Thekkady

Thekkady in Kerala State, India’s largest wildlife sanctuary is a dream destination for any tourist visiting India . The 120 years old ‘Surki’ dam built across Peryiar, Poorna in Vedic parlance, is a major tourist attraction. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 777 Sq.Kms, surrounded by an artificial lake over an area of 25 Sq.Kms.The Country’s sole Tiger reserve, Thekkady, with its bountiful treasures of tropical flora and fauna is the ultimate reservoir of many an endangered species and a rich tribal culture. Thekkady is a pleasant heaven on earth for those who love nature in its wild manifestations.

Gavi

A small village in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Gavi is ideally placed around 14 km away from Kumily in Thekkady and 28 km from Vandiperiyar, a small town in Idukki district. Gavi is one of the major eco-tourism centres in Kerala.The journey to Gavi is itself an exciting and rejuvenating experience. During the drive, you will be able sight the beautiful Gavi, covered with tea plantations. Get thrilled with the sights of hills and valleys, tropical forests, grasslands, spectacular waterfalls, cardamom plantations etc. Gavi is a part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.Gavi is very famous for its wildlife. You can sight here endangered species like Nilgiri Tahr and Lion-tailed Macaque along with Elephants. Gavi is considered to be a heaven for bird lovers and bird watchers. More than 260 species of birds like pied hornbill, woodpecker, kingfisher etc are abundant here. Endless activities await you here like trekking, wildlife watching, outdoor camping and night safaris.

Cumbum

Cumbum is a sleepy town famous for its rich and abundant farms and the freshest fruits and vegetables. Perched between Varusanadu hills, Kodaikanal, and Thekkady hills, this place with acres and acres of grapes would literally blow your mind. The golden land of Cumbum is most ideal for farming with the golden sunlight and fertile soil has been cultivated with paddy, vegetables, pomegranate and mango farms, and so on.  fruits and vegetables from the market of Cumbum and Theni.   Plucking grapes from these beautiful bunches is highly discouraged but there a shop nearby from where you can purchase the original grape wine and juice.

Ottakathalamedu

Ottakathalamedu is a mountain peak 4 KMS from Kumily town. Currently, this is accessible by one’s own car or bike and there is no public transportation available as of now. Jeep drivers also do this place as a package combining other sightseeing locations.Ottakathalamedu has a viewpoint and then there is a peak with a watchtower ( This could be seen from the viewpoint if one looks to the top of the mountain). Both are in the same line, but the road access is in two different directions. So first proceed to the viewpoint ( an arch of a nearby church is the identification mark to enter the mud path to the viewpoint) and then proceed to the top of the mountain (which is 5 minutes drive from the viewpoint ) to get a 360-degree view from the watchtower. The new helipad is constructed here. You have a watchtower, a small tree top hut and a vast open area at the peak. If you are lucky, on a clear sky day you can watch the sunset from here. This would be an amazing view.

Ramakalmedu

A hill station and hamlet in the Idukki district of Kerala, Ramakkalmedu is one of the most beautiful destinations in Kerala, which cannot be neglected while having a trip to the Gods Own Country. Ramakkalmedu is located in Karunapuram Panchayath, just 15 km east of Nedumkandam in Thekkady. Ramakkalmedu stands on the Western Ghats at an altitude around 3500 ft above the sea level.The origin of the name ‘Ramakkalmedu’ is quite interesting. ‘Rama-kal-medu’ means ‘Land of Rama’s stone’ or otherwise ‘the land where Lord Rama kept his leg’. As per sources, one story is that this is the place where Rama kept his feet, while in search of his beloved wife Sita. As per Hindu epic “Ramayana’ Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, the ruler of Lanka.While reaching Ramakkalmedu, you can only find wind all around. The place is known to be the land of wind. You will feel that the wind will make you fly and it will be very difficult for you to stand still resisting the wind. Here the wind blows at a speed of 35 km/hour, which is said to be recorded as maximum in Asia. Blessed with this wind energy, Ramakkalmedu is the second place in Kerala, where you can find a wind energy farm with a capacity of 12.5 MW.

Chellarkovil

Fifteen kilometers apart the Kumily town lays a small sleepy village – Chellarkovil. It is ideally located in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Anakkara Panchayath. Considered to be one of the best tourism spot in the Idukki district, Chellarkovil always attracts tourists from all over the world.Chellarkovil is famous for its greenish mountains, cascading waterfalls and picturesque beauty. The destination is placed around 1200 m above the sea level. When you reach Chellarkovil, you will feel like this is the place that you were longing to visit for a long time. Chellarkovil is located 15 km north to Thekkady and Kumily.The beautiful village stands unique with its eco-tourism project.   

Sathram

Located between Vandiperiyar and Gavi, the view of Sathram is spectacular with green mountains and tea plantations on the way the very word, which means, resting place in Malayalam got its name as it used to be the traditional route of Ayyappa devotees on their way to Sabarimala. The devotees used to lay down on the lush green meadows and drink from the streams before they began their tiring trek through the dense forests into Sabarimala. With a vast area of small hills toppled into one another and carpets of dew drizzled grass, Sathram gets into the list of must go places for travellers all around the world. The uneven terrain with the unique topography makes it an excellent spot for off road travel.  The location which provides shelter for a number of birds and animals comes under Periyar tiger reserve. The narrow broken roads lead into a breath taking array of hills and cushion like meadows. A fine breeze breathes in and out throughout the place and the light blue sky with the misty clouds and greenery looks like a fine portrait .For those who are reluctant to climb up the view points, there are jeep rides provided here to cover all the three viewpoints.