The Periyar wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkady is an important tourist attraction. It is situated on the Periyar lake in the hills of Western Ghats and is the finest sanctuary for viewing & photographing Indian wild elephants.
Altitude: 900 m to 2000 meters, Temperature: (deg C) Summer- Max 29, Min 18. Winter- Max 21, Min 15.5., Rainfall: 203 cms (June to October), Best Season: September to May.
Places of Interest: Indian Wild Elephants, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Tigers, Panthers, Wild Dogs, Bison, Spotted deer, Leopard, Musk deer. Wildlife can be seen in its natural habitat by cruising on the lake in motorboats.
Excursions: Forest Arubi creek- 16 kms, Crusoe Island- 19 kms, Manakkavala- 10 kms, Mullakudy- 29 km Pavarasu 19- kms, Periyar Dam- 12 kms, Thannikudy- 38 kms, Peermade- 40 kms.
Reach - By Air: Nearest airport is Madurai- 140 kms connected with Madras, Trichy & Bangalore. By Rail: Bodinayakanur- 67 kms, Kottayam- 114 kms. By Rail: Cochin- 190 kms, Idikki- 66 kms, Kodaikanal- 160 kms, Madurai- 145 kms, Munnar- 113 kms, Trivandrum- 272 kms, Kottayam- 114 kms.
