Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala

Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in higher areas.

Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India. Periyar Tiger Reserve is located in the Western Ghats in Idukki District of the Kerala state in India. The terrain of the Reserve is undulating and the drainage is dendrite. North-eastern boundary of the Reserve is a ridge, which also forms boundary between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states for 90 km.

Its a must to go for Jungle Track during your visit to the Periyar National Park. There are different kind of options available for the Jungle Track. One can undertrack the night patrol with the forest guard through the jungle and if you are not really that courageous there are options available for the short track of 4 hours starting in morning and afternoon.

During the track the flora and fauna can be experienced at close quarters and if one is lucky enough there are chances to sight the bigger animals of the cat family.

The ideal time to visit Periyar National Park, is between the months of February and May. During this time of the year, the animals of the forest come to the lake for water as the water holes in the forest dry up. Groups of elephants playing and swimming in the shimmering lake, is not an altogether uncommon sight. Being in a motorboat can be rather reassuring. Top Family Destinations