. A group of wild boar along with a baby boar is
prowling around, but takes fright when we bring the camera to life (we spot another group
after dinner standing outside the kitchen tamely waiting for leftovers).
We are informed that the best sightings of animals are in the
first and the last boat trip of the day.
Other residents of the jungle
include the gaur, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild boar though the Nilgiri tahr is
also reported to have been spotted here. The endangered lion-tailed macaque is confined to
the evergreen forests in the interior. Other arboreals include the Nilgiri langur, bonnet
macaque, Malabar giant squirrel and flying squirrels.  The tiger and other carnivorous residents like the leopard, the dreaded wild
dogs (that even the tiger steers clear of), the lesser cats and the sloth bear live here
in close proximity to the civets, mongoose, porcupine, pangolin and hare. Otters are also
known to live in the lake.
Besides, the forest supports a rich avifauna – 266
species of birds are found here though aquatic bird life is rather poor. Reason, the lake
water is too deep. Reptiles, for instance, tortoises, snakes, the monitor lizard and
members of the amphibian family have often been seen basking on the rocks and stumps of
trees in the lake where birds are regular visitors (you can see the birds twittering
around, nesting or feeding their young ones).
A diverse and unique fish life is also present
here. Out of this, 50% are threatened; for instance, the masheer, snake-head, Periyar
trout and barb.  The opening of the sanctuary also has a very
interesting tale behind it. It is believed that the then Maharaja of Travancore, realising
the significance of conservation, appointed the first Game Warden and on his
recommendations the forests around the lake were turned into a sanctuary in 1934. Later
they assumed a new identity and merged with the forest department. Under Project Tiger,
the area was declared a Tiger Reserve (the most successful conservation project). Later,
the core area of the Reserve was assigned the status of a National Park.
At Periyar, the first boat ride for sighting starts
at daybreak – 7 in the morning. We were among the early risers for the first trip and
sat on theupper deck shivering, as it was extremely cold on the lake.
But we had a
vantage view of the surroundings (some consolation).
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 As we passed the forest mountain
terrain bordering the lake, we caught sight of a number of bisons grazing on the high
ranges. A couple of Nilgiri langurs swung from branch to branch as we tried to catch them
on the lens. Cormorants and a variety of other birds nestled on the stumps of the trees in
the lake and chirped merrily.
 In all, the boat ride lasted for two hours.
Afterwards, we visited the spice gardens, coffee and cocoa plantations, 6 kms from Kumily.
A small township, situated at a distance of 4 kms from the sanctuary, Kumily (or rather
Kerala in totality) is famous for spices. In fact, the entire market here is overflowing
with a rich variety of spices.
REACHING THEKKADY
The best months to visit Periyar are from August
to May when there is a pleasant climate here. If you are planning to travel by air, the
nearest airports are Madurai, at a distance of 140 kms, Kochi (185 kms), Thiruvanthapuram
(253 kms). Thereafter you can hire a taxi or take a K.S.R.T.C. bus to your destination.
You can also travel by train or road from Kottayam, 110 kms from
Thekkady. By road it
takes almost 3 hours from here. In Kerala, all tourist cars charge both way fares,
irrespective of whether you are planning to return to your starting point in the same
vehicle or not.
Set amidst the high altitudes of the Western
Ghats and named after the Periyar river, the sanctuary is rich in evergreen forests, flora
and fauna. It is the natural habitat of a vast species of terrestrial, aquatic and
arboreal animals. Out of the thirty-five species of
mammals found here, the major attractions are of course, the elephants. In fact, Periyar
is believed to be the best sighting for elephants.
WHERE TO STAY AT THEKKADY
It’s fun staying overnight within the sanctuary. You
might come face to face with some unexpected nocturnal visitors. Even if you are not lucky
enough, you can hear the sounds of animals calling to each other in the jungle, most of
the night.
Two KTDC wildlife resorts are located within the sanctuary
– Aranya Nivas and Periyar House besides Lake Palace (in the midst of the lake)
– a Taj tourist resort. You can choose any, according to your budget. But book well
in advance or you may be in for disappointment, as the resorts are full during the tourist
season.
There are some hotels at Kumily as well, in case you are
unsuccessful in getting accomodation at Thekkady – Leela Pankaj, Kumily Gate, St
Michael’s Inn, Hotel Ambaddy and the Spice Village, the closest to the sanctuary. You
can try your luck with them.
WHAT TO SEE AT THEKKADY
Besides the all important boat ride, visitors to the
sanctuary can also take elephant rides or go trekking through the forest with a trained
guide. Later, you can visit the spice gardens and tea, coffee and cocoa plantations
nearby.
Other places of interest include the Mangladevi temple and
the Mullaiperiyar Dam. Besides, Kumily has a good market for tourists, offering handloom
fabrics, spices, rosewood and sandalwood items, batiks, silks and antiques.
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