Resorts and Sanctuary, Kerala

Notified as a wildlife sanctuary, the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary is just 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram. This sanctuary covering an area of about 128 sq. km forms the catchment area of the Neyyar DAM. With a rugged topography of meadows and slopes, altitudes ranging from 90 to 1800 meters above sea level, the sanctuary is contiguous with the Kalakkadu Tiger Reserve and Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary in TamilNadu. The famous Agasthyamala and the Meenmutty falls form part of this sanctuary.

The sanctuary has a remarkable diversity of vegetation. There are over 1000 species of flowering plants, including some of the best orchids in the world. The faunal diversity is rich and fascinating. The endangered primates, the lion-tailed macaque and the Nilgiri languor share the ever green forest. Other animals like bonnet macaque and giant squirrels are seen here. Elephants, Sambhar deer, gaur, barking deer, mouse deer and wild boar.

There is a Lion Safari Park spanning an area of four hectares and a Crocodile Farm established in 1977. Boats can be hired to explore the shores of the sanctuary. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation organizes (KTDC) tours to Neyyar Dam.

Kanya Kumari (also known as Cape Comorin), about 90 km south of Thiruvananhapuram, is the southernmost tip of the Indian sub-continent where the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea mate together. Once it had been part of the erstwhile Travancore state. After the re-organization of the states in India in 1956, it became part of the Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu.
Kanyakumari is a very famous tourist and pilgrim centre. The famous shrine of the goddess DEVI KANYA, Gandhi Memorial, Vivekananda Memorial built on the rocky islands are tourist attractions. The Temple at Suchinram 13 km north- west on the rail /road route from Kanya- Kumari to Thiruvananthapuram is an important place of worship. The temple with its large entrance Gopuram is quite magnificent. There are pillared Halls all around the inner Sanctum where there is the triple image of the Lords Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. The 10-day annual chariot festival is famous.

It is a beautiful beach resort and pilgrim centre 40 km north of Thiruvananathapuarm. SIVAGIRI MUTT here devoted to SRI NARAYANA GURU who preached 'One caste, One religion, one God for man' is a pilgrim center for the Guru's followers. There areYOGA and MASSAGE centres offering traditional Ayurvedic and Swedish massage and Swedish Massage techniques.

16 km. west of Kottayam on the Vembanad lake. The Sanctuary teems with local waterfowls and over wintering migratory birds such as the Siberian storks. Boats are available for backwater cruises in the lake.

Munnar is 130 km south- east of Kochi and 70 km north of Periyar. Situated at an altitude ranging from 1600 to 1800 meters above sea level, Munnar is surrounded by some of the world's highest tea growing estates. This Hill Station presents south India’s most enchanting mountain scenery. With its craggy peaks, sprawling evergreen tea estates and tranquil rustic atmosphere, Munnar is a delightful alternative to the better known hill stations of Tamil Nadu.Once Munnar had been the favourite summer resort of the European settlers for centuries.

This bird sanctuary in Devikulam Taluk is 20 km from Kothamangalam on the Ernakulam – Munnar Road. This 25 sq. km. Sanctuary is formed between the branches of the river Periyar. The vegetation here consists of tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen moist deciduous forests and plantations of teak, rosewood, mahagony etc. The sanctuary is home to the Malabar grey hornbills, woodpeckers, parakeets, falcons and rare species such as Sri Lankan frogmouth and rose-billed roller. There are boat cruises available from Bhoothathankettu to Thattekkad.

This National Park is home to the largest population of Nilgiri Tahr (a type of mountain goat) existing in the world now, and barking deer, giant Malabar squirrel, sambar, gaur, wolf etc. The highest peak of Kerala, the Anamudi in the southern part of this park provides a magnificent spectacle. A variety of plant life is also present here. The well-known medicinal plant ‘Neelakurinji’ is among the rarer species found here. This park is 135 km from Ernakulam and 16 km from Munnar.

This small hill station is on the way to Thekkady. It is amidst rubber, tea, coffee and cardamom plantations.

The Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary at Thekkady is a 777 sq. km reserve on the western slopes of the Western Ghats is the most popular wild life sanctuary. A pleasant place to escape from the madding crowds of the cities and towns, a nice place to cruise on the lake, a place to enjoy a jungle walk with an opportunity to see the wild animals. The park is home to antelopes, bison, sambar, wild boar, elephants and a wide variety of birds in addition to tigers and leopards. The journey to Thekkady itself is quite enchanting as the road winds through tranquil countryside, green plantations and thick jungles.
A study of the Periyar Tiger Reserve conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute has revealed the richness of diversity of the park. The reserve was found to have some 1965 species of plants signifying that it is easily among the richest areas in plant variety in the world. A parallel could be drawn only with the Agasthyamala region where 3800 species of plants were recorded. The high degree of endemism exhibited by the Reserve makes it all the more important from the point of view of bio-diversity conservation. About 150 species of plants, which have been placed under various threat categories by the World Conservation Union, have been identified from the Reserve.

The 125 sq. km. PeechiVazhani Wildlife Sanctuary and The Peechy Dam are 23 km from Thrissur. Boating facilities are available at the reservoir. It is a beautiful spot for picnics.

80 km. from Palakkad. It is popularly known as the evergreen forest and noted for its eerie silence because of the lack of cicadas. It is an important biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats and Home of the tribal people. The Valley known for the rare lion-tailed macaque. This National Park is a protected area for tigers also. To stay and dine: Forest Department Rest house ((0492-453225) and local hotels at Mukkali, 22 km from the park.

Nelliampathy, about 80 km from Palakkad, is a hill station in the Nelliampathy forest ranges. This forest range constitutes a series of ridges cut off from one another by valleys of dark evergreen forests

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is 135 km from Palakkad and adjacent to the Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Sprawling over 285 sq. km. Besides an abode of elephants, wild boar, sambar, bison, guar, crocodiles, and a few tigers and panthers, it has rich diversity of flora and fauna. Treking in the forest is allowed with prior permission. Boating can be done at the lake. The Cannimare Teak Tree, which is said to be Asia’s largest, is here near Thunakadavu.

It is a large irrigation dam built on the river, Bharathapuzha at the base of the hills of the Western Ghats. The beautiful gardens, the amusement Park for the children, the boating facility on the reservoir etc. make Malampuzha a paradise for the tourists. This important tourist spot is easily accessible from Palakkad.

It was here Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator, landed on 27 May 1498, a landing commemorated by a small stone monument at the beach. He was the first European to reach India. It has already found a place in the tourism map of the country. The beach is a long stretch of golden sand fringed by fronds of swaying coconut palms and lush greenery as far as the eyes can see. The tranquil sea on this secluded beach creates a pensive mood. Two rocky promontories, lying between far away jotting out into the sea, have created a beautiful bay of calm waters. There is also an ancient temple on the hillock facing the sea. The shimmering waters and the exquisite scenery all around with the native fishing crafts sailing by provides the experience of a life- time.

This tribal tourist spot is 50 km east of Koshikode and 5 km from Adivaram on the Kozhikode-Mysore State Highway. Two streams originating from the Western Ghats meet here to form the Chalippuzha river. The river diverges into three waterfalls creating a snowy spray which gives the name, ‘Thuzharagiri’. Of the three, the highest waterfall is the Thenpara that falls 75 meteres below.

This pristine spot endowed with the beauty of nature is in the hilly reaches of Kozhikode district. This place is ideal for relaxing and trekking. The Kanjirapuzha, a tributary of the Chaliyar river, flowing along the rocky terrain forms attractive waterfalls here and there.

The famous Edakkal caves are 12 km South of Sultan’s Battery near Ambalavayal. These caves are important archaeological sites displaying prehistoric petroglyphs. These caves are natural rock cut out formations. They are famous the world over for their ancient carvings and pictorial wall inscriptions of human and animal figures with peculiar head dresses and swastik forms and symbols. According to Archaeologists, this place was one of the earliest centres of human civilization.

Lakkadi in Wayanad is one of the places in the world having the highest rainfall. The place is of great scenic beauty with streams, luxuriant vegetation and picturesque hills. Pookot Lake is only 3 km from here. This wide and deep natural fresh water lake is one of the rare reservoirs of water in the district. Surrounded on all sides with trees and meadows, this is a favourite haunt of the tourists.

Kottamunda is on the slope of Vellarimala 20 km from Kalpetta. The place acquires significance because of the Glass Temple here dedicated to Parswanatha Swami, the third Thirthankara of the Jain Faith. The mirrors inside the temple walls reflect in thousands of beautiful image patterns of the icons in the temple sanctum sanctorum

This is a very beautiful spot close to the Western Ghats. The Chembra peak lying at an altitude of 2100 meteres above sea level is the highest peak in North Kerala. The Chembra Hills and the adjacent Meppadi hills are accessible from Kalpetta. The entire region is quite picturesque with tea plantations and a variety of flora and fauna and some wild life in the jungles. At the top of the Chembra Peak, there is a lake that has never been dry. It is a delightful spot for the trekkers and nature lovers.

The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is 16 km east of Sultan’s Battery. This sanctuary of more than 344 sq. km of remote rainforest is adjacent to the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and the Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamilnadu. This sanctuary is also called by the name Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Ezhimala hills are about 55 km north of Kannur. The hills are having some rare medicinal herbs used for Ayurvedic formulations. The scenic hills and the sandy beach below make Ezhimala a popular picnic spot. Ezhimala has gained prominent place in the map of India with the proposed Naval Academy here.

The Bekal fort is 10 km south of Kasaragod town. The fort has been under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India since the time of the British. Bekal Fort, which is about 350 years old, is the largest fort in Kerala. It is proposed to be developed into a tourist complex. This magnificent fort which is nearly 16 hectares in extent virtually juts into the sea with a beautiful bay on its southern side. The fortifications of the semi-circular construction with an imposing frontage is still intact as an architectural monument. Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty is said to have built the fort between 1645-16660. But some other historians are of the opinion that the fort was built by the then north Kerala rulers, the Kolathiri Rajas. Sivappa Naik of Bednore captured the fort when the Kolathiri Raja stopped paying tributes to him. Later, the fort fell into the hands of Hyder Ali and later into his son, Tipu Sultan. With the over throw of Tipu Sultan, Bekal was incorporated into the dominions of the English East India Company in 1799. A mosque and a Hanuman temple are located at the entrance of the fort as a symbol of religious harmony. The façade of the high walls with the battlement and the entire structure of the fort are architecturally commendable. There is a large tower in the middle of the fort at a height of 10 meters and with a circumference of 27 m. From this tower, one can see the entire fort and the sea on the west and the lush green valleys on the east and the undulating blue mountains. The fort must have been built with a view to spotting enemy vessels afar in the high seas. The waves lashing against its many extensions jutting into the water for years have not caused any serious damage. Neither time nor the mighty waves have dimmed the magnificence of the Bekal fort. Peeping through its ancient moss covered cannon holes, one can see the Arabian sea shimmering in the sun and stretching into the horizon in all its varying moods.