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Shalimar Spice Garden, Periyar
About
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Shalimar Spice Garden is a Plantation Retreat located at
Murikkady at 6 kms from Kumily (Thekkady) (Kerala, India)
on the fringes of the world- famous Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Accommodation at Shalimar comprise independent cottages
and Kerala Cottages with sitout and attached bath. All
cottages are tiled internally and have thatched roof
surrounded by thick plantation.
Facilities at Shalimar Spice Garden comprise:
Restaurant
Swimming Pool
Ayurveda Centre
Famous Periyar lake can be easily accessed from Shalimar
(10 kms). Best season to Visit are October to Mid-June. At
an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, the climate
here is both temperate and salubrious.
Shalimar is easily accessible from Trivandrum/ Kovalam
(255 kms- 6 hours), Cochin (185 kms- 4 1/2 hrs) and
Madurai (140 kms kms- 3 hrs). The nearest railway station
is Kottayam (100 kms- 3 1/2 hrs).
About Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary
Sunderbans, Periyar
National Park is situated in the hills of the Western
Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centrepiece
of the park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by
the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.
The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead treetrunks
still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake
are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the
richest hanitats ofor large mammals, as it provides both
excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent
shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds
of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri
Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in
higher areas.
The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous,
semi-evergreen, and evergreen shola's, the last occurring
in the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a
closed canopy. The forests alternate with extensive
patches of grasslands. Periyar's rich birdlife includes
the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and
Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian Python and King Cobra are
among the reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri Tahr,
good numbers of which may also be seen on a day excursion
to nearby Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.
Season
:
Open year-round, the best period being November-April.
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