Idukki is one of the best locations in Kerala to enjoy the wild beauty of nature. Nestled up in the mountains, Idukki extends an invitation to identify oneself with Nature. Dark and deep forests with springs trickling down rocky crevices, falling steep into unfathomed chasms and rivulets flowing past rare flora and fauna, is indeed an idyllic setting to set oneself free of all fetters, understand, feel and perhaps realise, the beauty, power and glory of life.
Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary
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Chinnar is a wild life sanctuary with an area of 90 sq km. The terrain here is undulating and rocky through out at an elevation ranging from 500 to 2400 metres above sea level. The thorny scrub jungle is the unique phenomenon of this sanctuary. The flora in this region consists of thorny scrub jungle, dry deciduous forests, sholas and grass lands.
A wide range of wild life is housed in its sanctuary. Elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, tiger, panther, wild dog etc. inhabit in this sanctuary. The aviary includes jungle fowl, spotted dove, pea fowl, jungle crow, Kerala laughing thrush, red vented bulbul, Indian hornbill, small green bee eater, blue throated barbet and a host of other small birds. This sanctuary is situated on either side of the Marayoor - Udumalpet road and is hence accessible by road.
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Marayur
This remote village on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats is in the outskirts of Munnar. The relics of new stone-age civilization have been unearthed here. The stone cabins, called 'Muniyaras', attract a lot of research scholars. It is the only place in Kerala having natural growth of sandal wood trees.
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Thommankuthu
Thommankuthu is another centre of attraction in Idukki, and is just half an hour's drive from Thodupuzha, the nearest town where accommodation is available. Here the brook gushing out of a crevice in the rocky cliff gives the illusion to the visitor that it is not water but milk that is gushing out. |
