Thekkady is a surprisingly nice town in Kerala. There are so many activities to do in the beautiful area which has made it a popular destination in India. Discover the best things to do in Thekkady and, of course, the Periyar National Park
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How to get to Thekkady?
From the beautiful tea fields of Munnar, you can take a bus to Thekkady. In doing so, you will have to change trains once but the locals will gladly help you with this. Are you coming from Kochi? Then you can also take the bus. You will probably have to transfer in Vagamon. You will take at least 5 hours on this bus trip. Along the way, you’ll feast your eyes on the amazing nature of Kerala.
Keep on reading after the photo do discover the best things to do in Thekkady.
1. Safari Periyar National Park
Periyar National Park is directly adjacent to Thekkady. It is a protected nature reserve with lots of wildlife and really beautiful scenery. Periyar National Park is home to dozens of tigers, wild elephants, bison and deer, among others.
From Thekkady, you can easily arrange a safari to see part of Periyar National Park. The roads in Periyar National Park are pretty bad; you will be violently shaken. Still, it is well worth doing a safari. If you don’t spot wildlife, at least you can enjoy the beautiful nature. For 3 hours in the jeep, you will spend around 2,500 rupee (€28). Your accommodation can easily help you book a safari. We can definately recommend to add Periyar to your list of tings to do in Thekkady.
2. Boating in Periyar National Park
In addition to the safari, you can also take an insanely beautiful boat tour of Periyar National Park. During the 75-minute boat ride, you have the chance to spot many animals along the shore. With any luck, you’ll even see wild elephants here! This boat ride through Periyar National Park reminded us of beautiful Khao Sok in Thailand. The surroundings are fairly similar. We can recommend adding this to your list of things to do in Thekkady.
To get to the boat boarding point, you must first take a bus from Thekkady to the national park. The bus leaves every half hour and takes 10 minutes to get to the boat boarding point. The boat leaves at 07:30, 09:15, 11:15, 13:15 and 15:30. Be here at least 15 minutes beforehand. In high season (October through March), it is recommended that you book your tickets online at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, chances are the boat is full and you can’t join. You can arrange this when you stay in Thekkady.
Admission to Periyar National Park (to get to the boat at all) is 500 rupee (€5.50) per person for foreigners. In addition, the boat ride costs 255 rupee (€2.80) per person.
3. Spice gardens of Thekkady
Besides the Periyar National Park, Thekkady is also known for its many spice gardens. Name a better country than India to visit a spice garden. So add this to your list of things to do in Thekkady. The fresh herbs can be seen everywhere and tasted in the dishes. It is a great activity to visit a spice garden from Thekkady.
You will learn more about the use of spices in Indian cuisine and as medicine. Meet fresh cloves, turmeric, star anise, cinnamon and cardamom, among others. The Green Park Spices is a spice garden that we highly recommend. The 1-hour tour is completely free while the guide takes you completely through the garden and its various herbs. At the end of the tour, you can buy fresh herbs from the shop and/or tip the guide.
4. Martial arts performance in Thekkady
At the center you will find two organizations of cultural performances. We ourselves went to Mudra on the recommendation of our host and this was wonderfully arranged. During the day, you can reserve tickets for seats (your accommodation in Thekkady can help with this). It is one of the best things to do in Thekkady if you want to learn more about the culture of Kerala.
When you arrive at Mudra in the evening, take a seat in the designated chairs and enjoy the show. The martial arts show is hosted by 4 men. They fight with swords and shields, dance and even jump through hoops of fire. This is a really fun, small-scale show to visit. The show lasts one hour and can be seen every day from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. A ticket costs 200 rupee (€2.20).
5. Kathakali – authentic dance in Kerala
When the martial arts performance ends, you walk straight to the next room. Here you will get to see a performance of Kathakali, an authentic and traditional dance in Kerala, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. It is one of the most unusual performances we have ever seen, but it is certainly funny to have been there. You also pay 200 rupee (€2.20) for this show. Attending a kathakali is definitely a must do activity if you talk about things to do in Thekkady and Kerala.
6. Paragliding
Are you looking for adrenaline-pumping things to do in Thekkady? Then go paragliding near Thekkady. While paragliding, you look down on the mountainous surroundings and tea fields, so special! There are several providers for paragliding, your accommodation in Thekkady can advise you well which is best.
7. Cooking course in Thekkady
Indian cuisine is truly delicious. To attend a cooking class is one of the best things to do in Thekkady if you want to know more about cooking Indian food.. All flavorful curries with fresh roti, chapati and parotta are a treat for your taste buds. How fun is it when you learn to make this yourself?
At this cooking course in Thekkady, it can be done. A local man and woman from Thekkady have decided to help tourists with this and are opening their home to you. You are going to make 8 dishes that you get to eat afterwards, of course. For as little as 750 rupee (€8) per person, you can take this fun cooking class in Thekkady. Call or WhatsApp them at +91 98959 51058.
8. Hiking in Periyar National Park
Periyar National Park is the ideal destination from Thekkady if you fancy beautiful nature and wildlife. In addition to the safari and boat tour, you can also hike wonderfully here. At your accommodation in Thekkady, arrange a walking tour for day or night and enjoy the cool surroundings.
9. Ayurveda massage
You haven’t been to India if you haven’t had an authentic Ayurveda massage. Because Thekkady is a little more tourism-oriented than other cities in Kerala, you will find many massage providers here. Carefully compare reviews on Google before stepping into one. For a 1-hour full-body massage, you pay an average of 1,200 rupee (€13.50).
10. Fruit and vegetable plantations
Besides the spice gardens, there are also many plantations of fruits and vegetables around Thekkady. Because it has a mild climate, many vegetables can grow well here. Take a look at the fresh vegetables, learn more about how they grow and buy delicious fresh fruit.
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