Two days lets Thekkady go slowly. Day one is the Periyar Lake boat, a spice plantation walk and Chellarkovil, about 35 km, back by 15:30 with the evening free for a Kalaripayattu show. Day two is a half day west to the Pattumala church and Parunthumpara near Peermade, back past the Ottakathalamedu watchtower by about 13:00.
6 places99 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1
Periyar Lake, spices and Chellarkovil
The Periyar Lake boat in the morning, a spice plantation walk, lunch, then Chellarkovil, where the hills drop to the plains of Tamil Nadu. About 35 km by cab, back by about 15:30, with the evening free for the Kalaripayattu show in Kumily.
08:30 to 15:343 places35 km by cab
1Periyar Lake boat ride
2A spice plantation walk
Lunch
3Chellarkovil viewpoint
Back
★
Leave Kumily bus stand
1 km · 2 min by cab
1
Periyar Lake boat ride
3 h here
A cruise of about an hour and a half on Periyar Lake, the reservoir inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, past drowned tree stumps and forested banks. Elephants, gaur, sambar deer and otters are often seen at the water's edge; tigers rarely.
Lake & forestBoats leave at about 07:30, 09:30, 11:15, 13:45 and 15:30; each trip is about 90 minutes
Tip: Cars stop at the reserve entrance near Kumily; forest buses run the last 4 km to the boat landing. Book online or queue early: morning boats fill up, and in a queue the plan's three hours can run longer. Sit on the side away from the sun.
2.8 km · 4 min by cab
2
A spice plantation walk
1 h 15 min here
Thekkady sits in the Cardamom Hills, and the gardens along the Kumily to Murikkady road offer guided walks among cardamom, pepper vines, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla and coffee, with a guide who shows how each is grown and dried.
Spices & showsMost gardens about 09:00 to 17:00; some open from 07:30
Tip: Entry and a guide cost about Rs 100 to 500 a person, depending on the garden. Most have a shop at the end; buying is optional, and prices in Kumily town are often lower.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
14.4 km · 20 min by cab
3
Chellarkovil viewpoint
1 h here
A village on the edge of the Western Ghats about 15 km north of Kumily, where the hills drop to the coconut groves of Kambam and the plains of Theni in Tamil Nadu. In the monsoon a waterfall, Aruvikuzhi, spills off the edge into Tamil Nadu.
ViewpointsOpen hillside, in daylight?
Tip: The waterfall runs mostly from June to November. Keep back from the edge; there are no railings.
16.5 km · 23 min by cab back
★
Back at Kumily bus stand
Day 2
Pattumala, Parunthumpara and Ottakathalamedu
West to Peermade's tea country: the granite church at Pattumala, the eagle rock and the views at Parunthumpara, then back to Kumily by the Ottakathalamedu watchtower. A half day of about 64 km on winding hill roads, back by about 13:00 for lunch in town.
09:00 to 12:513 places64 km by cab
1Pattumala Church
2Parunthumpara
3Ottakathalamedu viewpoint
Back
★
Leave Kumily bus stand
24.2 km · 25 min by cab
1
Pattumala Church
40 min here
A granite church in Gothic style, blessed in 1998, on a hill among tea estates about 24 km west of Thekkady. It grew from the devotion of tea estate workers to Our Lady of Good Health, and the name Pattumala is said to mean the hill draped in silk.
ChurchesOpen through the day; no hours published; mass times vary?
Tip: It is a place of worship: dress modestly and keep quiet during mass. The tea estates round it are private.
7.7 km · 12 min by cab
2
Parunthumpara
1 h 15 min here
A grassy hilltop about 6 km from Peermade, named after a rock that looks like an eagle's head. On a clear day the view runs across the forests to Sabarimala, about 15 km away.
ViewpointsOpen hillside, in daylight?
Tip: The road up from the highway is narrow and rough in places. Stay off the cliff edges: the slopes are steep and the wind is strong.
26.4 km · 37 min by cab
3
Ottakathalamedu viewpoint
30 min here
A hilltop just north of Kumily with a watchtower that looks over Thekkady's lake and forests, the hills round the Mangala Devi temple and the plains of Tamil Nadu. It is also known for its Kurisumala, a hill of crosses climbed by pilgrims on Good Friday.
ViewpointsOpen hillside with a watchtower, in daylight?
Tip: The last stretch is a short, steep walk. Go on a clear day; the view vanishes in mist.
5.5 km · 12 min by cab back
★
Back at Kumily bus stand
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The road through Kumily is slow in the morning and evening, and the Peermade and Chellarkovil roads are narrow and winding, so allow extra time. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Book a cab for these 2 days
Call or message a local Thekkady operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
2 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator
Yes. Two days covers the lake, a spice garden, the viewpoints and Peermade's hills, with two evenings for the shows. With more time, add a guided nature walk or bamboo rafting in the tiger reserve, booked with the forest department.
Why is the second day only half a day?+
Pattumala and Parunthumpara are about 25 km west and take a morning. Going further, to Kuttikkanam or Ramakkalmedu, would take the day past the usual 80 km limit, so the afternoon is left for a nature walk, the spice shops or rest.
Which order should the two days go in?+
Either. Put the Periyar boat on the day with the better weather, and on the morning you are fresher, since the best boats leave early.