Silent Valley National Park is situated in the Palakkad district of Kerala. Silent Valley in Kerala is considered India's last area of tropical evergreen rain forest and is a precious biodiversity resource, which you can visit on tours with Kerala Backwater. Threatened by the construction of a dam across the Kunti River, which flows out of Silent Valley National Park, during the 1970's, Silent Valley was rescued as a result of an agitation by environmentalists and conservationists in Kerala.

Situated in the Kundali Hills, 40 Km from Mannarkkad, in the Western Ghats in Kerala, Silent Valley National Park is one of the few remaining pristine forest areas in the Western Ghats. It was declared a National Park in 1980 and is the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Called Silent Valley because the loud calls of Cicadas heard elsewhere in this region are not heard here, Silent Valley has an amazing range of wildlife. Tigers, deer, and mammals native to the South Indian Peninsula, such as the Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Flying squirrel and Civet Cat are found in Silent Valley National Park. You can enjoy observing these rare animals and many more in Silent Valley National Park on a tour with Kerala backwater.

More than 100 butterflies' species and 400 moth species have also been observed in Silent Valley National Park. Birds such as the Malabar Hornbill, Great Indian Hornbill, hoopoes, tree pie, barbets, crow pheasant, woodpeckers, rollers, drongoes, kingfishers and parakeets can be seen in abundance in Silent Valley National park. Many varieties of snakes, amphibians and lizards can also be seen in Silent Valley.

There are more than 110 species of plants in Silent Valley National Park, including many plants that are known for their medicinal properties. The best time to visit Silent Valley is from September to March, during the pleasant winter.

The nearest airport to Silent Valley National Park is Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, which is 55 Km away. By road Silent Valley is 40 Km from Mannarkkad and there are regular bus services.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Situated at Devikulam taluk of Idukki district of Kerala, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary acquired the status of a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 and spreads over an area of 90,422 sq.km. The sanctuary’s diversity encompasses rugged terrains, dry deciduous forests, high sholas and wet thorny scrub forest with xerophyte species. Chinnar is the habitat of the endangered Giant Grizzled Squirrel of India. Unlike other sanctuaries, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats and receives only 48 rainy days in a year.

Best Time :
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary can be visited almost throughout the year except during the months of October and November.

How to get there ?
» By Air - Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport, about 150 kms from Munnar.

» By Rail - Nearest railway station is at Ernakulam.

» By Road - The sanctuary is well connected by bus service to all the major places in the southern states.

Major Attractions of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary :

» Flora - A variety of trees, including the unique thorny scrub forest with Xerophytic species adorns this sanctuary. The flora of the sanctuary encompasses dry deciduous forest, thorny scrub forests, high sholas and wet grasslands. The species of flora include Acacia arabica (Karivelam), Acacia leucofolia (Velvelam), Santalum album (Chandanam), Anogeissuslatifolia (Mazhukanjiram), Elaeocarpus recurvatus (Bhadraksham) and Strobilanthus kunthianus (Neelakurinji).

» Fauna - The Chinnar National Park is best known as the second home to the endangered giant grizzled squirrel in India. The Sanctuary is also homes tigers, elephant, bonnet macaques, gaur, Kraits, spotted deer, Hanuman monkey, Peacocks spectacled cobras, sambar, turtles, vipers, little cormorants, darters and black eagles.

Accommodation Facilities :
Accommodation options include private lodges at Marayoor, Munnar and Udumalpetta. One can also find accommodation in the government guesthouses at Munnar and Udumalpetta.