2 Best Sights in Central Kerala, Kerala

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.

In the vicinity of Thekkady, the Periyar National Park is one of India's best animal parks for spotting elephants, bison, wild boar, oxen, deer, black-faced Nilgiri langurs, and lion-tailed macaques (two kinds of monkeys), as well as many species of birds. The best viewing period is March and April, when other watering holes have dried up and wildlife, including leopards and tigers, is forced to approach the lake to drink. Still, you have a good chance of seeing animals resident October through May.

Lake Periyar, its many fingers winding around low-lying hills, is the heart of the nearly 303-square-km (117-square-mile) sanctuary. Forget exhausting treks or long safaris. At this sanctuary, unlike any other in India, you lounge in a motor launch as it drifts around bends and comes upon animals drinking at the shores.

On a quiet trip, elephants hardly notice the intrusion, although younger pachyderms will peer at you out of curiosity and then run squealing back to their elders when your boat comes too close. If you're brave-hearted, you can spend a night doing a night trek, staying overnight in a jungle lodge. If you do go out in the forest, be prepared for leeches on the ground, especially during the monsoon. It is best to book a safari through your hotel.