Introduction
Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most celebrated wildlife sanctuary of India. Located in Western Ghats in the southern Indian state of Kerala, the park offers a very captivating landscape and flora and fauna. Sprawling over an area of 777 sq km, the houses a 26 sq km core area consisting of a picturesque lake. The lake in Periyar is central attractions. It offers a complete animals world with lots of recreational options.


Quick Facts
Area : 777 sq km
Established : 1,950
Altitude : 900-2000 m
Languages : English, Malayalam
Climate : 21oC to 24oC (Summer), 19 oC to 21oC (Monsoon)
Best time : October to June

Attractions within the park
Animals in the park
Periyar has around 62 species of mammal, which also include some highly threatened ones. Some animals in the park are gaur, sambar (horse deer), barking deer, mouse deer, Dholes (Indian wild dogs), mongoose, lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, leopards and Nilgiri tahr.

Elephants in the park
Periyar is world wide known for the Indian elephants. The herd of elephants can be seen carrying logs in their trunks or bating and showering waters by the Periyar Lake. Presently, there are around 900 to 1000 elephant.

Birds in the park
The lush greenery and a lake in the park has attracted a wide variety of exotic birds. There are around 320 kinds of birds which include both migratory as well as native. Some famous birds are darters, cormorants, kingfishers, the great Malabar hornbill and racket-tailed drongos.

Reptiles and Amphibians in the park
The park has 45 different kinds of reptile which include 30 snake, two turtle, and 13 lizard species. Monitor lizards and Python and a King Cobra are very common to view. It has 27 different kinds of amphibians, out of them 10 are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Fish and insects in the park
The water bodies in the protected area have 38 different fish types, of which 4 are endemic to the Western Ghats. The artificial lake has two introduced species : the tilapia originally from Africa and the carps introduced from Europe. The park has 160 different kinds of insects.

Flora in the park
A large part of the park is covered with evergreen or semi evergreen rain forests. Some popular tree species in park are Vateria indica, Cullenia exarillata, Hopea parviflora, Canarium strictum, Artocarpus hirsutus and Bischofia javanica.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Air/Rail/Road Links

Airport :	Cochin International airport (200 km) and Madurai Domestic Airport (140 km) are the nearest airports.
Railway Station :	Kottayam 117 km away is the nearest railhead and offers regular rail services to all important cities of south India.
Bus Station :	The park is extensively connected by bus from the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram (271 km), as well as the cities of Cochin, Kottayam and Madurai.
Local :	There ply plenty of government operated buses as well as privately run buses. Taxi and car are other options to reach the park from various south Indian cities.

Places to stay at Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Good accommodation facilities are available inside and outside the park. You can have here luxury as well as budget hotels. Some forests lodges and wildlife resorts are :

Other attractions in and around Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Visit to Tribal Villages
Some villages of tribal people are located in close proximity to the park. These people are engaged in traditional honey collecting, farming and fishing.

Recreational activities at Periyar
Periyar offers lots of enjoyment and recreational things to do. Swimming, boating, angling, fishing, trekking, nature walk, tiger safari, jungle safari, etc.

Mangla Devi Temple
This is a famous Hindu temple located in the dense forests. Reaching to the temple by trekking through the passages in dense forests is highly exhilarating.