India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (156 page)

You need to be moderately fit for the trail; you’ll walk between 20km and 35km (12–22 miles), and there are (this being the great outdoors) no luxuries or conveniences along the way. The chances of spotting a tiger are slim at best, but you’ll almost certainly come across elephants, wild pigs, sambar, black monkeys, wild dogs, and bison, and when you’re not trekking to your next campsite, you’ll be relaxing under forest cover or alongside a lake tributary. Meals are wholesome, authentic Kerala vegetarian fare: sweet chai and pleasant snack lunches served on silver trays with the grass for a tablecloth and a beetle symphony as background. Toilet functions are performed in the great outdoors. Each trail is limited to five visitors, with very limited departures each week, so reserve well in advance, particularly in peak (winter) season, when it is often booked a year in advance. The trek starts between 8 and 9am, so you’ll have to stay near the park the previous night—your last taste of luxury before hitting the great outdoors. At press time the 1-night trail is Rs 3,000 per person (Rs 5,000 if you happen to be the only person on the trail), and the 2-night trail is Rs 5,000 (or Rs 7,500 if you’re alone). For bookings or information, contact [email protected] or call
04869/22-4571
or visit
www.periyartigerreserve.org
.

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
; [email protected]), 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
. [email protected]. 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 hillock behind the chic lobby (a converted 300-year-old traditional
pathayam,
or granary), granite and pebble pathways lead to the thatch-roofed cottages with cool interiors—very basically furnished, but with polished terraces from where you can listen to the rustling forest sounds; outside and in, the scents of plantation spices and fruit fill the air. Cottage interiors feature whitewashed walls—there’s no art, but terra-cotta tile floors, unusual lamps and lots of dark wood offset by beautifully colored fabric keep things interesting; a few have stained glass and breezy loggias. There was a strong commitment to the environment during construction, and today rainwater is harvested and water recycled, and the kitchen uses only organic farm produce—bathroom amenities and laundry products are also organic. And, thanks to a new chef, service has improved, but if it’s still slow, grin and bear it—the location is so lovely that you simply have to adapt to the pace and enjoy it.

Murikkady P.O., Kumily, Idukki 685 535.
04869/22-2132
or -3232. Fax 04869/22-3022.
www.shalimarkerala.net
. [email protected]. 18 units, some with tubs. Oct 15–Mar Rs 7,500–Rs 10,000 elegant room double, Rs 10,000–Rs 12,500 Kerala cottage double, Rs 12,500–Rs 15,000 elegant cottage double, Rs 15,000–Rs 17,500 Honeymoon cottage double, Rs 3,750 extra adult, Rs 2,500 per child; Apr–Oct 14 Rs 6,000 elegant room double, Rs 7,000 Kerala cottage double, Rs 8,000 elegant cottage double, Rs 10,000 Honeymoon cottage double, Rs 1,500 extra adult, Rs 750 per child. Children under 6 free without extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 15% tax extra. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant, lounge, reading room w/small library and TV, bar service; airport transfers (Rs 3,500–Rs 4,000); Ayurvedic center; large outdoor pool; yoga. In room: Heater, Wi-Fi (Rs 150/hr.).

Spice Village
Alive with the fragrance of lemon grass, this huge “rustic village” resort is the most professionally run in the area, with groomed grounds, well-maintained bungalows, and the best staff-to-guest ratio in Thekaddy. Spread over a huge area around a network of pathways and intersections, the whitewashed cottages are very pretty, each one topped with thatch—a swell of thick elephant grass propped up by slim timber poles. Interiors are spacious but simply furnished (no need to shell out for the “deluxe” units unless you want more privacy and a bathtub). From the moment you arrive, staff is eager to please: They arrange guided plantation tours, Periyar excursions, excellent Ayurvedic spa, and various cultural and wildlife activities, including the services of qualified naturalists. With an organic farm, vermi composting site, and paper-making center, you know you’re supporting eco-friendly policies—you can also help by frequenting the carbon-neutral restaurant.