Periyar National Park-Treasuring the Wealth of Wildlife

Periyar National Park is a famous tiger reserve, located between the Western Ghats in Kerala. Spread across an area of 777 sq km, the dense forests cover the park. Known as 'Thekkady' because of its location, it lies around 120 km from Kochi. Renowned for its scenic beauty, it is probably among the few places, where you can see the elephants in their natural habitat. Surrounded with dense evergreen, semi-evergreen forests, the park looks beautiful.

The distinct geographical features like climate and topography of the park support the varied flora and fauna. The terrain of the park is oscillating. It boasts of several narrow water streams.

The park houses around 240 bird species and 100 species of butterfly. You can see tigers and elephants here. Other animals which you can see here are mouse deer, barking deer, gaur, dole, sambar, wild pigs and Indian wild dog. The various animals like rare common langur, lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur and bonnet macaque are the centre of attraction here. Surrounded by the aromatic spice gardens, the park offers a refreshing experience to the tourist. You can explore it with a good guide who elaborate the medicinal value of every spice. The bird species that you can see here include darters, kingfishers, cormorants, racket-tailed drongos and the great malabar hornbill.

The Periyar national park also offers ample opportunities for enjoyment and recreation. You can enjoy swimming in the lake or can go for angling in Thekkady. The motor launches are also available throughout the day for boat ride on the lake. Tourists can also enjoy the exciting treks through the forest to the Mangla Devi temple.

They can visit this sanctuary from the months of October to June. During summer, it is easy to see chitals and elephants as they gather close to the lake. However, during weekends the place gets too much crowded.

Lies amidst the park, there is a beautiful lake. It offers a pleasant look to the tourists. The lake and the surrounding of dense forests provide a feeling of freshness to the tourists. The other factors which insist the tourists to visit the park again and again are the boat cruising, bird watching and many more.

Rated as the best wildlife sanctuary in India, Periyar is the best place for wildlife photography, tiger watching and elephant herds. You can enjoy both the wildlife as well as the adventure at their best in this famous tiger reserve of India.