Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary - Famous For Tiger Reserves - Kerala - India

Periyar is one of the most popular national parks in southern India also famous for Wildlife Sanctuary. One of the most renowned national parks in South India, the Periyar National Park is set high at the Western Ghat ranges Located in Thekkady Kerala India. The area covering 350 sq km right in the middle of serene Periyar Lake was declared as a National Park in the year 1982. Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary also known as Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Location: Kerala
Best Time to Visit: November to February
Main Wildlife Attractions: Elephants, Leopard, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Sambar, Tiger, Nilgiri tahr, Starred tortoise
Coverage Area: 925-sq-kms
Established: 1950 as Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, 1978 as Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), 1982 as Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is located high in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the southern Western Ghats along the border with Tamil Nadu. This National Park is a must for anyone who enjoys watching wild life. Periyar Wildlife sanctuary is located on the Periyar river and spans 780 square kilometers. This was declared as a tiger reserve in 1978. During 18th and 19th centuries, the reserve acted as the hunting area for the Royalty. Edapalayam Lake Palace was the meeting point of all the royal guests. Periyar (also known as Thekkady) is a park where one can witness playful elephants, whose population is currently around 800. Elephant in Periyar make excellent wildlife watching.

Locate high in the ranges of the Western Ghats in Kerala is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. Periyar wildlife sanctuary situated lake at the heart of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which is facing extinction and is rarely seen. The animals, water and land birds can be seen from the boats available at the lake. A special permission is required to travel by boat to the source of the artificial lake, the River Periyar. Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar deer, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog, Indian Tiger and Indian Elephants are the main wildlife attractions at Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Wildlife At Periyar National Park and Sanctuary

There are 49 species of animals, 246 species of birds, 28 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 22 species of fishes and 112 species of butterflies founded at Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in 1991. Indian Elephants are the main wildlife attraction at Periyar National Park and Sanctuary. Other animals like Wild Pigs, Sambar, Gaur, Mouse Deer, Dole or Barking Deer, Indian Wild Dog and Tiger found at Periyar. There are approx 40 tigers in the Periyar National Park. Must see animals like Lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Gee's Golden Langur, Common Langur and Bonnet Macaque are also found here.

Flora and Fauna At Periyar National Park and Sanctuary

There are must see amazing trees wich have grown to amazing heights of up to 130-140 feet seems to having being At Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. The floral attractions of the park are approximately 2000 species of flowering plants, 171 grass species and 143 species of orchids. There are a larger number of tourists who come here because to see the Indian Elephants. There are around 1000 Indian Elephants found in the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. The birds of the park include around 180 species. These are Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongoes. There are 38 different fish types found in the water of protected area of Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Entry Fee And Other Charges For Visit Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Visitors are advised to reach the gate half an hour in advance to complete the formalities for entry into the park. A diffrent type of entry fee are listed bellow.

• Entry Fee For Foreigner ADULT: Rs. 450
• Entry Fee For Foreigner CHILD: Rs. 155
• Entry Fee For Indian ADULT: Rs. 33
• Entry Fee For Indian CHILD: Rs. 5
• Video Camera Fee: Rs. 300
• Still Camera Fee: Rs. 38

Boat Safari and Periyar Tiger Trail Treks Charges For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Boat rides offer an excellent opportunity to view the Flora and Fauna of the Sanctuary. A number of Elephants can usually be seen along the banks of the Lake. Bamboo rafting and trekking is another unique activity in the Periyar National Park, where you can take a hiking and rafting trip through the deep jungles of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

• Boat Safari Charges: INR 150 for people above 11 years of age, INR 50 for the rest
• Periyar Tiger Trail Treks Chrges: INR 5500 for one night and INR 7500 for two nights

Timing For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• General Timings: 06:00 hours to 19:00 hours everyday

Timing For Jeep Safari At Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• Night safari: 11.00 PM to 03.00 AM
• Full Day Safari: Max 03.00 PM Last entry

Timing For Elephant Safari At Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• Every day for Half an Hour: 06.00 A.M. to 05.00 P.M.

Boat Safaris Timing For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• 07:30 hours to 9:30 hours
• 09:30 hours to 11:30 hours
• 11:45 hours to 13:45 hours
• 13:45 hours to 15:30 hours

Guided Nature Walks Timing For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• 07:00 hours to 10:00 hours
• 14:00 hours to 17:00 hours

Border Hike and Bamboo Rafting Timing For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

• 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours

Best Time To Visit Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

The best chance to see the wildlife is during the early morning boat safari at 7.30 a.m. March and April are the driest months of year, because of which the animals spend a lot of time near the lake. The best season to visit Periyar wildlife sanctuary is from the months of October to June.

Tourist Attractions Near Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

There are many Tourist Places near Periyar or Excursions like Periyar Lake situated at the sanctuary area, Kumily is a small town near Thekkady and Periyar, Mangla Devi Temple is located at the distance of 15 kms from the region of Thekkady. Pullumedu located at the distance of 43 kms from Thekkady.

Shopping Near Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

There is a very less scope of shopping in Periyar National Park but you can purchase a number of unique artifacts, handicrafts, clothing materials, food items etc from Kerala and other nearby places.

Restaurants Near Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Here is the list of some famous and popular Restaurants closed from Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Our Place
Lake Road Rooftop Restaurant
3.0 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bamboo Cafe
Lake Road Near to Thekkady homestay and Aramam massage centre
3.0 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Grandma's Cafe
Thekkady Byepass Road near Green View Residency
3.3 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Ambadi
Ambadi Junction
3.0 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Spice Garden Restaurant
By-Pass Road Idukki Dist, Kumily
3.4 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Hotels Near Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Here is the list of some famous and popular Hotels closed from Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Hotel Tigers Roare' 3.5 Star Hotel
near entrance gate, Thekkady
2.4 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Jungle Palace 2.5 Star Hotel
Puthuparambil House, Lake Road, Kumily
2.6 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Aranya Nivas KTDC 3.0 Star Hotel
Kumily, Thekkady
2.7 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Periyar Meadows Leisure Hotel 3.0 Star Hotel
Thekkady Road, Thekkady
2.7 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Woodlands Prime Castle 2.5 Star Hotel
Thekkady Road, Thekkady
2.7 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Hotel Ambadi 2.0 Star Hotel
Ambadi Junction, Thekkady
3.0 km from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

How to Reach Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

By Air:

Kochi is the nearest International airport that is situated at a distance of 140Km from the park. It is connected to various parts of India

By Road:

Periyar is connected through road transport to major cities in Kerala. Local, deluxe buses, taxis are available from Kochin, Alleppey, Kumarakom, Thiruvanathapuram, kottayam and madurai to periyar.

By Rail:

Kottayam is the nearest railway station to Periyar from where you can find a fine network of trains to foremost railway stations of India.

Google Map For Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary