Say it with Flowers – Kochi Floral Show

Feast your eyes on a tapestry of flowers and inhale the fragrance of buds in bloom at the Kochi Flower Show. Organised by the District Agri Horticulture Society, the flowers on display are an international bunch from various countries and not just flowers but plants, medicinal ones, too as well as bonsai and decorative arrangements. Don't miss it!

Venue

Ernakulathappan Grounds

Date

December 28, 2012  – January 3, 2013

Contact : 0484 - 2362738 or 9447188443

 

Discount Travel with Rotary Tours

If you work with Wipro, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Accenture you get Half Ticket and an additional 10% off

On packages organized by Rotary Club of Kuttanad

Snapshot of a Rotary Trip: 9 days 8 night tour

2 days at Munnar; 2 days at Kovalam

1 day each at Kochi, Thekkady, Allepey and Kanyakumari

Itinerary:

1^st day – Arrive at Kochi, transfer to hotel, noon tour of Kochi, visit Fort Kochi, Jewish Synagogue, Jew Town, Dutch Synagogue, Chinese fishing nets, St. Francis Church. Overnight stay at hotel

2^nd day – Drive to Munnar. Transfer to hotel, day at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel

3^rd day – After breakfast, sightseeing in Munnar. Visit Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty dam, old Munnar town and local market. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel

4^th day – After breakfast, drive to Thekkady. Reach hotel at noon and take rest of day off or opt for a boat cruise down the Periyar river in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (This is not included in the package cost). Overnight stay at hotel

5^th day – Transfer from Thekkady to Kumarakom/Allepey houseboat. All meals on houseboat. Full day and overnight stay on the houseboat

6^th day – Drive to Kovalam. Transfer to hotel. Overnight stay at hotel

7^th day – Day at leisure. On payment basis avail of the resort facilities like Ayurvedic massage

8^th day – Drive to Kanyakumari after breakfast. Check into hotel by noon. Rest of day at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel

9^th day – Transfer to Thiruvanthapuram to catch connecting train/flight back home

Package Cost:

Budget    - Rs.40,290 for two. Rs.4000 for extra person

Standard – Rs.44,660 for two. Rs.4500 for extra person

Deluxe    - Rs.65,240 for two. Rs.5000 for extra person

Luxury    -  Rs.86,235 for two. Rs.8000 for extra person

Mode of Travel: Indica. A/c Indica for Deluxe and Luxury packages

Bus tickets can be arranged on request

Other Offers

Rotary also offers discounts on houseboat packages such as 15% off on deluxe 5 days 4 nights tours and if you like them on Facebook there's a 5% discount!

Contact

Call 09349178898 or 09447776841

A Sage Place - Vennimala

Legend has it that Vennimala was a thick canopy of forest where the sages had their abode and retired to meditate in the hill’s deep caves. But demons came and laid waste to their peace. Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana stopped by one day when in exile. Lakshmana alone proved a handful to the demons and Vennimala was free of their menace forever. The hill of victory got its new name Vijayadri in Sanskrit and Vennimala in the local Malayalam

Aeons later, Kerala’s emperor Cheraman Perumala dropped by and was so enchanted by its quiescent beauty that he declared the hill sacred. He built a temple consecrating Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana and a palace for his residence. The palace crumbled into the sands of time, the temple still stands

Its temple pond and cave of meditation is accessible though boulders block the path which is believed to stretch to the aged banyan tree ahead. But step in a bit to breathe in its cool interiors and get a glimpse of the rubber plantations way below

Take a walk in the coolness of the shady hillock passing by still ponds of fresh water and rubber plantations and soak in the serene lushness

Tip

There’s a 28 day ritual during July at the temple when crowds throng

Getting to Vennimala

Take the train to Kottayam

Take a local bus, it's 15 km from Kottayam town

Parambikulam Sanctuary - The Dam View

There are 3 dams within the Parambikulam sanctuary

Parambikulam, Thunacadavu, Peruvaripallam. The Parambikulam sanctuary jungle safari offers a visit to the first two, Parambikulam and Thunacadavu. The dams are operated and maintained by the state of Tamil Nadu but fall within Kerala's territory

Parambikulam dam is 3.5 km from the wildlife sanctuary of the same name. It is the world’s largest Volume Embankment dams. Its capacity is 69,165 (Cu. Mt  x 1000)

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Parambikulam Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Parambikulam Dam

Thunacadavu Dam is the Parambikulam division's Forest HQ

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam

 Accommodation

 The Rest Houses of the Forest Department face the Thunacadavu reservoir. 

 There is also a tree house

 

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam - Tree House

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam - Tree House

    

For Accommodation Contact

Call : 04253 – 245025/ 245005

Mobile : 09442201690

Email: infoatecocare@gmail.com

Accomodation at Parambikulam Sanctuary

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary offers eco-tourism packages involving the local tribal community that is dependent on the forest

Eco-tourism Packages

1. Tented Nights – 7 tents in all, 2 per room

         Tariff         -  Rs. 4500/- (Holidays) Rs. 4000 (Other days),

                                   Rs. 1000/- Extra for food

2. Honey Comb   – 10 rooms in all, 2 per tent

         Tariff         -  Rs. 3500/- (Holidays) Rs. 3000 (Other days),

                                   Rs. 1000/- Extra for food

3. Treetop Hut    –   Max. 2 persons only

(Thunacadavu)

        Tariff          -  Rs. 4000/- (Holidays) Rs. 3500 (Other days),

                                   Rs. 1000/- Extra for food 

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam - Tree House

Parambikulam Sanctuary -Thunacadavu Dam - Tree House

4. Treetop Hut    –   Max. 2 persons only

(Parambikulam)

        Tariff          -  Rs. 4000/- (Holidays) Rs. 3500 (Other days),

                                  Rs. 1000/- Extra for food

5. Veettikunnu Island – Max. 5 persons only

              Tariff                -  Rs. 5000/-

6. Bamboo Island  – Max. 5 persons only

              Tariff           -  Rs. 4000/-

                                    Rs. 1000/- Extra

7. Thetukkal Nights  – Max. 5 persons only

              Tariff              -  Rs. 4000/-

                                        Rs. 1000/- Extra

8. Sambar Machan   – Max. 5 persons only

              Tariff              -  Rs. 4000/-

                                        Rs. 1000/- Extra

9. Bamboo Rafting   – Max. 4 persons only

              Tariff              -  Half- hour = Rs. 400/-

                                        Rs. 100/- Extra

10. Kariyanshola Trail  – Minimum 2 persons. Max. 5 persons only

              Tariff                -  Rs. 1200/- Minimum Fare – Rs. 600/- for 2 persons

                                        Rs. 500/- Extra

11. Nature Camps      – Max. 30 persons only

              Tariff              -  Rs. 600/- per person inclusive of food

Contact

Call : 04253 – 245025/ 245005

Mobile : 09442201690

Email: infoatecocare@gmail.com

Safari at Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary - Safari Vehicle

 Vehicle Safari

Cost – Rs. 150/-

Includes

·      Orientation Centre – do’s and don’ts and a film on the Sanctuary

·      The Thunacadavu and Parambikulam dams and the valley views

·      Famous 450 young Kannimara Teak

·      Tribal Heritage Centre

There’s a 1 hour and 3 hour safari, it’s best to opt for the latter as it takes a good 3 hours just to get started on the safari so since half your time spent waiting may as well take the full tour

The reason for the lengthy delay is because 15 people at a time go in one safari vehicle so till the number is met, the vehicle does not leave. Moreover, the vehicles have to return for the next lot of tourists to be able to go on the safari

Lunch is part of the 3 hour time but it’s not included in the fare. There’s a stop at restaurants that offer basic dal & curry on traditional plantain leaves

Tip

It’s hot out there.

Take a sun hat/buy one at the Eco-Shop near the Forest Canteen

T-shirt and hats available here. Price – more than Rs.100/- but good quality

Please admonish bratty kids who throw plastic around ignoring strict instructions not to do so

Asking what time the safari starts is pointless because there is no clear time frame so no one will tell any exact time, you just have to wait 

You have to register how many members want to go on the safari, those with vehicles have to park at the allotted space

Then hop on to the safari vehicles named Hornbill, Panther etc which are parked at the second entry point

Only if you have 6-7 hours to while away make the trip, it’s no great shakes. There's not much wildlife to spot and the waiting is killing unless you want to reach there and queue up before 6 am

Contact

Call : 04253 – 245025/ 245005

Mobile : 09442201690

Email: infoatecocare@gmail.com

Sightseeing At Parambikulam Sanctuary

Kannimara Teak Tree

Parambikulam was originally a vast teak forest. The origins can be seen in the Kannimara Teak tree, one of the largest and oldest teaks in the world 450 year young approx!

Kannimara Teak Tree

Today Parambikulam sanctuary comprises teak, sandal, rosewood and bamboo

Wildlife

Wild animals inhabit the 30 swamps spanning over 150 ha. Inside the forests there are tigers, elephants, wild dogs, leopards, spotted deer, wild boar, sloth bear, macaque monkey, langurs, Indian bison (Gaur)

But more often what can be spotted are spotted deer, lots of them...

wild boar, bison and langurs but it's more of a boar bison territory

There are 140 species of birds including the black woodpecker, a rare species. There are a flock of migratory birds as well like civet, chevrotain and pangolin

You can spot the resplendent peacock

But what you should be visiting the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary for is the sheer greenery...

And the glimpse of sky...

Parambikulam: Song of the River Chalakkudy

Parambikulam Sanctuary - Overview

Kerala, one of India’s smallest states gets its eternal green hue from being  flanked on its eastern border by the Western Ghats (which blocks the dry winds breezing in from the plateau of eastern India) and the Arabian sea on its western border. The Western Ghats continuing over 1600 km is a main watershed area in the Indian peninsula. All the major rivers of Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery arise in it to flow into the Bay of Bengal. On the other side, too, rivers flow from it to immerse themselves in the Arabian Sea.

4 streams, namely, Parambikulam, Kunarkutty, Sholayar and Karappara flow as one to become river Chalakkudy. Parambikulam and Sholayar arise in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district while the rest have their source in Kerala’s Palakkad district

Along this spectacular hill range soaring from 900 m to even beyond 2000 m above sea level, there is just one place at which its flowing line breaks, this is the Palaghat Gap where lies Kerala. Kerala is divided into South and North of the Palaghat gap. Parambikulam is located in the southern region of Palaghat (Palakkad)

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is watered by the Chalakkudy river’s streams. The river’s genesis is at an altitude of 1250 m above msl and plunges down to continue for 130 km being the watering hole for 1404 sq km in Kerala and 300 sq km in Tamil Nadu. Chalakkudy merges with the Periyar river at Elanthikara

Kerala’s third largest sanctuary, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is flanked by the natural forests of Chalakkudy and Vazhanchal continuing till Peechi. On another side a narrow grassland stretch connects it to Anaimalai sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Eravikulam National Park, the only one of its kind in the area

Getting to Parambikulam

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary- Enroute

• Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s Sethumadai Checkpost to enter Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (958 sq.km)

• Cross the Sungam tribal colony to Annapady Checkpost of the Kerala Forest Department to pay entry and vehicle fees

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary - Annapady Check Post

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary- Forest Information Centre

•  Another 2 km to Annapady Forest Information Centre to hire the guide and explore the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

  
Entry into Parambikulam

Time – 7 am to 4 pm

Private vehicles must park in the designated parking lot

Safari vehicles are provided with each van named Hornbill, Panther etc

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary-Safari Vehicle

Contact

Call : 04253 – 245025/ 245005

Mobile : 09442201690

Email: infoatecocare@gmail.com