Thekkady is what kerala is famous for, the lush green wilderness which stretches for miles and miles, the large pachyderms which are essentially part of kerala life style, the cascades emanating from hills, very amicable weather. You can relish the true kerala cuisines in this small town nestled in green confines surrounded by the hills. Thekkady lies in the Idukki district of kerala, it’s a town famous for the Periyar wild life sanctuary which has abundance of nature and wild life.
How to Reach Thekkady District? : - Thekkady is situated in the south eastern part of Kerala very near to the Tamilnadu border. There are good highways connecting Thekkady with major Kerala cities such as Kochi, Thiruvanthapuram, Alapuzha. Thekkady is located 136 kms from Madurai airport which is the nearest domestic airport. The international airport at Cochin is 190 kms, kottyam is just 114 kms from Thekkady. Thus most of the Thekkady tourist places can easily be visited either from Cochin or Kottyam.
Best Time to Visit Thekkady : - Though Thekkady a hill station has very good weather for all months of the year but the hills are all green after the monsoon activity ends, the Periyar wildlife park has enough water and in our view this is the best time to tour thekkady, October may also help you spot many waterfalls emanating from the hills of Thekkady.
Thekkady Places to Visit: - IThekkady is an ideal destination where you can spend days at stretch exploring the deep jungles of kerala, getting enthused by the rich flora and fauna, experiencing the spice / tea plantations, enjoying the rich cuisines of kerala. But if you are having a limited time then we suggest you some absolute places to visit in Thekkady.
1. Boat ride at Periyar Lake: - Boat ride at Periyar Lake is one of the top things to do in Thekkady. In the periyar wildlife sanctuary is situated the periyar lake, best time to enjoy this boat ride is the morning time as the boat ride commences at 07:30 am. The ride will take round 2 hours and you will get to experience the rich bio diversity of Periyar national park.
Apart from the boat tour you can also enjoy the Bamboo raft tour on the periyar lake. These rides are accompanied by the experienced forest guides who will give you a narrative of the wildlife you will see and experience. These boat and bamboo raft tours are an experience you will sure never forget.
2. Elephant Junction: - A day if you want to spend in close proximity to the large mammals. The Elephant junction provides you an experience in which you spend your valuable time knowing the elephants in detail, you feed them, you will also engage in bathing the large mammals, the elephant ride without any saddle is worth a try, you can experience the elephants riding them, These large creatures amaze the visitors with their intellect and the care they exhibit towards the visitors.
3. Jungle walks: - The periyar wildlife sanctuary offers a myriad of wild life which you can experience while you do a walking tour in the wild life sanctuary. You will be escorted and guided by experienced campaigners who will make sure you are safe and will make your experience more worthy and enriched. You can do a trek of 4-5 kms which will take around 3 hours to be completed.
4- Jeep safari: - If you are not interested in toiling too much then an easy option exists, the jeep safari at Thekkady will take you through the dense wilderness, the countryside, the spice plantations in fact you will get a very close interaction with the Thekkady.
5. Navarasa Kathakali Centre: - Kathakali-A dance form which originated in kerala and is known the world over for its delicate moves, the coloured makeup of the artist, the narration of the story. You can learn so much about kathakali at the Navarasa Kathakali centre, you will experience a live kathakali performance, infact you can also partake in the theatre performance, you will be invited to see how the performers dress up for the performance. The stories, the performance and the dance sure will be remembered by you for long. There are two live shows at the Navarasa kathakali centre at 5 pm and 7 pm, each show is of 60 minutes duration.
6. Kalaripayattu Show: - At Kadathandan Kalarai is an ancient martial art which originated some 3000 years back , it is known for the agile moves of the performers. You can experience the live performance of the Kalari Payattu performers at the Kadathandan centre. The performers perform live with swords, and daggers, pinch darkness and the martial artists with burning bamboo sticks in hands amaze the onlookers as they engage each other. The show is of one hour duration and two shows are held every day.
7. Kerala Body Massage: - If you want to rejuvenate through an ayurvedic massage then sure Thekkady is an ideal place. The trained masseurs will take your body on an amazing trail. These therapies have been designed and excelled in thousands of years. Few hours in hands of these well qualified masseurs will sure tune up your body and soul.
8. Shopping in Thekkady: - While on Thekkady tour you can tour the spice plantations and can engage in buying the choicest spices produced in farms of Thekkady. Apart from spices you can also buy handicrafts of Kerala at a souvenir store, the incense sticks in various aroma, wooden toys coloured in organic colours you can buy all these assorted articles at a market in Thekkady.
9. Pattumalay Tea Factory: - Thekkady is also very well known for its tea plantation if you are desirous you can tour the vast stretches of tea plantation and visit a tea factory where you can see the entire process of tea production. You are also invited to buy the famous tea products at the pattumalay tea factory.
10. Tropical Chocolate Factory: - This business establishment is Thekkady is known to produce choicest chocolates. You can see how these chocolate in various flavours are prepared, you can taste them and can buy the chocolate. The various flavors available are amazing.
