Hundreds of thousands of Indian and foreign tourists visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Thekkady, every year. Located in the heart of a mountainous landscape and tropical vegetation, southern Inde's largest sanctuary is home to wild boar, elephants, and tigers whose numbers are dangerously declining.

The road leading to the small village of Kumily and its renowned wildlife park is absolutely magnificent. It winds through the mountains of the Western Ghats and cuts through tea, coffee, and rubber plantations. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which means "great lake," sits at 1,200 meters elevation, and the climate there is pleasant.

Located on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu (roughly 100 kilometers from Kochi and Madurai), it spans 780 square kilometers around an artificial lake created by the British in the late 19th century to irrigate the plains surrounding Madurai. Protected since 1899, visitors flock there to experience the richness of its flora: eucalyptus, palms, approximately 2,000 flowering plant species, including 143 orchid species…

While the site's beauty is undeniable, wildlife sightings are rare. Visitors can opt for a boat ride on the Pamba River: pleasant, it allows you to admire egrets and herons, though you must overlook the tourists' shouts each time a wild boar appears.

For the more adventurous, rafting is available. You can also choose a forest trek—three hours of walking along a trail just under 10 kilometers, or a full day—though binoculars are recommended. Full-day or night excursions (though not daily) are preferable as they allow you to spot more wildlife and venture deeper into the jungle.

The calls of 320 bird species blend with the sounds of numerous primates and echo through the canopy of trees, some over 130 feet tall. While wild boar, deer, buffalo, and some of the thousand elephants living in the sanctuary are frequently spotted, tigers reveal themselves only very rarely.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the "Tiger Project," a network of 23 parks working to ensure the survival of the big cat in Inde. Although protected by the Indian government, their population initially plummeted following Independence before rebounding since the early 2000s.

Approximately 2,300 tigers remain across Inde, with only 40 at Periyar. For those wanting better chances of spotting one, it's possible to spend one or two nights in a guesthouse built within the park.