India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [250]
Note: All trails are run by the park, so while there are tour operators offering Periyar Trails excursions, all you essentially get by booking through them is an additional middleman fee (though you might think the $30-odd additional charge worth it if you’re struggling to contact the park or get confirmation on your booking). If you prefer to go this way, contact Trivandrum-based TourIndia ( 0471/232-8070 or 0471/233-1507; www.tourindiakerala.com; tourindia@vsnl.com), which charges $170 per person for the 2-night trail, subject to a two-person minimum. If you have any special interests, such as ornithology, TourIndia will make arrangements to have a specialist guide you.
Where to Stay & Dine
With the exception of the atmospheric KTDC Lake Palace, which is inside the park, visitors to Periyar are limited to accommodations that lie within a few minutes of each other along Thekkady Road (which links nearby Kumily with the park gate). Of these, we like the more intimate, unkempt, and jungly atmosphere of Shalimar Spice Garden (see below), but the eco-pioneering chain, CGH Earth, has done fantastic things with Spice Village (also reviewed below), and is a great option if you prefer things superneat and tidy, efficient service, and an array of facilities. If you’re just passing through and looking for a cheap, excellent Indian meal, the restaurant at Hotel Ambadi (www.hotelambadi.com) is the place. Packed to capacity with domestic tourists, it offers superb value (the most expensive items are half a chicken for around Rs 100 and prawns for Rs 125), delicious (very spicy) food, and surly service. Alternatively, if you just want to snack on croissants and tea or coffee, make your way to the pleasant little cafe at Wildernest (see below), where breakfast should cost you around Rs 100.
KTDC Lake Palace The sense of escaping the hustling around Thekkady (Periyar’s commercialized entrance) kicks in as soon as you take the 15-minute boat ride across Periyar Lake to reach a forested peninsula, inhabited only by a handful of staff, fellow guests, and assorted wildlife. Occupying its own promontory, this is by no means a palace but a lovely low-slung stone, wood, and tile-roofed bungalow—the former game lodge of the Maharajah of Travancore. The best reason to book is for the sense of exclusivity (it takes a maximum of 12 guests and is very popular, so book well in advance) and the remote setting, best enjoyed from the wraparound veranda; you’re likely to spot a variety of game and plenty of birds. The six “deluxe” guest suites are spotlessly clean and wonderfully old-fashioned, with a few pieces of antique teak furniture, including four-poster twin or double beds. Don’t expect luxury or high levels of service, but do look forward to peace and tranquillity; bring books, and arrange a predawn wakeup call and guide to take you into the forest on foot.
Within Periyar Tiger Reserve Sanctuary. Reservations: Aranya Nivas and Lake Palace, Thekkady 685 536. 04869/22-2024. Fax 04869/22-2282. www.ktdc.com. aranyanivas@sancharnet.in. 6 units. Oct–Nov, Mar–June 14 and Aug–Sept Rs 16,000–Rs 20,000 double; Dec–Feb Rs 20,000–Rs 25,000 double; June 15–July Rs 10,000–Rs 15,000 double. Rates include all meals and boating. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; boat cruises; room service. In room: TV.
Shalimar Spice Garden This laid-back resort, situated on a 2.4-hectare (6-acre) plantation, offers the most enchanting accommodations in the Periyar area. Scattered over a landscaped terraced