The town of Thekkady, situated close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border town of Kumily, is located in the beautiful high-range district of Idukki in Kerala state, a district known for its famous wildlife sanctuary, spice plantations, mountainous hills, & dense forests. In fact, about 50% of the area is forest reserve. There’s also a large hydroelectric power project here. The town is 110 km west of Madurai & 120 km southeast of Kochi (Cochin).

The famed Periyar National Park is an important tourist attraction in Kerala state. Periyar is a protected area & a “Project Tiger” nature reserve that occupies 777 sq kms of the Cardamon Hills region of the Western Ghats. It lies at an altitude of 900-1800m & is correspondingly cool. The Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978 & the National Park was established in 1982. It is one of the largest & most visited wildlife reserves in India. Most visitors come in hope of seeing tigers or leopards, but most leave disappointed as the few that remain very wisely keep their distance, & there’s only a slight chance of a glimpse even at the height of the dry season (Apr/May).

There are many other animals to see however, especially the wild elephants that come down to bathe & play in the lake. You can observe them at close range from the comfort & safety of a boat cruise on the splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River. Notable among the other denizens of Periyar are 4 types of primates, wild boar, wild dog, bison bear & deer. Amongst the avifauna, the most profuse are herons, egrets, cormorants, darters, kingfishers, & the great Malabar grey hornbill.

Good info here: http://www.thekkady.com/htm/tourist.htm http://www.thekkady.com/htm/touristinfo.htm

and a photo gallery:http://www.thekkady.com/htm/photogal.php edit