Travel Notes: Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
This travel happened in April, and I’m writing from memory. Surprisingly, my neurons are working well, and I can remember everything.
This was actually not long after our Wayanad-Muthanga stay. Having trips back-to-back like this is pretty rare for us, but it happened. The primary reason was our parents, who had visited recently and gave good feedback. I think No; the actual reason was that it wasn’t far from home; just a 3-hour drive, which comfortably falls right inside my “move your ass” zone.
Parents had stayed in the Tented Niche, but we decided to opt for Honeycomb, the AC cottage. Apparently, the charges for both were almost the same. The summer weather was scary enough that we thought of sleeping in 25–26 degree temperatures at night to stay comfortable. But when we arrived, which was around 1:00 PM, there was no power at all. Luckily, unlike the day before, it was fixed by evening, a narrow escape from a sauna-like sleep.
The drive from our home in Thrissur to Parambikulam was pleasant. We started by 7:00 AM and reached the first check-post around 11:30 AM. This checkpoint was located right near a small stream. The entrance is designed like a massive tree trunk, though it obviously looks quite artificial. The security guard was sitting inside one side of the entrance, which looked like a hollow cavity in the trunk.
Our next stop was near the reception area, close to the first accommodation site, the Tented Niche, where our guide joined us.
The guide
Guides, in general, can be a hit or miss. In most of the forest treks or eco-stays we’ve been to, the accompanying guides mostly bluffed half of the things. Over time, that trust was broken, and we became naturally cynical. But this time, we had a sense that this person was a genuine, qualified naturalist, and to our luck, that initial impression turned out to be correct.
The drive from this check-post cum reception to our accommodation took almost an hour, but it was a great ride since it went straight through the forest itself. Indian gaurs had already started making their presence felt along the way.
The picture below is from the main centre sort of area where there are some tea shops nearby and a playground for the kids.
About Honeycomb cottage
The Honeycomb, the name of our cottage, gave a heritage cottage feel from the outside, but the rooms were very close to each other. The dining area sat within the same compound, adjacent to the rooms. There is a lawn-like area in front of the room, though it’s not really designed for sitting.
The rooms were decent, but the corridor walkway wasn’t super clean and could easily disappoint you if you’re expecting total cleanliness. It isn’t because they don’t maintain it; rather, it’s an open walkway, and people keep passing through, carrying in mud and wet dirt from outside. Continuous cleaning is really the only solution.
Additionally, in the evening, after one of the kids puked in the corridor, the area wasn’t cleaned thoroughly. Even now, I can recall the lingering smell that hit me every time I stepped out of the room. At one point, it made me feel quite anxious before every time I wanted to step out of the room. The staff can handle these better, for sure.
First safari
After an hour of rest, the guide was ready to take us on our first safari. Here is the interesting part: when staying at Honeycomb, you drive your own vehicle while the guide accompanies you. It is pretty comfortable that way. However, the route is mostly off-road, so if your vehicle has low ground clearance, it can be quite challenging. I enjoyed it. Zero tension about motion sickness and the comfort of your own vehicle, just like your home.
The ride went on for nearly three hours. First, we drove down into the dam’s catchment area. The entire route is off road, and I got a little worried about the car since it’s a hatchback and not built for those kinds of roads. But all went well. We didn’t spend much time there, as we were going to visit the same place the next day for boating.
From there, we were taken to the dam-damn! Apologies for that wordplay. Did quite land well. The area is scenic; if you’ve ever been to a dam, you can easily picture the view. A walking path framed by a two-pillar entrance, opening up to a view of the planted forest stretching out below. The dam is still operated and maintained by TN.
In the conversation with the guide chetan, something interesting came up. The electricity here is supplied by Tamil Nadu, and they even get Tamil Nadu power bills, whereas their voter IDs, ration cards, and all other official documents are issued by Kerala.
After spending some time, we headed to the forest.
The roads inside the forest were not as bad as I expected. They have made it motorable, and most of the way is even. It was the very first time I was experiencing a drive inside the forest all by myself. On both sides, the trees are mostly teak (teekh hein) and do not look old.
Parambikulam was declared a tiger reserve relatively recently, back in 2009–2010. It seems that before the reserve status came into effect, entry deep into the forest was unrestricted, and you could even drive all the way to the old tramway line.
Tram way
The very first time I had heard of Parambikulam was through the history of the tramway in Chalakudy. The tramway in Chalakudy is a landmark route we often reference when giving directions to someone. If you’re reading about this tram for the first time, it was essentially a ground-level railway track used to transport timber from Parambikulam all the way to Chalakudy, and from there to the Kochi port for export to Britain.
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Along the drive, we spotted Indian gaurs, a few deer, and langurs. Honestly, if you don’t spot an Indian gaur while at Parambikulam, good luck with life; you must be one of the unluckiest people around.
The drive went till the Kannimara teak, which is one of the world’s largest live teak trees. But that doesn’t matter to the boys in town who carve their dear’s name and want to tell the world about their dream lady.
We were back at the stay by evening. There was a tribal dance by the tribals. Not sure which tribe stays there. The tribes in Parambikulam are Muthuvan, Kadar, Malasar and Malamalasar. Malasar and Malamalasar I had never heard of before. This dance is a regular ritual for these women. It is interesting to see the ladies coming in a jaunty rhythm, then performing, and then transitioning back to their regular work.
The next day — bird walk
To be honest, this was the part of the trip we were most excited about. Birdwatching rarely disappoints; at least a few unfamiliar species are bound to pay a visit. Our only concern was whether our junior would manage the 3–4 km walk, but to our relief, he pulled through!
As I mentioned earlier, this was the very first time we were paired with a true naturalist as our guide, and we made the absolute most of his expertise.
The highlight of the walk was the White-bellied Treepie. The Rufous Treepie is a regular visitor back at our home and is one of the noisiest and most aggressive birds around, despite its poetic Malayalam name (Olanjali). The White-bellied Treepie, by contrast, seemed to have the complete opposite personality.
The walk lasted well over an hour, looping back to the tribal dance performance area via the main road.
On our way back, the other birds that we spotted were a Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and Malabar Trogon (first time).
The return journey & final activities
Before leaving, we were driven back to the dam’s catchment area for a short boating session. The waters are known for crocodiles, and we managed to spot a Mugger Crocodile basking nearby.
There are some islands in this area, and stay at the island is also available. You would be taken by boat to the place. Food will be cooked over there and guards will stay there with you at night.
After boating, we drove straight back to the main reception area to drop off our guide. The Parambikulam souvenir store wasn’t anything extraordinary. Nearby, there is a small eco-museum with a rudimentary setup, but it details the lives of the local indigenous communities, showcasing their culture and heritage through photos and visual installations.
Italy & Tamil Nadu
During our onward drive through the Tamil Nadu stretch, we had noticed an area that perfectly captured the aesthetic of a classic Tamil Nadu village. Whenever you see photographs of traditional Italian countryside homes, you notice a specific architectural rhythm, something we rarely maintain in modern Kerala. But intentionally or not, some Tamil Nadu villages seem to preserve their style. Mostly bluish or yellow-orange themed. In this area, it was a blue color theme based.
I couldn’t stop the car on the way in, so I made a mental note for the return trip. Unfortunately, when the spot came up, I missed identifying the exact spot. I walked for some distance as well, but I think I lost the exact frame. Bad.
So that’s all about it. Until next time. Bye.
