India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [247]
ESSENTIALS
VISITOR INFORMATION All Periyar Tiger Reserve inquiries should be made through the Divisional Forest Office, Thekkady ( 04869/22-2027; Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, closed second Sat of the month). Note that entry to the park costs Rs 300 and is only open between 6am and 6pm. Easiest by far is to ask your hotel to make arrangements; all the resorts will book and transfer you to the KTDC-arranged excursions (see “Periyar Tiger Reserve,” below).
In Munnar, the Tourist Information Centre ( 04865/23-1516;www.munnar.com; Mon–Sat 9am–7pm) in Old Munnar is relatively helpful.
GETTING THERE From Kochi Periyar/Thekaddy is a 4-hour drive east of Kochi, a long but (once you’re beyond the city limits) enjoyable drive that traverses mountain roads ascending 900m (2,952 ft.) above sea level. Munnar is about 5 hours from Kochi (and a 2- to 3-hr. drive north of Periyar), and another beautiful drive; you’ll pass tea plantations and spice-growing embankments and drive through lovely sections of forest. Do the drive in the monsoon season and you’ll witness some spectacular waterfalls, too.
From Madurai, Tamil Nadu Both Munnar and Thekkady lie around 4 hours away from Madurai; if you’re really in a hurry, Munnar will shave a few minutes off.
Note: Traveling by bus is arduous and time consuming, at worst hair-raising, but if you want to save money, this is the way to go.
GETTING AROUND You can pick up a ride on a auto-rickshaw or taxi almost anywhere in the Periyar area, with hordes of vehicles waiting at the bus stand. Overcharging foreigners is common; try to ascertain from your hotel what the going rate for a particular route is, and bargain upfront. Taxicabs and auto-rickshaws are readily available in and around Munnar, or you can arrange a car and driver through your hotel.
WHERE TO STAY EN ROUTE TO KERALA’S HIGHLANDS
With 4 to 6 hours of endlessly enchanting scenery between Kerala’s coast and the Western Ghats which form a natural border with Tamil Nadu, there’s nothing to stop you from simply racing to your destination at the entrance to the Periyar Reserve or in the highlands tea country around Munnar. But that would be a complete shame, since there are a handful of utterly captivating places to bed down along the way—more than that, these are may very well be the highlight of your trip, and very relaxing spots, indeed.
Paradisa Plantation Retreat We wouldn’t dream of coming to Kerala without spending a night here: About 90 minutes from Periyar’s entrance, with stupendous views of the reserve’s forested hills from its elevated position on an old spice plantation, this is as peaceful as it gets. Equally uplifting is the cuisine—there is no menu per se but plate after plate is carried into the open-air dining area where, with luck, the charming and urbane owner Simon Paulose will be holding court. There’s always more than you can possibly eat, but eat you will, because you will never taste this exact combination of exquisite home-cooked flavors again, more’s the pity (though guests are welcome to spend time in the kitchen, learning how to reconstruct the retreat’s delicious meals, and a recipe book may be forthcoming). Accommodation is just what you’d expect from a retreat: gorgeous, and very, very private—salvaged traditional Keralan teak houses, all making the most of the unobstructed views of the rolling green hillsides.
Murinjapuzha P.O. Idukki District, Kerala 685 532. 04869/288-119 or 0944/7088-119. Reservations: 0469/270-1311 or 0469/260-2828.