Periyar or Thekkady in the western ghats of Kerala in South India is a refuge of rolling hills, lush green forests, amazing wild life and countless tea and spice plantations. The western ghats or Sahyadri Mountains run north to south along the western side of India. These hills are the perfect getaway from the heat of the south during the summer and host a large proportion of the country's plant and animal species that are unique to this area only and nowhere else in the world.
The drive up to Periyar or Thekkady (names of the same area) is specially scenic. It is about 5 and a half hours from Kochi, capital of Kerala. Rolling hills covered with tea plantations enveloped in mist and clouds for miles and miles is what you'll feast your eyes on.
It was good to see Shantha Kumari again. We visited her earlier in the year during our 2010 South Indian Odyssey and some members of our group got to ride her and give her a bath. She's gentle and sweet.
Shantha is off for a walk. She's a young one at only 37-years old. I found out that elephants eat up to 300kgs (660 pounds) of food and drink about 200 liters (52 gallons) of water a day.
During a 3-hour trek in the Periyar National park we came across this beautiful giant Malabar squirrel which is about 3-feet in length.
It was hard to capture this gigantic red cotton tree that reached for the skies.
Endless tea plantations.
The hills are covered with tea plants as far as the eye can see.
Tea leaf pickers sort their picking by the side of the road.
The pretty Pattumala Matha pilgrim shrine on the way to Thekaddy sits atop a hill with stunning views of the countryside.
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