Fodor's Expert Review Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

This wildlife sanctuary in the Annamalai Hills, which spreads 90 square km (35 square miles) across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is considered a better place to spot elephants and wild oxen (gaur) than Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. You also can look out for leopards, spotted deer, the Nilgiri tahr, yellow-throated bulbuls (songbirds), grizzled giant squirrels, crocodiles, sambar deer, langurs, and the bonnet macaque (both kinds of monkeys), and even an occasional tiger or a Manjampatti white (albino) bison. The entry fee is for the trekking program: paths lead along the Pambar and Chinnar rivers and past the mighty Thoovanam waterfalls, which are most impressive during the monsoons. Buses take you into the park, but you also can opt to stay in three-bed tree houses or four-bed log houses by booking in advance with the forest department. Bookings can be made at the wildlife warden's office in Munnar or online with an Indian credit card; it's about 90 minutes and 60 km (38 miles) from Munnar. READ LESS