A Weekend in Thekkady, India – With Tips and Recommendations
Your Guide to Spending a Weekend in Thekkady – The Gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve
Spending a Weekend in Thekkady, is the best thing you can do on your epic 7 Day Trip to Kerala, as shared in detail in this 7 Day Kerala Road Trip Itinerary.
Contents
- Your Guide to Spending a Weekend in Thekkady – The Gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Where to Stay in Thekkady?
- What to Do in Thekkady?
- Explore the sprawling Greenwoods Resort Thekkady spread over 6 acres
- Learn something new – Attend a Cooking Demo
- Witness a live demonstration of Kalaripayattu – One of the Oldest forms of Martial Arts
- Experience the Village Life
- Experience the rawness of nature – Go on a Hike in the Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Go on a Spice Tour and do some Shopping for Spices in Kumily – The Land of Spices
- Visit an Organic Farm
- When is the Best Time to Visit Thekkady?
- How to Reach Thekkady?
- Subscribe via Email
Where to Stay in Thekkady?
Greenwoods Resort, Thekkady
This sprawling property of Greenwoods Resort is spread out over 6 acres, has over 6 different categories of rooms, including Superior Rooms, Premium Suites, Premium Pool Suites, Deluxe Rooms, Honeymoon Villas with Plunge Pool, and the ultra-luxurious Presidential Pool Suite; and provides ample of breakout spaces, and lush greenery, to make anyone reconnect with nature.
One of the things I definitely recommend is taking a walk along the property to know more about the conscious efforts these people have been taking towards sustainability and implementing eco-tourism practices.
As you explore the grounds of Greenwoods Resort Thekkady, you will find that there is a fully functional biogas plant, a waste treatment plant, vermi compost pits, on the property itself, which bears testimony to the approach taken by Greenwoods Resort Thekkady towards sustainable practices.
Also, the concept of having refillable glass bottles, instead of disposable plastic ones, in the rooms is one such simple step, having major impacts on the environment.
Apart from abundant greenery everywhere, you will also find a Mini Gym, a well-equipped Business Centre, a Swimming Pool and a Multi Cuisine Restaurant serving delectable food items, at all hours of the day.
Another thing that stands out at Greenwoods Resort Thekkady, is the variety of in-house entertainment options available, ranging from a live cooking demo, some classical dance performances, and the screening of a documentary on Periyar Tiger Reserve and Thekkady. All these activities happen on a daily basis, 6 PM onwards, giving you yet another reason for not stepping out of Greenwoods Resort.
The location of Greenwoods Resort Thekkady, is a huge USP, as it’s just a 5-minute drive from the ticket counter from where you can book your tickets for the different cultural shows taking place every evening, and a 5-minute drive from the ticket counter of Periyar Tiger Reserve, from where you can book your tickets for activities like Jungle Patrol, Bamboo Rafting, Border Hiking, Boating and Trekking.
Undoubtedly one of the best properties I’ve stayed in so far, where I reconnected with nature, found my workplace on a hammock, got my work going and got productive.
However, the one thing that adds on to the experience you’ll have here at Greenwoods Resort is the hospitable nature of the staff members, who will make sure that you have a wonderful stay.
What to Do in Thekkady?
There’s a lot you can do during your Weekend in Thekkady, as a part of your Kerala Itinerary when you stay at Greenwoods Resort Thekkady! Which is why you should check out these Top Things to Do in Thekkady
Explore the sprawling Greenwoods Resort Thekkady spread over 6 acres
Learn something new – Attend a Cooking Demo
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And there’s no better way of adding value to your travels, than attending a live cooking demo, and learning how to cook traditional dishes step by step.
Witness a live demonstration of Kalaripayattu – One of the Oldest forms of Martial Arts
‘Kalary’ means school or gym and ‘payattu’ means the art of combat. This age-old form of martial arts is performed inside the kalary under the guidance of a master. You’ll surely get amazed by the agility and gravity defying stunts of the performers.
Experience the Village Life
Give some meaning to your trip to Thekkady. Experience the Village life, full of culture in Kumily – The land of Spices, which despite being closely associated with Thekkady, remains untouched by industrialization.
Some of the activities that you’ll end up doing as a part of living the Village Life, are learning the art of making Pappad, bee keeping, spice plantation visits and much more.
Experience the rawness of nature – Go on a Hike in the Periyar Tiger Reserve
Periyar Tiger Reserve, is a part of Periyar National Park, which is one of the Best National Parks in India, and walking through the forests of Periyar Tiger Reserve, is an experience next to none. As PTR controls the number of visitors entering the reserve on a daily basis, the chances of spotting different animals in their natural habitat is way too high.
If you love spotting different birds, then you’ll love hiking through the forest with a guide, who will spot the birds and even explain about them.
The best option I feel to enjoy the beauty of Periyar Tiger Reserve is opting for the Bamboo Raft itinerary. As this involves mainly hiking for an hour and a half to reach the lake, and then an hour’s boat ride in the quiet, serene Periyar lake, where all you’ll hear is the sound of the water, and the chirping of birds.
Go on a Spice Tour and do some Shopping for Spices in Kumily – The Land of Spices
If there’s one thing that should be definitely there on your to do list when visiting Thekkady, it is nothing else, but going on a tour around a spice plantation. Thekkady is the heartland of spices, and you’ll learn about different medicinal and ayurvedic benefits of various spices like cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, clove, etc. You can also purchase fresh spices to take back with you, once the tour is over.
Visit an Organic Farm
You can, learn more about organic farming, get a chance to feed the farm animals, enjoy panoramic views of the valley by climbing the watchtower and enjoy a delicious meal of local cuisine produced from farm fresh produce, when you visit the Harvest Fresh Farms, in the lush Cumbum Valley.
All you need to do is convey your interest for this tour to the reception at Greenwoods Resort Thekkady, and they will do the needful, and ensure that you have an amazing experience.
When is the Best Time to Visit Thekkady?
While Thekkady has a moderate climate throughout the year, the best time to visit the gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve, is between September to March.
March to May are Summers, and it gets pretty hot during this time, but May to July is a sweet spot, as it’s the onset of monsoons, making Thekkady a dreamy destination.
How to Reach Thekkady?
Thekkady – The Gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve, is well connected to all major cities in India, by Air, Rail and Road.
The nearest Airport is Madurai Airport which is 140 KM away, and the Cochin International Airport being 185 KM away.
The nearest railway station is Kottayam which is 114 Km from Thekkady.
Madurai, Cochin, Kottayam are well connected to Thekkady by Road, and buses ply frequently in these routes. You can even get a taxi rental, which turns out to be very economical for the entire trip, considering that you get that freedom to explore at your own pace.
If you enjoyed reading this, you might also enjoy reading these other Weekend Guides
- A Weekend in Sabah – Malaysia
- A Weekend in Pokhara, Nepal
- A Weekend in New York City
- A Weekend in Ahmedabad, India
- A Weekend in Costa Del Sol
And
- 3 Cities | 3 Luxury Resorts – Staycations done right in Kerala – God’s Own Country
- The 7 Day Kerala Road Trip Itinerary
Disclaimer : No compensation was received for this article, however Greenwoods Resort Thekkady offered my stay complimentary. As always, the opinions on theETLRblog.com are (and always will be) my own!
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