Athirappalli Waterfalls
The most
famous waterfalls of Kerala, Athirappalli and Vazhachal are situated on the Chalakudy River,
which originates from the upper reaches of the Western Ghats. At the entrance
to the Sholayar ranges is the largest waterfall in Kerala, Athirapally, which
stands tall at 80 feet. Just a short drive from Athirapally, the Vazhachal
waterfall is close to dense green forests that are home to many endangered and
endemic species of flora and fauna. The waterfalls are located on the edge of
the Sholayar forest ranges are just 5 km apart. This is the only place in the
Western Ghats where four endangered Hornbill species are seen.
Athirappilly
is popular among tourists. Athirappilly Falls is one of the best places to visit in Kerala.
Another popular waterfall to visit is the Vazhachal Falls. Athirappilly Falls is a part of Chalakudy river and
it is approximately 80 feet in height. Athirappilly is easily reachable fromChalakudy by taking a vehicle for rent or by bus
from the Chalakudy private bus terminal.
Proper
precautions are taken on site to prevent mishaps while swimming and a police
camp is always positioned there. Athirappilly is situated on SH-21 highway connecting Tamil Nadu and
Kerala, night driving is not advised. But you can enjoy the adventurous drive
in the middle of jungle
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, is the best-known wildlife sanctuary in south India,is a protected area in the districts of Idukki and
Pathanamthitta in Kerala, south India. It is notable as an elephant reserve and a tiger reserve. The protected area covers an
area of 925 km2 (357 sq mi).
350 km2 (140 sq mi)
of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982.
The
park is often called the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary or Thekkady. It is located
high in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the southern Western Ghats along the border with Tamil Nadu. It is 4 km (2.5 mi) from Kumily,
approximately 100 km (62 mi) east of Kottayam,
110 km (68 mi) west of Madurai and 120 km (75 mi) southeast
of Kochi
Periyar is really famous for its wild
elephants, 100-year-old artificial lake and its setting in the beautiful
thickly forested Western ghats. This is not your best shot at spotting the
Bengal Tiger considering there are less than 40 of them that inhabit an area of
777sq.km but there's plenty of other animals like the Nilgiri langoor, Nilgiri
tahr, bison, deer, antelope and about 700 elephants to make the trip
worthwhile.
The Periyar Tiger Reserve
consists of tropical evergreen, semi- evergreen and moist deciduous forests.
Its legal status as a National Park is still pending and only one notification
has been issued. It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1978 and the first
research started in 1991. The results indicate 49 species of mammals, 246
species of birds, 28 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 22 species
of fishes and 112 species of butterflies. The core area is 350 sq.kms. The final
notification of the buffer area is pending. The national park and the tiger
reserve is rated as one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India for wildlife
photography, bird watching, elephant herds and tiger watching.
Some of the deeper valleys contain tropical evergreen forest
with extremely thick tree cover that even bright sunlight finds hard to
penetrate. These trees that have grown to amazing heights of up to 130-140 feet
seems to having being there forever. The few level areas in the park contain
marshy grasslands near the edges of the lake and other water bodies. Spread out
Apart from Elephants, the other animals to be seen in the Periyar sanctuary Kerala are Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog and very rarely, a Tiger. There are, now, an estimated 40 tigers in the Periyar national Park. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Gee's Golden Langur, Common Langur And Bonnet Macaque. Periyar also happens to be the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which is rarely to be seen
Apart from Elephants, the other animals to be seen in the Periyar sanctuary Kerala are Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog and very rarely, a Tiger. There are, now, an estimated 40 tigers in the Periyar national Park. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Gee's Golden Langur, Common Langur And Bonnet Macaque. Periyar also happens to be the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which is rarely to be seen
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