ABOUT PERIYAR
Periyar tiger Reserve, Thekkady, is an example of nature’s bounty, with great scenic charm, rich bio diversity and providing veritable visitor satisfaction. Sprawled over an area of 777 Sq .km., Periyar is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India.

Zealously guarded and efficiently managed reserve is a repository of rare, endemic and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala, the Periyar and Pamba

Terrain & Geomorphology
Terrain is undulating with lofty peaks of over 1700 meters bordering the north and east. Towards the west it merges into an extensive tableland Mount Plateau of average elevation 1200 meters. From the edge of this plateau the land falls steeply to the thickly forested tracts of Sabarimala hills in the Pamba River basin. The overall elevation ranges from 100 meters at Pambavalley to 2019 meters at Kottamalai.
 
HOW TO REACH PERIYAR
Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady is about 4 km from Kumili in Idukki district, central Kerala and is well connected by road from all the major towns of Kerala.

Accessibility
By Air
Cochin International Airport : 190 Kms.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport : 267 Kms.
Madurai: 140 Kms.

By Rail
Kottayam : 114 Kms.
Changanassery: 116 Kms.
Ernakulam : 190 Kms.
Madurai : 140 Kms.

By Road
Direct bus links to / from Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Kottayam, Munnar & Madurai
 
WHEN TO VISIT PERIYAR
Best season to visit the Reserve is September to May.

The months of March and April constitute the driest part of the year, because of which the animals spend a lot of time near the lake in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Even the tiger may be spotted approaching the waters in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Animals may be seen from motorboats on the lake or from watchtowers set up in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

If you don’t mind the rains, then the rest of the year is also fine.

The temperature during summers (April-June) ranges from 21°C to 24°C. During the monsoon (July-August), it ranges from 19°C to 21°C. Winter season lasts from October to March and is cool and pleasant. Visit the national park with elephant in Periyar make the entire experience unforgettable.

The Reserve is open all year from 7 AM to 6 PM