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BY  Sibashree Aug 24, 2026

Thekkady may not have the best tourist season in 2026 due to the fall in the water level of the Periyar Lake. Still, it remains a classic Kerala experience with its unpredictable and untamed nature and wildlife. My day in Periyar started with an unexpected encounter with a majestic elephant. I was in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, focusing my binoculars to get a glimpse of the wildlife. It was dawn, and the elephant seemed to appear from nowhere, evading the mist. This is how Thekkady catches you off guard. However, it is not just the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve. The Thekkady tourist places also include spice plantations, cultural centers, and some important places of religious and spiritual significance. Furthermore, the Thekkady resorts with private pool promise unmatched comfort for visitors who want a fusion of natural abundance and luxury. These focus on ecotourism and visibly function as extensions of the wild and untamed nature of Thekkady. It is no wonder that Thekkady had 757017 domestic visitors and 79736 foreign visitors in 2025. This data is from the Kerala Tourist Visits Statistics – 2025. Do you also want an immersive journey into Thekkady? I will talk about the tourist places, location, transport options, and a tentative itinerary. Where Is Thekkady? Thekkady is in the Idukki district of Kerala and close to the Tamil Nadu Border. Located in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats, Thekkady is at the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Kumily, around 4 km away, is the nearest town, and most visitors choose to find accommodation in this town. Furthermore, with an elevation ranging between 700 and 1800 meters, Thekkady enjoys easy road connectivity to more famous tourism destinations such as Munnar, Kochi, Madurai, and Kottayam. Also, it is located at a distance of around 204 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. How To Reach Thekkady? The nearest airport to Thekkady is Madurai, which is located at a distance of around 136 KM. Also, the nearest railway station is Kottayam, and the distance is around 110 KM. From both places, you have to reach Thekkady by road. Madurai To Thekkady From the airport, you can book a private taxi to reach Thekkady within 3.5 to 4 hours. The charges will be around ₹3500-₹7500. You can also board the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from the M.G.R. Bus Stand to Kumily, which is just 5 minutes away from Thekkady. The travel time in these buses is around 3 hours and 20 minutes, and the ticket price is ₹154. Moreover, you can check the redBus platform for more such bus options. From Kottayam To Thekkady You can book a private car or taxi from Kottayam to Thekkady. The charges will be around ₹2600 to ₹4000. From Kottayam, you can also board KSRTC buses running from Ernakulam or Fort Kochi to Thekkady. The journey takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes, and the ticket price will be between ₹150 and ₹300. Moreover, along with Kottayam and Madurai, many urban areas in Kerala, such as Kochi, have excellent road connectivity with Thekkady. What Are The Thekkady Tourist Places? The Thekkady tourist places are eclectic, offering a mix of wildlife, spiritual, and off-beat trekking experiences. Moreover, there are cultural places and tea factories. So, here, I have presented them in different categories. Nature And Wildlife Attractions While the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is at the epicenter of the wildlife experience in Thekkady, you can also visit the Elephant Junction. Here are more Thekkady tourist places for nature and wildlife exploration. 1. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary And Tiger Reserve In 2022, Periyar Tiger Reserve won the title of the best-managed tiger reserve among the 54 reserves in the country. This is a community-based ecotourism project. Also, it is home to Bengal Tigers, Indian Elephants, leopards, gaur, barking deer, mouse deer, and many other mammals. The sanctuary remains open from 6 AM to 7 PM. The entry fee to the national park is ₹45 for Indian adults and ₹15 for Indian children. For foreigners, the charges are ₹500 (adults) and ₹180 (children), respectively. 2. Elephant Junction Elephant Junction is the place to get up-close and personal with elephants in Thekkady. I am never in for the rides or the logging activities, as I know how these can literally ruin the lives of the adorable creatures. However, I enjoyed feeding them and watching them when they were taking a bath in the nearby stream. The safari park remains open from 8 AM to 6 PM, and the packages start from ₹700. 3. Chellarkovil At a height of around 1200 meters above sea level, with a beautiful landscape and waterfall, it is an important ecotourism hub. Due to the ecotourism project here, you will come across many huts, medicinal plants, and pathways. Moreover, from the God’s Own Balcony of the Chellarkovil Watchtower, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the neighboring Theni and Kamabam. 4. Vandiperiyar At a distance of around 18 km from Thekkady, Vandiperiyar is a scenic hill and spice town in the Idukki district of Kerala. The beautiful Periyar River forms the lush landscape here, and it is also home to the Government Agriculture Farm and Flower Garden. This farm and flower garden feature a rich collection of roses, orchids, and anthuriums. Moreover, it has tea, coffee, and pepper plantations in abundance. Also Check: Natural Wonder: Top 11 Best Landscape Places In The World. Thekkady Tourist Places Offering Religious And Spiritual Experience The religious or spiritual vibe of Thekkady is not limited to designated temples. You will find the hidden and the most significant gems in a plantation town or at the top of a hill. 1. Ramakalmedu There is one famous saying about Ramakalmedu. It is the place where “the wind never stops.” However, around 40 km away from Thekkady, this mountain peak gets its name from the mythological legend of Lord Rama setting his foot on this rock. Also, once you reach the summit, you will find the Kuravan and Kurathy statues, the biggest in Kerala and inspired by local legends. It is a peaceful area, offering sweeping views of the Cumbum and Bodi villages on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. 2. Kurisumala Kurisumala, the tallest peak in Thekkady, means the “Mountain of the Cross.” This is a pilgrimage for Christians, who climb uphill with a cross. At the top, there is a peaceful monastery. Also, on the eastern side of this Kurisumala, stands Muruganmala. It has a Murugan temple, constructed by cutting a rock. 3. Mangala Devi Temple I reached the Mangala Devi Temple after a trek of around 11 km through the forest. Kannaki, the protagonist of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram, is the presiding deity in this 100-year-old temple. After facing betrayal at this place, she transformed into a divine figure and blessed all the locals here. Thus, she became famous as Mangala Devi, or the deity who brings blessings. Unfortunately, the temple was closed when I visited it, and it only opens during the annual Chithrapournami festival. 4. Peermede Peermede, around 44 km away from Thekkady, is a plantation town. However, I visited it after knowing it was named after a Sufi Saint, Peer Mohammed. The town still has the mausoleum of the saint and the summer palace of the Royal Family of Travancore. After visiting these historical and spiritual places, you can also explore the rubber, cardamom, and tea plantations here. Also, for some more adventure, you can trek to Kuttikanam or Thrissanku Hills. How Many Days Are Enough To Visit Thekkady Tourist Places? Plan Your Itinerary Three to four days are enough to visit Thekkady tourist places. Here is an itinerary you can follow for a comfortable, rush-free experience. DaysFocusLocationsDay 1Wildlife and Town•Periyar Tiger Reserve  •Elephant Junction ChellarkovilDay 2PlantationsVandiperiyar RamakalmeduDay 3Peaks and HeritageKurisumala and Muruganmala Peermede So, when are you planning a trip to Thekkady? Remember that October to March is the best time to visit this hill town. Read Also: What Are The Best Family Vacation Spots In The World? Here Are Our Favorites What Are The Things To Do In Unawatuna With Family? Ultimate Guide to Your Next Family Vacation in Israel

BY  Sibashree Dec 29, 2021

Are you like me? Who loves the wilderness and the solitude. I am a solo traveler and I have visited a lot of national parks in the USA, the best of them according to me is Maine National Parks. If we share the same interest then Maine is the perfect getaway from everything.  The state is considered to be the place where the beautiful rocky coastline, pine forests, lighthouses, and the Appalachian Trail await you!.  When we talk about National Parks in Maine, there is only one National Park in Maine, but there are four sites that have been affiliated with the National Park services along with these there is also one National Trail that starts from Maine itself.  Acadia National Park is the main park in Maine. Maine National Parks that are affiliated are:  Maine Acadian Culture Centre. Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument. Saint Croix Island International Historic Site.  Roosevelt Campobello International Park.  In this article, I will be giving you a complete guide on how to enjoy Maine National Parks. Stay tuned! Acadia National Park Acadia National park is where the mountains meet the ocean. This beautiful spot is located southwest of Bar Harbor, Maine. This park embraces 47,000 acres that include half of Mount Desert Island, known to be the section of the Schoodic Peninsula. There are several small islands in between as well.  Acadia is known to be one of the 10 top National Parks in America, which attracts a lot of tourists.  Things To Do In Acadia National Park  Hiking hiking is the most popular and fun activity in Acadia National Park. For hikers they have 158 miles that are marked as hiking trails and your pets can accompany you there too. It is a great place to take your family with you and while walking you will be watching the ocean, flora, and wildlife.  Wildlife For many species, Acadia National Park is their home. Look out for otters, eagles, seals, painted turtles, deer, peregrine falcons, moose, black bears, and porcupines. Not just these but there are 338 species of birds that visit this place throughout different times of the year.  Water Activities To enjoy the ocean to the fullest, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, boating as well as exploring the tide pools are the right and fun choices to spend your afternoon. To spend some time with yourself you can also think about paddling around all the islands or maybe cam at some primitive sites. Solo Tours You can always explore the place by auto tours, or bus tours after a week of hiking when you just want to look around to find new interesting things. you can enjoy your own company as solo traveling. The night sky in Acadia gets stunning for being pitch black and some stars playing hide and seek. Other than this, in winter you can go ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snow bowling, and dog sledding.  How To Get To Acadia National Park? From Mount Desert Island or Schoodic Peninsula, by car, it is really easy to drive to Acadia. The Rv campers must know that the historic bridges have high restrictions on roads. The rest of the roads do allow buses and long vehicles.  There are RV campsites that have a convenient bus system to drive tourists around the park. Therefore to explore po[ular locations you don’t need to hire a vehicle for that. Maine National Parks As I mentioned in the beginning, there are four affiliated sites that can somehow be considered National Parks in Maine. Let's see what they have to offer. Maine Acadian Culture Centre Maine Acadian Culture Centre is located in the U.S side of Saint John Valley. It shows the depth of the history of the Acadian settlers.  There are places for tourists to explore the intriguing architecture of the early 1900’s church, which is now home to Musee Culturel du Mont-Carmel. You can also just wander around all your own among the seventeen buildings of the indigenous Acadian settlement.  For those who would rather just stay outdoors than indoors and build memories to carry back home, have the Allagash Wilderness Waterway where angling, hunting, and canoeing are available.  Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument  Possessing over 87,000 acres of Maine wilderness, this spot offers opportunities for outdoor roamers. This place is considered to be the hub for bird-watching and hiking. Katahdin is nominated as the international dark sky sanctuary.  Among the Maine National Parks, Acadia National park has a pristine National Monument whose location is perfect for date gazers and campers. To those who look for adventure during the wintertime as well, snow bowling is allowed in many areas,  and there are well-maintained trails for cross-country skiing. Hunting and fishing are also allowed here.  Saint Croix Island International Historic Site This place attempted to have a French Colonization, which now reminds historical events dating back to 1604. The trail is fine for visitors to leisurely walk and enjoys guiding themselves while they pass the bronze statues set in homage to French settlers and admire them.  There is a huge bird population and birdwatchers can easily report if they come across a new species of bird. Informal birds taking shadows are held through the entire summer.  Roosevelt Campobello International Park  This international park is to show respect to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family.  This 2,800-acre island is full of forests, bogs, and beaches that offer an idyllic area, slow walks, and get-togethers.  People come across many cottages in the park including Roosevelt Cottage. This cottage is open to all tourists and provides guides that know how to answer the guests with politeness and information.  Appalachian National Scenic Trail  This Trail contains 2200 miles of habitual foot track. 281 of them are located in the state of Maine. It has ecosystems in the mountains that are quite picturesque. The tallest mountain in Maine, Katahdin, blemishes the starting of the trail and is the difficult mile on the route which is Mahoosuc Notch.  As the spot has a unique climate, it is also a hub for scientific research and studies. Workshops are available to educate people who wish to join the journey. There are plenty of exploration options for all skill levels, from friendly treks to thru-hikers. All the hikers that come from far places have to get a permit before starting their adventure.  Wrapping It All Up Here you go with everything you need to know before visiting the Maine National Parks. The place is considered to be the most beautiful National Park in America.  All ages can enjoy the view as well as the environment. You just have to take some time out of your busy schedule and visit the place with your family. I assure you the experience is going to be so good. 

BY  Barsha Oct 22, 2025

I know what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours. You are probably thinking how many hookups I've had during my travels - especially since I am here to talk about travel hookups!  TBH, a few times for sure - not too many times, but definitely a few times. I mean, I had no idea about how the hookup culture worked during vacations - until I tried it out a few times. And now? Well, while the adrenaline is certainly thrilling, it does come with some major risks.  And while I’m nobody to stop you, it’s important that I help you out with my comprehensive list of dangers associated with travel hookups. Once you are aware, you will be safe while having ‘fun’ on vacation. Stay tuned. What Are The Dangers Of Hooking Up When You Travel? Romantic relationships on the road can be a great way to experience a foreign culture intimately, but at the same time, navigating the dating scene abroad can be a minefield.  Hooking up while traveling is an experience many actively strive for; as of 2025, 58 percent of travelers have embarked on a vacation romance, according to a recent TripAdvisor survey. Hookup culture not only accepts but actively encourages casual sex, including activities like one-night stands, without necessarily including bonding or emotional intimacy.  The term “hookup” has a broad scope because it can indicate any form of sexual activity between partners, including kissing. One can expect the dangers of hookup culture to be amplified when the partners in question have gone all the way at least once, especially regarding the following point.  In this context, let’s look at the primary dangers of travel hookups: Misaligned expectations  The risks of overindulging in alcohol The dangers of hooking up are relative  About good old-fashioned regret  The big issue of safety. 1. Misaligned Expectations: The question of whether it’s acceptable or even desirable to hook up with someone while traveling is very complicated. It first depends on the object of the hookup: a local or a fellow traveler? It seems far less complex when the person is also traveling and in a similar situation to you.  Given the significant financial gap and ensuing power imbalance between tourists and locals in destinations like third-world countries, there’s no shortage of potential problems. The traveler might see it as a fling, and the local – as real love, finally. Streams of messages over different online apps will follow the interaction, which can get awkward and, ultimately, one person could decide to block the other and move on.  2. The Risks Of Overindulging In Alcohol: It’s a fine line between lowering inhibitions and becoming too intoxicated to make smart decisions about what you do or don’t want to engage in. Overindulging in alcohol makes you more vulnerable to assault and theft, not to mention risking alcohol poisoning and ruining your entire vacation. 3. Relative Dangers Of Hooking Up: That only begins to scratch the surface of the dangers faced by women. Trust your intuition if a situation feels wrong or unsafe. Don’t assume you’re safer leaving a bar in a foreign country with someone you just met than you would be back home.  The sometimes misleading sense of security you feel while on vacation can make you vulnerable. Other vacationers won’t necessarily have your best interests at heart. Safe sex is about more than wearing a condom; it’s about not ending up on the news as a cautionary tale.  4. About Good Old-Fashioned Regret:  An online survey of 1,468 college students found that more than 27% felt embarrassed about a recent hookup, just under a quarter reported emotional difficulties, a fifth felt a loss of respect, and a tenth shared they had problems with their long-term partner.  78% of women and 72% of men who had casual sex reported experiencing regret thereafter, according to a Canadian survey of 200 undergraduate students.  5. The BIG Issue Of Safety: Obviously, this is perhaps the most important issue associated with travel hookups. When you reside somewhere unfamiliar, you become more open and vulnerable to any kind of sexual assault.  Both drug use and alcohol are common parts of travel, and both can sufficiently increase risks when you are traveling. Why? Well, it can impair your judgement, increasing risks in the process. As per travel data on Satista, sexual violence in international trips is typically perpetrated by strangers or even recent acquaintances.  Of course, this is correct, considering you won’t have your usual security network of family and friends who can interfere or even help in case of something dangerous. Moreover, in a foreign land, you might not be familiar with social cues or even local emergency support.  How To Minimize Risks Associated With Travel Hookups? Now that I’ve highlighted the major risks associated with travel hookups, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to minimize the dangers associated with travel hookups: Always meet in Public! If you are meeting someone from a dating or hookup app for the first time, and that too while you are traveling, then it's best to meet them in a public spot. And best to avoid drinking - what if they spike your drink? But if you still want to be a little tipsy, drink a little, depending on your tolerance, and then go meet someone new.  Always confide in someone about your plans. So what are they miles away from you? My best friend lives on another continent, but I always message her - she knows what to do if she doesn’t hear from me every few hours. Also, I always share my live location with her - just to be extra safe.  While you can do a thousand other things, it is best to trust your gut. If something feels off, then trust your instincts and leave. You don’t need to hook up with someone who doesn’t make you feel comfortable at the onset. And if you are meeting in public, then leaving is always an easy option. Lastly, never disclose personal information. This basically means don’t tell your tour ‘date’ which hotel you are residing in, what your plans are for the next few days, and stuff like that. This is because once you do leave, considering something feels off, they might just follow you and make it unsafe for you.  The Dos Of Hooking Up When Traveling: It’s not about avoiding hookups while traveling, but approaching them the right way. To make sure you don’t regret the experience, don’t lower your standards. Always be selective and don’t hook up with people in your tour group or who are staying at your hotel – it will prevent the awkwardness of running into them after a disappointing experience.  Follow the golden rule: come and leave with friends and look out for each other and, ideally, other travelers. Being an active bystander will make sure no one looks back on situations abroad with regret.