Periyar Tiger Trail

Name	Periyar Tiger Trail	Location	Thekkady, The Hill Country
Type	2 or 3 day trips	Country	India: Kerala
Price Guide	Trip: £100 -155 pp per night, FB	Open

AT A GLANCE If you thought trekking in the South Indian jungles, camping out under the stars and sneaking up on wild elephants was something you’d only see in the movies, then join a group of adventurous travellers on the Periyar Tiger Trail. Led by a small team of highly experienced guides – who have quit their former jobs as poachers of tigers, elephants and plants such as sandalwood and teak – you’ll hike into cool, green forests and out again into vast, sunny meadows; and hang out with an astounding array of wildlife including elephants, sambar deer, birds like the brilliant blue kingfisher and the great pied hornbill, and more than 100 species of butterflies. Oh yes, you might also catch a glimpse of one of Periyar’s 41 protected tigers, too. Tourindia is the only operator certified by the Kerala Forests Authority to participate in this unique ecotourism programme, which takes guests for a 2 night/3 day or 1 night/2 day trek into one of India’s most spectacular nature reserves.
HIGHS The sounds of the jungle, the night sky with a million stars, walking in the footprints of elephants, deer, boar, tigers and birds in the dried mud along the lake, campfires and fireflies, the guides’ intimate knowledge of the wildlife and terrain (and how safe you feel under their protection). Maximum group size of 5 tourists.	LOWS Someone forgot to pack coffee, making our mornings a bit tough. The hot, relentless sun. You won’t bathe for three days, so be prepared to get grimy and sweaty; no one told us about proper wilderness toilet techniques. Camping facilities are very simple and tourists are expected to carry their own travel kits.
DISTANCES Airport: 230 km Nearest Shops: 0.5 km Nearest restaurant: 0.5 km Beach: 260 km

ITINERARIES

Tourindia offers a 3-day/2-night trek and a 2-day/1-night trek for groups of 2 to 5 people. The evening before the trek starts, a representative of Tourindia meets you at your hotel to brief you and answer any questions you might have. You will walk at least 8-12 kms per day, and witness the forest take on a new personality as day becomes evening. The campsite shifts depending on the season, and no two treks are alike. Day 1: Tourindia picks you up at your hotel before noon. At the forest station, you’re given a sleeping bag and a 2-litre bottle of water to carry in addition to your own backpack; after a round of introductions, you’ll be asked to sign a release, although Tourindia provides basic insurance coverage. In addition to up to five guests, the group includes around five experienced guides and an armed, uniformed forest officer. At least two of the trekking staff speak English. The trek starts at around noon, and takes the group along the lake shore, in sunny open areas and through jungles and forests. Around three hours later, you’ll reach the campsite (the guides shift the location of the campsites periodically depending on the seasons and other factors), where a guide prepares snacks and tea. After a comfortable rest, the guides set up the campsite while the trekkers prepare for a two-hour afternoon hike, this time unencumbered by heavy packs. Carrying only your camera or binoculars and a bottle of water, you’ll explore new corners of the jungle as the shadows lengthen and twilight approaches. Dinner, at around 8 p.m., is a full South Indian vegetarian feast, served up on a stainless steel thali with plenty of crispy pappadums and fresh fruit to go along with it. Later, drink tea by the campfire and share jokes and stories of your day with your companions. Day 2: After a cup of chai and a piece of fruit, the trekkers will make their first exploration of the day, from around 9 to 10:30 a.m. Return to the campsite for breakfast, and pack your gear. After another 2-1/2 to 3-hour hike to the second campsite, you will again drop off your gear and go on a third walk, in search of evening wildlife. Dinner is around 8 or 9, and if you can still manage to keep your eyes open by then, you can take in the constellations above. Day 3: Arise at around 7, take a morning trek and return to the camp for breakfast, pack up your gear and start your walk back to the forest office headquarters. You will be back by around 12 or 12:30. For the 2 day/1 night trek, day 2 of the above description is excluded.

LODGING

Sleeping The guides tote a 2 and a 3-person tent for the guests, plus sleeping mats, but guests are expected to carry their sleeping bags (furnished by Tourindia). The tents are quite nice Western imports, with windows and mosquito netting. Inflatable pillows are furnished too, but ours went flat before morning. The guides take turns standing guard at night, because curious animals can present a real concern. Since two guides are awake at any one time (good!), you may be kept awake by their chatter (not so good!). As it may take you from five to seven hours to reach Thekkady, it’s advisable to reach there a day before your trek is scheduled to start. We highly recommend that you stay at Shalimar Spice Garden in Thekkady. Hidden in 5 acres of cool, landscaped gardens are 12 very stylish thatched cottages. With a swimming pool and Ayurvedic centre on offer, Shalimar Sprice Garden is a wonderfully relaxing retreat to indulge in before setting off into the wilds of the jungle. Thekkady is about a 10-minute autorickshaw ride from the park entrance. Eating Forget what you knew about camping food -- these guys lay on quite an impressive spread considering that all their ingredients and equipment is trekked in, atop the heads of the guides. All the food served on the trek is vegetarian. A typical meal might feature sambhar (a spicy lentil soup) over rice, accompanied by okra, green beans and cabbage stewed with coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves; plus pappadums, fresh fruit, biscuits and chai. Breakfast is substantial and protein-packed (though you won’t eat breakfast till around 10 or 10:30 a.m., after a two-hour hike). We feasyed on channa dal (chickpea curry), puris (fried whole wheat flatbread), bananas, biscuits and chai. Plenty of drinking water is always available. The guides boil the lake water, and add a few sprigs of a locally grown Ayurvedic herb called pathimugam to purify it. The herb doesn’t impart much of a taste, but it does color the water bright red!

Vegetarian Options

ACTIVITIES

Test your knowledge of Indian wildlife Ask the guides to reveal the secret perfumes of the forest, from sandalwood to cinnamon to orchids Swap stories about your Indian travels with your companions over a cup of chai in front of a roaring campfire Watch the guides cook and see if they’ll share their recipes with you Tickle the touch-me-not plants growing everywhere you step Soak your feet in the lake at the end of a long day of hiking Take lots of photographs Question the guides on anything about the animals and plants; they’re a treasure trove of fascinating information Try to spot the trees used by tigers to sharpen their claws (hint: look for the alarmingly red sap and 7-foot-high slash marks!) Try not to dwell on the spooky animals you don’t want to encounter (such as spider nests and the occasional cobra

Trekking Birdwatching Nature Reserves Plantlife / Flora Safaris Wildlife Great Journeys

FEATURES

The Guides What makes the Periyar Tiger Trail unique is its use of ex-poachers as guides. Some used to hunt animals, but most used to cut down or strip protected trees, such as teak, sandal, rosewood, and cinnamon. In their new jobs as guides they help ensure that their families no longer face censure in the community, and indeed now these ex-poachers are considered role models. Although their current pay is less than their poaching income, Tourindia, the Kerala Forest Department and the local government Eco-Development Committee contribute to a health and education fund for their children. When you’re strolling under the ficus and giant teak trees, and your guide abruptly tells you to stop and crouch, pointing urgently in the direction of thick undergrowth at a mother and baby elephant you never would have noticed otherwise, that’s when you know you’re in capable hands. Some of these men have paced these narrow trails for 15 years and they know every root, every turn, every termite mound. They’re friendly, warm, competent and thoroughly professional, and the group is as diverse as Kerala itself -- Muslims, Christians and Hindus work side by side. An armed forest officer accompanies most groups to check for signs of any possible poaching activity. The Wildlife You’ll see an awe-inspiring array of abundant wildlife on this trip. Some of the mammals you might encounter include the tiger, elephant, lion-tailed macaque, otter, Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel, sloth bear and Nilgiri tahr; wild boar, sambar deer, wild bison, leopard and mongoose. Birds you’re likely to see (and hear!) include the Great Indian Hornbill, graceful rocket-tailed drongo, jungle fowl, osprey, cormorant, snakebird, great egret, magpie, red-vested bulbul, babbler, oriole, Brahmani kite, three varieties of kingfisher and myna. Snakes (including cobras, vipers and kraits) can also be found in the park, as can the metre-long monitor lizard and several varities of frogs. Butterflies and fireflies are abundant. Periyar is home to more than 145 varieties of orchids, and the guides will point out fascinating plantlife including the huge jackfruit, which grows off the sides of tall trees; plus ficus, sandalwood, banyan, cinnamon, guava trees, teak, rosewood, wild turmeric, gooseberry and pepper. The Park The Periyar Tiger Reserve, located in the mountains of the Western Ghats in southern Kerala, encompasses over 777 square kms of forest up to an elevation of 2000 metres. Less than 10 degrees north of the equator, the park can get quite hot during the pre-monsoon months. At the heart of the reserve is a huge man-made lake formed a century ago by the damming of the River Periyar. The trees that were submerged by the lake now stand bare and silent in the water, adding a Dali-esque feel to the landscape that is weirdly beautiful. 500,000 people visit the reserve each year, but a maximum of only 20 guests per week are allowed to make the Periyar Tiger Trail trek deep into the forest. Periyar is a popular destination for busloads of school children and tour buses packed with music-blaring, trash-tossing holidaymakers, so the only way to really experience it fully is to get as far away from the people as possible. While on the trek, you won’t see or hear any other two-legged creatures save one or two tribal fishermen working silently at dawn on Periyar lake.

Ecotourism

REVIEWS

"The tiger trail programme has proved an agent for positive change -providing a brighter future both for the ex-offenders and for this valuable stretch of rain forest." Turning Poachers into Tour Guides, Green Hotelier, November 2001 "We are in the lush, cool jungle of the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kumily.......Hush! Huge Hornbills could be hiding somewhere atop that tree on your left. Rare Sambar deer could flash off from your shadow......Suddenly, the guards freeze." Chasing the Big Cat, Joshua Newton, Silk Air magazine, March/April 2002

GUEST REVIEWS Activity 53.333333333333% Room/Food 46.666666666667% Service/Experience 46.666666666667% Value For Money 33.333333333333% Average 46.666666666667 % VISITOR REVIEWS "We had a fantastic time on the Tiger Trek, all thanks to the wonderful guides, what characters, what knowledge, all made for an unforgettable experience. No tiger, a print near to the camp no less, but plenty of elephants, a sloth bear, bison, wild boar, giant leaping squirrel, langur monkey... what more wildlife could one ask for. (the charging, angry elephant was not required tho!) Makes you appreciate that you really are in the wild. Bring a really good camera and binoculars. Do it!" jo, United Kingdom(13.02.04)

TIPS

Who goes	Most trekkers are between 20 and 45, and in reasonably good physical condition. That said, I am a somewhat out-of-shape city girl who thought I couldn’t survive without air-conditioning and a mobile phone and I found myself having one of the greatest experiences of my life. A sense of humour and easy-going nature does help. There are between 2 and 5 people per trip. Children Not suitable for children.
When to go	Trekkers are welcome year round. The best time is from November to mid February when the air is cool and comfortable, but elephants are a bit harder to spot. From mid-February to May, the weather can get quite humid and hot in open areas, but the lake beckons thirsty animals so your chances of seeing wildlife are greater. Monsoon season hits in June/July and again (but more mildly) in September and October. The jungle is gloriously green at that time and the streams are full, but camping and hiking is tougher during this time - you will need to watch out for mud and leeches. Women, when scheduling the trek, keep in mind that there are no bathing facilities at all.
How long for	We highly recommend you choose the 3-day trek, although it’s much more challenging and strenuous, for several reasons. First, your chances of spotting rare wildlife is greater the longer you’re out there; plus, it’s a three-hour hike (fully loaded with gear) just to reach your campsite the first day. The longer trip allows you more down-time to relax, and to explore without a heavy pack on. In addition, when you consider that it takes from five to seven hours just to reach Periyar, you will want to make your time there really count. Trust us on this, you won’t miss your TV or the Indian traffic.
What to take	A small backpack as you’ll be carrying your own clothes. You will be given a sleeping bag in a sack, and a 2-liter bottle of water before you go. Torch Insect repellent and sunscreen Light-weight long sleeved shirts and trousers and comfortable well-fitting shoes or boots; extra socks. Clothes should be in dark or natural tones; no white, red or bright colors, please. Hiking shoes aren’t necessary, but comfortable shoes are. Extras you might consider include a cotton dhoti or sarong, and a cheap shawl (available at most Indian bazaars) which can double as a pillow or sweater. During the rainy season, you may want to bring plastic bags and rubber bands to cover your shoes. If it’s leech season, the guides will furnish snap-on leg coverings for below the knee. Hat or cap Binoculars Washcloth A book on Indian wildlife and birds Antiseptic cream, for the inevitable bug bites and assorted scratches Unscented products whenever available. The animals will smell you before they see you anyway, but you stand a better chance of blending in if you leave the deodorant and hair mousse at home. You won’t be near a shower or a bath for three days, but you will be able to wash your hands and face. You will be given a slim, padded mat for under your sleeping bag, but some visitors bring their own air mattresses as well. Remember, bring only what you can carry.
Getting there	By car, Kumily town is around 3.5 hours from Madurai, 5 hrs. from Cochin or 7 hrs. from Trivandrum. Taxis are around £22-30 one way from Cochin to Thekkady. It’s a gorgeous drive, up winding roads that pass through Kerala tea plantations. There is a Rs. 50 entry fee to get into the park (park gates close at 6 p.m. daily) More on getting to Kerala and getting around.

BOOKING

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