Into the Wilderness of Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Beautiful and mysterious, Kerala is one of the most unexplored part of India that many traveler's have  not visited by choice.  With an exceptional array of places to visit - hidden places in Sanctuary's, valleys, and waterfalls, there are enough to surprise any traveller.

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is one of  Kerala's most pristine national treasure.  The breathtakingly beautiful expanse of Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary unfolds on nature's canvas like a traveler's dream.

DAY 1

ENROUTE TO THENMALA

To experience  Kerala's most pristine national treasure, I started my journey from Thirivananthapuram at around 9.30 AM in my car. I took the Thiruvananthapuram - Chenkotta highway which is a scenic one. Enroute is the famous Kulathupuzha Sastha temple. After 72 kms drive, I reached Thenmala at around 12 PM. Parked my car in front of the dam where all team members were supposed to assemble. Since few of our team members were yet to arrive, we decided to explore the dam and its surroundings.

EXPLORING THENMALA DAM

Thenmala dam is the second largest irrigation project in Kerala and is built across Kallada river. You can visit the dam and its surroundings by taking an entry ticket for Rs.10. Photography is not allowed in the dam premises. You have to walk a lot of steps to reach the top.  This place is blessed with natural beauty. A long walk through the tar road from the other side of the dam takes you to the main road.

Thenmala Dam

Then we moved to Forest Information Centre of  Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary which is half kms from the Dam junction. By 2.30 PM, our bus was ready. After verification of identity, we boarded the bus which takes you to the boating centre. After a shorter bus ride of 2 kms, we reached the boating centre.

BOATING

At around 3 PM, we started out boating. The main attraction of this package is the boating in Parappar reservoir on the way to the Idimuzhangan camp shed.  Stretching for plenty of kilometers with the blue water beside, the ride will definitely make you awe. The weather is comfortably cool and the water level is around 85 ft.

Enroute, we had a pit stop for packed lunch. We spent some time for photography and enjoyed the beauty of the sprawling expanse of reservoir. You can see the incredible vibrant colors - the deep blue sky, the mountains covered by green mat and the water body surrounded by beautiful landscapes. As all the goodness sinks in, you are sure to lose yourself.

Unpredictable and vast, the forests and the reservoir are home to wild animals, birds and other species.One can often spot them in their natural habitat which is enriched with flora and fauna.

We saw these elephants strolling through the forest.

The boating ended at around 5.30 pm. It was an awesome experience as it allowed us to immerse into the tranquil natural charm of Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.

Then a short walk of 2 kms to the base camp - Idimuzhangan camp site.

There is a vast area in front of the camp site. We could see heavy footsteps of a Indian Gaur on the way.

JUNGLE CAMPING

There are various camping packages run by Shendurney Ecotourism. Idimuzhangan is one of the camping site of Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary beside the Parappar reservoir.  There should be atleast 5 persons to get the permission for camping. As part of the package, they will allot a cook, a guide and a staff to accompany the team of tourists.  As the name suggests, if you make a loud noise in this place, an echo will be formed.

It was around 6 PM when we reached the camp site. The site was protected from wild animals by fenced electric wires and a moat. There were two  bath attached rooms which can accommodate 3-4 persons in each room. One veranda, kitchen and an open area with campfire facility is also part of the site. No phone or Internet connectivity is available in this area.

LEISURE TIME

After having rest for sometime, we moved to the nearby stream for bath. It was a big relief for us after an entire day of travel. It was around 7 PM when we came back to the campsite. Upon reaching, hot black tea was served. Meanwhile, the campfire was also ready. We spent some time singing songs.

It was time for dinner. Our host had prepared tasty meals for us.

DAY 2

It was around 6 AM. After a restful night sleep, I was already jumping to start my day. After an energetic black tea, we moved to bathe in the stream - Natural Spa in streams.

And we walked up the falls, cooling off in the pools forming below them, and a shower under natural water.

ROAMING AROUND

It doesn't make sense if you spend your misty morning in the camp shed. Since we are staying in the buffer zone of the sanctuary, we decided to have a morning walk in the lap of wilderness expecting elephants roam in the grasslands . The area is packed with astonishing sites and remarkable destinations.

Spotted the  skeletal remains of a Indian Gaur which was  attacked by a tiger.

We were lucky to have a distant view of a Indian Gaur strolling through the forest.

Again we returned to the base camp at around 9.30 am.

THE TREK

There are various trials, hikers can choose based on their skills. We decided to take the moderate trial to Nirapara. The Nirapara Trial takes the hiker through the magnificent forest.

Then we started the forest trek at around 9.30 AM.  It was an awesome experience by walking through the forest, marveling the peaceful surroundings and sensing the jungle music.

Spotted moottil pazham( fruit which was used by tribes in ancient days).

The forest area is rich in flora and fauna and various medicinal plants. Spotted an artificial pond for elephants.

Soon we reached Nirapara. The Nirapara spot offers a spectacular view of rock formation and distant view of reservoir with forest as a background, to hikers.

After a little rest and photography, we resumed our trek back to the camp site. Enroute we spotted a big tree. We found many of these on our way in different size.

Reached back to campsite at around 2.30 pm. The trek has come to symbolize Kerala's stunning scenic wealth. It was around 10 kms hiking route that took around 5 hours and the path takes you to wonderful landscapes.

After having lunch and rest for some time, we started our return journey to Thenmala.

Whether you are a adventurer, peace searcher, nature admirer or lover of photography, you can enjoy everything here. It was a memorable two days in the forest.