One of India's largest national parks, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as the Periyar Tiger Reserve) occupies 925 square kilometres of the Cardamom Hills region of the Western Ghats. The majority of visitors come in the hope of seeing wild elephants – or a rare glimpse of a tiger – grazing the shores of the reserve’s reservoir. Daily safari boats ferry day-trippers around this sprawling, labyrinthine lake, where sightings are most likely at the height of the dry season in April. For the rest of the year, wildlife is less abundant than you might expect given Periyar’s overwhelming popularity.
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The park’s ageing infrastructure, however, has struggled to cope with the recent upsurge in numbers.
Most foreign visitors leave disappointed, not merely with the park, but also with its heavily commercialised surroundings and apparent paucity of wildlife.
That said, if you’re prepared to trek into the forest, Periyar can still be worth a stay.
Elephant, sambar, Malabar giant squirrel, gaur, stripe-necked mongoose and wild boar are still commonly spotted in areas deeper into the park, where birdlife is also prolific.
Another selling point is Periyar’s much-vaunted ecotourism initiative. Instead of earning their livelihoods through poaching and illegal sandalwood extraction, local Manna people are these days employed by the Forest Department to protect vulnerable parts of the sanctuary.
Schemes such as “Border Hiking”, “Tiger Trail” and “Jungle Scout” tours, in which visitors accompany tribal wardens on their duties, serve to promote community welfare and generate income for conservation work.
It’s also a lot cooler up here than down on the coast, and many foreign visitors are glad of the break from the heat.
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Periyar Park National, India © Shutterstock
It is correspondingly cool: temperatures range from 15°C to 30°C.
The royal family of Travancore, anxious to preserve favourite hunting grounds from the encroachment of tea plantations, declared it a forest reserve, and built the Edapalayam Lake Palace to accommodate their guests in 1899.
Seventy percent of the protected area, which is divided into core, buffer and tourist zones, is covered with evergreen and semi-evergreen forest.
The tourist zone – logically enough, the part accessible to casual visitors – surrounds the lake, and consists mostly of semi-evergreen and deciduous woodland interspersed with grassland, both on hilltops and in the valleys.
The rafts carry four or five people and, because they’re paddled rather than motor-driven, can approach the lakeshore in silence, allowing you to get closer to the grazing animals and birds.
Note that during busy periods places sell out quickly, so reserve as far ahead as possible.
Although boat tours are considerably less expensive than bamboo rafting trips, they can come as a disappointment.
It’s unusual to see many animals – engine noise and the presence of dozens of other people make sure of that.
Periyar bamboo rafting, India © Shutterstock
Their community-based ecotourism programme offers a variety of structured walking tours, ranging from short rambles to three-day expeditions, all guided by local Manna tribal wardens.
Kumily has accommodation to suit all pockets, with a number of small homestay guesthouses on the fringes of the village offering particularly good value.
The forest department has a decent campsite, just beyond Vallakkadavu checkpoint; they also offer camping inside the park on their “Tiger Trail” trek (contact the ecotourism centre).
Browse the best hotels in Periyar.
There is a selection of Indian restaurants and cafes dotted along the 186 road. There's also a clutch of small restaurants and cafes vying for tourist custom close to the Periyar National Park Ticket Office.
Periyar's elephant, India © Shutterstock
This period offers pleasant weather with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 32°C (59°F to 90°F), making it ideal for outdoor activities and wildlife spotting.
The monsoon season, from June to September, brings heavy rainfall to the region, which enhances the lush greenery but may limit certain activities.
However, some visitors also enjoy the off-season from March to May when the weather is hot but the sanctuary is less crowded, providing a more serene and intimate experience.
Find out more about the best time to visit India.
This duration allows for a comprehensive exploration of the sanctuary, leisurely walks through spice plantations, and the opportunity to experience the local culture.
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written by Andy Turner
updated 21.06.2023
