THE 10 CLOSEST Hotels to Periyar Tiger Reserve

Not exactly straightforward trip but in spite of the hassle getting all the tickets it was an enjoyable outing especially in the early morning when the mist hangs over the lake and the trees poking out of the water are truly magical. You need to get to the bus ticket place at least 60 mins before the boat departs to get a bus and entrance ticket. Once you get to the boat park by bus you then need to get a boat ticket. Everything is around 6 or 7 times more expensive for foreigners (and you need to fill in form) and note that even if you make it to the boat park you’re still not guaranteed a seat on a boat. Might be better if you book online but only if you have or can use an Indian credit card. We enjoyed thoroughly even though we saw very little wildlife apart from birds and some wild boar and monkeys. Very peaceful setting although boats are very noisy!

As many have mentioned before, the ticketing for this place is chaos. We arrived at the entrance at 6:00am to secure a spot on the 7:30am boat. The boat ride is nice enough, although not as enjoyable if you're sat on the lower deck or away from the sides. That said we did see a mother and baby elephant walking along the shoreline and a herd of bison, so it was probably worth the small fare and early start all things considered. Following the boating, we did the Nature Walk, which was our highlight of Thekkady. We came into it with little expectation of seeing any wildlife - as the guides remind you, this is a nature reserve and the animals are very much wild, so whether or not you see anything is completely out of their control - but we were happy to just have a nice walk around the lake and through the forest. That said, we fell extremely lucky. During our trek with Raju, our very friendly, charismatic and knowledgeable guide, we saw two groups of elephants out in the open - both with very young calves - and lots of Nilgiri langur (monkeys) in the trees above. We'd definitely recommend one of the treks as the best way to see the reserve - it's so peaceful away from the crowds, just listening to the sounds of the jungle. In summary, the reserve can be a brilliant experience depending on your luck so people should come with an open mind and little expectation - that way you won't be disappointed.

We weren’t particularly looking forward to this excursion due to the reviews, but were pleasantly surprised. Yes, it’s busy. Yes, it’s a bit commercial. Yes, it’s not the most authentic experience. Saying that, we thoroughly enjoyed our tour. The guides on the boats were incredible - very friendly, helpful, and guided us as to the wildlife we saw. My only concern is the environmental impact of a flotilla of diesel boats chugging around the lake all day.

My husband and I did the 1 night Tiger Trail camping trek and we had a fun adventure! The park is lovely and the guides were very kind. Knowing a tiger sighting is extremely rare, we had set our expectations accordingly and I was just hopeful for spotting some elephants (I know that isn't a guarantee either). And we lucked out in that regard ! We saw elephants (including a mama and her baby!) multiple times during our 27-ish hours in Periyar. We did multiple treks/trails on the first and second days with breaks for meals which was made on-site by a funny/nice cool/guide and was traditional Kerala food and very delicious. The campsite "basecamp" was set up with a trench around it to deter the wildlife, our tents, a sheltered space for the guides to sleep and cook and western-style toilets — all overlooking the beautiful lake. It's a more elevated "roughing it" and quite nice! In addition to elephants, we spotted plenty of boar (including a visitor at basecamp during dinner), deer, bison, king fishers, other birds and even tiger paw prints (but no actual tigers), which was pretty cool. Also lots of leeches were around, but the team provided us leech socks and they treated our shoes/socks with a leech powder to keep them off. Padiyan was our guide who has been there since either the beginning or close to the beginning of when the park began its tourism experiences and its program of rehabilitating poachers. Although he wasn't fluent in English, we still communicated well and he was a great guide! We enjoyed his guidance and ability to spot so many things on our paths. For this experience, my only negative experience was the booking process. The Periyar site has a great system, but it wouldn't allow foreign credit cards (at least from the USA) so I couldn't book/pay for the experience, and all of my emails and WhatsApp messages went ignored. Luckily, Spice Village the hotel we stayed at in Thekkady (which is walking distance and a FANTASTIC hotel) at booked it for us, so we didn't have to miss out on such a fun adventure.

A Refreshing Morning with Thekkady Nature Walk Our day began early with the Nature Walk in Thekkady, starting at 6:45 AM, and it was nothing short of spectacular. The experience kicked off with a peaceful bamboo raft ride across the Periyar Lake, a perfect opportunity to soak in the serenity of the surroundings. The stillness of the water, combined with the cool morning air, was an absolute treat for the senses. Once across the lake, an Eco-Development Committee (EDC) guide led us on a well-designed trail through the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The walk was both informative and thrilling, as the guide shared fascinating insights about the flora and fauna of the area. The real highlight, of course, was the wildlife! We were lucky to spot elephants grazing in the distance, a herd of gaur, and even a pack of wild dogs. For bird lovers, this walk is a dream—seeing the magnificent Great Indian Hornbill and the rare White-Bellied Sea Eagle in their natural habitat was awe-inspiring. The White-Bellied Sea Eagle, typically seen in backwaters or coastal regions, was a particularly unusual sighting in Periyar, making it a true highlight of the experience. The Nature Walk offered a perfect blend of adventure, wildlife encounters, and scenic beauty, making it an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Thekkady!

We did the early morning trek. Started at 7am and lasted about 2,5 hours. We had a great guide who certainly knew what he was talking about and looking out for. We managed to see 3 elephants (which are not seen that often) as well as Gaur (Indian bison), Malabar squirrel, some deer and a variety of birds. Heard but didn’t see the monkeys. Our guide was from one of the tribes in the reserve and he spoke good English and was great at spotting animals and birds and getting us in the right place to take some lovely photos. Worth getting up early to enjoy this.

Pros: Knowing we were unlikely to actually see a tiger, we loved the beautiful scenery and saw elephants, bison, deer and other animals throughout the jungle trek. We did hear a tiger roar late at night and saw some fresh tiger prints, which was exciting! Cons: We were the only non-natives in our group, and the guides preferred to speak their local language with the others which meant we were an afterthought or just ignored during the trek. Often the wildlife would have come and gone before they remembered to translate what they were talking about. Also, we felt incredibly excluded at camp, as everyone (including the guides) only spoke their native language and made us eat meals separately / at different times to the rest of the group. We felt so uncomfortable with the situation that we made our excuses and asked to leave a day earlier than planned. Having said this, Periyar is worth visiting as a tourist. If you do the trekking + camping option, our advice is to ensure you are in a big enough group of foreigners to ensure the guides cater to the majority.

We greatly enjoyed the walking Safari with a guide in this park. Our guide Vishwanathan, was particularly good. He came from a tribe from the immediate area and really knew everything about the local birds, animals and plants. And also knew how to find them very well. In January do not expect to see elephants or ghaur easily. Tigers are almost completely excluded after we understand. But a huge number of birds spotted, two monkey species, and a giant squirrel! Plus it's a really nice area.

We did trekking + sleep one night in camp. The truth was incredible, we saw more than 30 wild elephants among many other anomalies. Our guide was the best and the food exquisite. An experience that I will never forget and that I would repeat a thousand times