Two days in Thekkady: the plan that leaves nothing important out

Day 1 — The lake and the gate

06:30 — Anavachal; the 7:30 boat, ask for a front seat.

Morning — Pugmark Trail to the gate; Café Periyarensis.

Midday — a thali in Kumily.

Afternoon — Abraham's or a Murikkady farm, plant by plant.

Evening — Kalari at six; dinner in town.

Day 2 — Into the forest

07:00 — Nature Walk or Green Walk with a guide from the fringe communities.

Late morning — the Interpretation Centre at Anavachal; the staff co-op bookshop.

Afternoon — Chellarkovil and Pandikuzhi by jeep, the falls dropping into Tamil Nadu.

Evening — the Tribal Dance at Vanasree at six; Kathakali at seven.

Night — Jungle Scout's 22:00 patrol, if you're twelve and brave.

Day 3 — The long day

08:00 — bamboo rafting with the Vidiyal men (half-day options end 12:30 or 14:30), or the reserve's 06:00 bus to Gavi.

Midday — packed lunch on the lake, or KFDC's buffet at Gavi.

Afternoon — back by five; Ramakkalmedu's wind farm on the way to Munnar if you're leaving that way.

Evening — an estate homestay: cardamom tea, pepper on everything.

Worth leaving town for

Gavi. Thirty-nine kilometres south, an hour by road to KFDC's forest station in Pathanamthitta: registration at eight, a choice of treks to the Sabarimala viewpoint, the cardamom curing unit, a buffet lunch and a guided boat on Gavi lake; or the reserve's own 06:00 bus safari from Thekkady, a cheaper dawn run through the tourism zone.

Chellarkovil and Pandikuzhi. Fifteen kilometres to the state line by jeep: the cliff village whose waterfalls rise in Kerala and fall into Tamil Nadu, the Theni plains half a kilometre below, tree-top huts, and the head of the falls at Pandikuzhi on the way back. Not June or July.

Ramakkalmedu and Vandanmedu. North on the Munnar road through cardamom country: Vandanmedu's old British post office and timber road, then the wind-farm ridge at Ramakkalmedu with the Kuravan–Kurathi statue and the Cumbum plain below. Combine with the drive to Munnar.

Getting there and away

By road from Kochi: 150 to 190 kilometres depending on the route — via Kottayam on NH 183 is the long way — four and a half to five and a half hours. KSRTC runs direct from Ernakulam and Kottayam; Kottayam, 110 km, is the railhead. Cochin airport is 145–190 km depending on the route.

By road from Madurai: 120 to 140 kilometres through Theni and Cumbum, climbing the ghat to Kumily in about four hours by state bus — the Tamil side is the quicker arrival, and the airport is 140 km.

From Munnar or Alleppey: Munnar is 85–100 kilometres and three to four hours on hill roads — the scenic route runs through Ramakkalmedu's wind farm. Alleppey is about 140 kilometres, three and a half to four hours by taxi, longer by bus.

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