Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
Parambikulam wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Palakkad district, between the Anamalai ranges in Tamil Nadu and the Nelliyampathy ranges in Kerala along the Western Ghats.The Western Ghats is one of the world’s 34 bio-diversity hotspots, the wildlife and wilderness is what attracts tourists to this place. Covering an area of 285sq.kms, its boundaries are the Nenmara forest division to the north, Vazhachal forests to the south, Chalakudy forest division to the west and Tamil Nadu borders the eastern region.
The Sanctuary is the home to four indigenous tribal communities—the Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar and Malamalasar. These tribes’ people live in thatched huts and tents which you can visit on your way. The sanctuary is full of tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, Shola forests, deciduous and bamboo forests. Animals and plants are plenty here. A variety of medicinal plants and orchids are found in the forests. The forests are home to some of Kerala’s best preserved wildlife—elephants, bison, leopards, panthers, tigers, gibbons and much more.
The Veettikunnu Island inn is within the sanctuary, offers row boats to cruise along the island stretches. You can go for a bird watching-nature trail early in the morning while on the island. About six tourists can travel on the raft-houseboat along with an armed staff, two naturalists and four experienced EDC rowers. There is a Thellikkal IB deep inside the forest and you can reach it after a eight-km trek. There’s a lake nearby, where you can go on a country row boat.Go on a Parambi Cruise through the unpolluted Parambikulam Reservoir and look out for a variety of wildlife on the way. U can go on a short trek on one of the islands there. The offer package starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.
The Kariyan shola trail winds through enchanting and beautiful evergreen forests and endangered medicinal plants and orchids. Here, too, you will be accompanied by two trained tribal naturalists.The sanctuary is approachable only by road, and is 95km from Palakkad and 100km away from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The nearest town is Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, 39km away. There are transport bus services run by the Government of Tamil Nadu, from Pollachi.
