5 Best Places to Visit in Thekkady, Kerala

If you are in search of the ultimate virgin lush greeneries of Kerala, Thekkady might be your one stop solution for all. Surrounded by lush greenery and serenity of nature, Thekkady is one of the unspoiled places of Kerala. Not many tourists visit Thekkady but your Kerala trip would be incomplete without Thekkady. So, if you are planning to visit this amazing place, you surely need an updated travel guide to make your way through.

If rich wildlife and lush greenery is your calling when vacationing, Thekkady in the rolling hills of Western Ghats is a must visit spot for you. There are sprawling spice gardens and glistening backwaters. You can hear the chirps of migratory birds and witness the winter flowers in bloom. February is one of the best months to visit Thekkady in Kerala for nature-lovers and wildlife travel enthusiasts around the world.

Tea, coffee and cardamom plantations – Thekkady is famous for these three. You can take strolls through the streets or you can have a walk through the narrow ways of the coffee or tea plantation as well. You can visit the Mangaladevi temple and the Abraham's Spice Garden to enjoy the pleasant smell and see a large variety of organic farming.

Other attractions nearby are Chellarkovil, Murikkady and Anakkara. It is a stunningly beautiful tropical paradise in the deep south and cut for a holiday from India. Sparkling water, vast beaches and a lot of huge nangka trees and cashew trees full of ripening fruits — if you’re looking for a paradise oasis, far away from the hustle and bustle and noise of the rest of India, you should be here.

A trek through the Blue Mountains of Western Ghats is highly recommended, the waterfalls of Athirapally are of exceptional beauty. Cross the surrounding lagoons — or follow the Vallam Kali boat race held every August. The food is spicy as usual, so keep some coconut milk handy to put out the fire of your taste buds.

Thekkady is most sought after honeymoon destination. If you are searching for a romantic destination, then Thekkady is the destination you should visit. Filled with lush greenery and stunning hilltops all around, honeymoon in Thekkady will offer a captivating experience that will win your hearts.



Let us have a look at some of the tourist places to visit in Thekkady.

1. Periyar Lake

Thekkady is one of the most visited tourist places in South India. It is famous for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary where you can enjoy bamboo rafting. You can can spend some time near the banks of Periyar river and enjoy the greenery around you.

The famous martial art centre of Thakkady is Kadathanadan! This place is famous for its unique Kerala martial art named Kalaripayattu. This is the place where you can get the first hand experience in martial art. With a ticket of Rs 200, you can enter this place and watch people honing their skills.

2. Sabarimala

Sabarimala temple of Ayyappa is located on top of a hill in Periyar Tiger Reserve. The best way to explore the Periyar Tiger Reserve would be to take a boat ride on Lake Periyar. Vehicles are only allowed up to the Pamba River. Upon reaching the Pamba River, devotees begin a steep hike on the Neelimala mountain trail.

Perunthenaruvi is a wonderful waterfall located 44 km from Thiruvalla and 26 km from Pathanamthitta. It is ideal for day trips and around green forests gives a spectacular experience for visitors. Perunthanaruvi Waterfalls is calm and peaceful and the only disturbance will be the intense noise of the waterfalls. It is not a better place to take your children.

The rocks were slippery and swimming is forbidden in the waterfalls and this place is not kid friendly. The best time to visit the Perunthenaruvi waterfalls is during the months of March, April, May, June, July, and August. There is also another scenic spot called Panamkudantha Aruvi, 1 km from the Perunthanaruvi waterfalls where the water flows inside a palm tree.

Perunthanaruvi originates from Perunthen (stupendous honey) and Aruvi (stream) and translates into Arroyo de la miel verde in the local language.

3. Rose Park

Murikkady is termed as the spice capital of Thekkady. The coffee and cardamom plantation of this place is famous and the curves of the hills of this place will surely leave you awestruck. Also, this place has plantation of other spices as well such as cloves, ginger, turmeric, tea etc.

You can visit Murikkady for the greenery to enjoy and gardens of Kumily to spend beautiful evenings. There are elephants, waterfalls and wildlife. Beautiful destination and excellent small town. You must carry your camera to click some beautiful pictures.

For the people who love to explore the countryside, Kumily is the best place. Among places to see in Kumily, the idyllic forest and tea plantation of this place will surely bring your mind out of your monotonous lifestyle. You can have a local cuisine and go for a long drive through Kumily as well. And if you are a spice junky, you can explore the spice shops as well.

4. Chellarkovil

Mostly known as the sleepy village, Chellarkovil is one of the best places to visit in Thekkady to explore the serenity of nature. It has an amazing waterfall which will surely mesmerise you. Surrounded by hills and tea plantations, Chellarkovil is an amazing place to stay for a night in one of the hotels or homestays and explore. Also, it has many trekking trails for you to indulge your adventure self as well.

If you want to spend a day, staring at the beautiful sky and a fading hill far away – Pandikuzi is the place! Cradled in exotic flora and fauna, Pandikuzi is situated between Chellarkovil and Tamil Nadu. Just take a stroll through the paddy fields and you can feel the magic hands of nature on your head.

5. Mangala Devi Temple

If you want to have a trekking experience in Thakkady, you can visit the Mangala Devi Temple. Situated 7 kilometres away from the base of Periyar Lake, this place has amazing trekking trails to feed off your trekking obsessed soul. Also, you can experience the ancient ruin of the Mangala Devi temple as well which is a bonus.

Thekkady is one of the places to visit in Kerala which completes the tagline of Gods Own Country. Explore these places to get the true taste of this virgin place and complete your Kerala tour.