Visiting Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady – Kerala – In search for the tiger!
During my visit in Kerala, I naturally went in search of the tiger! I naturally hoped to see the tiger when I was in India for the second time. There are very few places where you can still spot the tiger and Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of them! So I booked a safari at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady in the green state of Kerala, at the bottom of India.
I unfortunately only had 1 day in the area near Thakkady, and thus in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It was a last-minute decision to still dive into the Periyar Tiger Reserve. I was super happy that I could still book the trip.
Did you know that they call Kerala ‘God’s Own Country’? I can totally understand why when you consider that India is dry and ‘less’ rich in a lot of places.
A Day at the Periyar Tiger Reserve
What is the Periyar Tiger Reserve known for?
Periyar Tiger Reserve is home to the largest population of tigers in South India. The park is partly located in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is 4078 square km in size. There are two divisions of the park, the eastern part and western part. Thekkady where I was is in the eastern part of the park.
How many tigers are left in Periyar Tiger Reserve?
Unfortunately only 40 tigers are currently counted.
What other wildlife lives in the Periyar Tiger Reserve?
You can spot elephants besides the tiger, especially in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary where you can spot hordes of Asian elephants. You can also find the sambars, leopard, sloth, different species of monkeys, wild dogs etc. But also e.g. the gaur (Indian Bison), which is the world’s largest bovine species. A total of about 35 mammals live there.
There are 265 species of birds seen in the park. You don’t see them very quickly, unfortunately, but the sounds you hear throughout the park are super! There are also 45 species of reptiles in the park such as snakes, lizards and turtles. The King Cobra and the Striped Coral Snake are species found here. And then, of course, there are amphibians like frogs and toads.
How much is the entrance fee for the Periyar Tiger Reserve?
It costs 450 INR for foreign tourists. The entrance fee for children is 33 INR.
Bamboo rafting trip in Periyar Tiger Reserve
I booked a bamboo rafting trip in Periyar Tiger Reserve national park. I love being active and putting my body to work and then seeing an amazing reward in the form of a super view or a beautiful wild animal.
There’s a chance you might see the tiger!
The trip started early in the morning. We were given protection around our feet and lower legs to protect you from the leech. We would be walking in the jungle and next to the water and they wanted us to put it on. It did feel a bit excessive those huge socks but okay, I didn’t want to risk either and put them on.
The surroundings were great! It didn’t took us long before we saw scratches of a tiger on a tree. They were fresh too! How great is that!! I got really excited and my hope on maybe seeing a tiger got really high at that point!
Seeing Tiger marks on a tree!
I have never been so close to a real wild tiger before! I really got the idea that I might actually get to see a tiger this day!
Traces that a tiger was here!
We moved on! In search of that tiger!
In search of the tiger! Periyar Tiger Reserve – Thekkady
And soon we saw a foot print too of the tiger!
Before getting on the bambooraft we had lunch and saw some wild pigs. We entered the bamboo raft near a place where you could stay overnight. At that point the ranger told me that there was maybe 1% chance we could see a tiger during the day. He only saw the tigers come out during sunrise or -set. That’s why the overnight trip in the park is a good option if you want to see the tiger. Oh well…for a next visit I will not make that mistake again 🙂
How I would love to sit here with binoculars towards evening hoping to see a tiger walk by!
We started rafting and went through a super area.
The water we were on was man-made because they had built a dam, the Mullaperiyar dam. The dam is there because they agreed that Kerala would give water to the state of Tamil Nadu. Now they also generate power at the dam, so it has multiple purposes. This dam has flooded a large part of this park. This, of course, has its pros and cons.
I must say, it gave us a great sight.
The trees that once stood there died because of the water but the trunks are still there. And off to the side, I kept seeing kingfishers flying. They naturally stand out because of their bright blue colour.
Rafting through the jungle of Periyar Tiger Reserve
After more than an hour, we went ashore again and had an afternoon break. We would stay there for about 1 to 2 hours I was told. Well…then I went for a walk. I had eaten something and am obviously not going to sit there and do nothing.
The ranger saw me going and came after me, this was not really meant to be and he would show me why. There were cobras in the park and they could also be close by. And then he pointed into the bushes just next to us. I saw a skin of a snake lying there. And not such a little one too!!! And this was indeed not far from where we were sitting!
A break in an area like this? I can’t!
I’ll go explore the area still hoping on seeing that tiger.
After the ranger showed me this, I walked along the water, you never know what you will see or encounter. If you just sit and nitpick along the water…you certainly won’t see much.
Soon I spotted a tadpole pool along the water’s edge. They really are a lot bigger than they are in the Netherlands. And there were an incredible number of them! Super to see, coming up for air each time!
The ranger soon came running after me into the forest. It was not safe to walk here alone, there is of course a chance of a tiger lying or wandering around here. The ranger sensed that I did not want to do nothing and so he kept walking with me and educated me about the trees what we saw.
Wild Elephants Spotted – Periyar Tiger Reserve
Break time was over and we were packing up to get back on the raft when the rangers suddenly became active and were all looking in the same direction. They pointed once and were as silent as possible. I looked in the same direction to see it too. I looked, far away…on the other side of the water but I saw nothing. I was obviously still hoping for that tiger….
I didn’t understand what they saw and I couldn’t understand them at all.
And then it dawned on me, I saw them too! A group of elephants! They were still in the forest edge on the other side and were slowly emerging. They wanted to go to the water the rangers told us. We stood watching for a while and at one point I saw about 6 of them. The rangers told us that the group was a lot bigger and that the rest were still at a distance in the forest. When the rest indicated it was safe they would come out.
What an amazing sight!
A little later we went back with the raft and the last bit we walked again.
And then the rangers were excited again.
Now much more like they were when we saw the elephants.
They pointed one way and indicated that we should be quiet. It took quite a while for me to see what they were pointing at.
I did see strange movements in the grass but I couldn’t see what it was yet. We slowly moved a little closer, obviously not wanting to disturb the scene.
I put my camera on it and it took me a while to get a good picture in and see what it was!
And then we saw Two Cobras in the Periyar Tiger Reserve
The cobras were dancing, doing a mating dance!
How awesome is that?
This was really, by a huge margin, the most beautiful sighting for the rangers. They indicated that they hardly ever saw this. They said we were very lucky to witness something like this…. And that’s how it felt! I spent some time standing with my mouth open watching and clicking photos….
How cool! Dancing cobras!
Surely that was the best ending to a perfect day. I had a great day at the Periyar Tiger Reserve, obviously super unfortunate that I didn’t see the tiger. But that chance was also pretty slim on a half-day trip. What I did see made me really happy. I also really liked the park itself, the lake we rafted over with the trees. A unique area. In that respect, I really do recommend a visit if you are in the area.
I didn’t saw those tigers but my day was perfect!
Where I did see the tiger is at Ranthambore NP in Rajasthan, read all about that!
On site, you can book your trip into the park in no time. If I were to go there again now, I would definitely go for the multi-day trip so you really have a chance to spot the tiger. Eg a 3-day trip like this.
Where to stay in Thekkady?
Beautiful resort at an affordable price just on the edge of the park. Perfect starting point to plan your safari from there.
Would you like a swimming pool at your hotel? This hotel has a nice pool and is also on the edge of the park and in the middle of the greenery.
Coming & Going Thekkady
Thekkady – Kochi
Kochi is 150 km from Thekkady. This does take about 4.5 hours to drive through the mountainous region of Kerala. This coastal town is great fun to visit. Read all about it.
Thekkady – Varkala Beach
From Thekkady to Varkala beach is 180 km but also about a 5-hour drive. In Varkala beach, I concluded my tour with a few days of relaxing at the beach. Read about the rituals that saw on the beach.
Want to read more about India?
Kumbhalgarh Fort & Jain Temple Ranakpur – Ghanerao, Rajasthan
Need to see Highlights Pushkar – Rajasthan
Visit the famous Dharavi Slum – Biggest Mumbai Slum
Visit the Blue City of Rajasthan – Jodhpur
Jacomijn is een politieagent uit Nederland die jou graag laat zien hoe je veilig, actief en gezond de wereld kan over reizen. Safe and Healthy travel is a MUST
all good when end good
Great point you make there. good POST.. I like your perspective on this subject.
Thanxs for sharing with all of us .
You definitely should!! It was great!
I loved it!!
Periyar National Park is also known as Periyar Tiger Reserve and this can been seen from your images. Hope u enjoyed..
Periyar Tiger Reserve, the images are really thrilling, I see how hard you want to see the Tiger, but I hope you’ll surely see it again.. and I should give a visit this national Park too..
Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
Keep Posting:)
Thank you! I wish I had seen a tiger? I will come back one day!!
Thanks for such an informative post. The post has been very helpful to understand the actual wild life and the current situation of tiger in the country.
Thank you!! I loved it too and if I go back I would do an overnight stay in hope to see the tiger!!
thnks for sharing such nice post with us , i really like the Periyar NP
Thank you! I really loved the Periyar NP and my experience with the dancing cobras…. I will never forget that!
This is such a useful information for wildlife enthusiasts who visit Periyar National Park. Very detailed and amazing photography. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much!! I really enjoyed my visit and loved to see those cobras!! That really was the best safari experience I had in India!!
Very well written with beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing such a useful information about Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Thank you for your comment!! It was a great trip!!
Really nice post!
Scenery around there was excellent. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I actually don’t know for sure but I thought it was to mark spots and leave a scent? Thank you for reading and responding. And Yes!! I saw a lot and was very excited about it!!
What an awesome experience! You saw everything BUT tigers! I guide in Alaska and we often see claw marks on trees by bears just like the ones you saw from tigers. Do you know why they do it? It would be interesting to know it is the same reason bears scratch the trees.