Periyar – Pause Breath and Relax


For some reason, the green is different in Kerala. The leaves,
the trees, they are this bright, fresh green that you don’t really see anywhere else. It soothes you on the beautiful, five hour long drive from Kochi to Periyar, or mostly known as Thekaddy. Cities and buildings morph into mountains and valleys, into pineapple farms and spice plantations. 

Lots and lots of spice plantations. That’s when you realize that there’s more to Periyar than the famous Tiger reserve. Look out for gorgeous pepper plants creeping up the trunks of trees along the way. The spice trade in this part of the country dates back thousands of years and it was only a matter of time before it became a really popular tourist draw.



Spice walks are famous in Periyar. Stop at Spring Valley, a little outside Periyar and ask anyone for Abraham’s Spice Garden, the oldest spice garden in Periyar. Walks through Periyar will realy rejuvenate yourself and take you back to the history of spices in India. Stroll through plantations of Cardamom, pepper, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, different types of chilly, and fun orchid, called “dancing dolls” because of the shape of the flower. The enjoyable part about his tour was when you pluck small bits of the plants and putting them in your hands so that by the end you have got a little pot pourri experience in your palm.


If you are interested in seeing a spice auction, find your way to the Auction center in Puttadi, around 20 Kms from there. It’s the center of one of the largest auction for cardamom in the world. You can watch live auction taking place and take a walk around the spice plantations. A guided walk and a spice store are being planned for tourist at puttadi.

For people in need of more adventurous walks, the Periyar Tiger Reserve has some really great environmental programs. From nature walks to tiger safaris and boating trails the reserve is spread over 777sqkm, and has part of its buffer zone specifically allotted for tourism and environmental awareness. Try the bamboo rafting, trek a long strenuous walk through the forest. Unfortunately, wildlife is very rarely visible as much of the actual forest is core area. 

The most you will see are bison, deer, Malabar frogs, if you are lucky, elephants, and if you are truly lucky then tigers. The walk is lovely with lunch and coffee breaks, through the leisurely three-hour glide on the long bamboo rafts can get monotonous after a bit. Man made Periyar lake in the reserve is truly gorgeous, with tree stumps reaching out to the sky across the large water body. You could catch a little more of the local culture in the evenings at the Kadathanadan kalari center; the kalaripayattu performances showcases talent from all over Kerala.


The nice thing about Periyar is that though there’s little to do fun treks and spice walks fill your days with laidback attitude and gorgeous surroundings, Periyar makes you pause. If that’s what you need it’s just what the doctor ordered. So come breath and feel the aroma of Periyar.

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