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Exotic Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
07 Days 06 Nights
Excellent

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Location :Idukki, Kerala

  • Coverage area : 90,422 sq. kms

  • Main attraction : Giant Grizzled squirrel, Elephants, Spotted Deer

  • Best time to visit :December to April

  • Nearby excursions :

  • Nearby cities :Chinnar


Declared as a biodiversity hotspot, the sanctuary is covered by the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary from the north side and Eravikulam National Park in the southern part. This glorious sanctuary is a part of Idukki District of the Western Ghats of Kerala that is unique with its floral, ecological, geomorphologic and cultural significance.

Located about 60 km northeast of Munnar and 10 km past Marayoor, it is a popular tourist destination in the Western Ghats which is sprawled over 90 sq km. Chinnar is blessed with a wide array of habitat types like deciduous forests, dry thorn scrub, riparian forest, shoals and grasslands and has a


Climatic conditions

Due to its location in the Western Ghats, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary remains dry and warm for most of the time of the year as it is located under the rain shadow place. Unlike other wildlife Sanctuaries, this place receives no more than two months of rainfall that too during the winter months of October and November. The average temperature is close to 36C.

The ideal time to visit this wildlife sanctuary is between the months of December to April when the weather is mostly pleasurable and enjoyable.Rain gives a unique freshness to this tropical forest range and it's beautiful to visit this place post the monsoon.


Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki is home to the Great Grizzled Squirrel. They are one of the most endangered species on the planet and presently count less than 200 in number. More than 225 recorded species of birds are seen. Other important mammals that you can see here are the leopard, gaur, sambar, elephant, tiger, spotted deer, macaques and NilgiriTahr among others. It is also home to the rare white bison. Common langur and bonnet macaque are widely seen.

December to January (may be till early Feb) is the best season to watch the various migratory birds. yellow-throated bulbuls, little egret, grey heron, serpent eagle, black eagle, are the major avian species to look out for.

Basically, the Wildlife Sanctuary is a protective sphere for about 34 species of mammals, 22 varieties of amphibians, 245 types of birds and 156 species of butterflies.

The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is a well-known repository of medicinal plants and has more than 1000 species of flowering plants that makes it one of a kind forest reserve in the country. Chinnar wildlife is a house of reptilian fauna and is one of the richest in terms of varieties of species. Visitors can spot Albizialathamiii which is critically very rare species.Tourists can also enjoy the unique phenomenon of beautiful butterfly migration in season of monsoon.


Distance of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary from major cities:

  • Munnar, 48.2 km

  • Cochin, 179.4 km

  • Ernakulam, 177.4 km

  • Delhi, 2604.7 km

  • Chennai, 572.8 km

  • Mumbai, 1312.6 km

  • Kolkata, 2208.7 km


How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

  • Kochi and Coimbatore are the two nearby airports of this Wildlife Sanctuary. Kochi airport is about 208 km away and Coimbatore airport is at a distance of 115km. There are taxi transfers available from both these airports.Kochi is well connected by flights with all major cities of the nation.

Railways

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary can be reached by two close railway stations - Pollachi and Alluva. It is only 60km away from the sanctuary and doesn't take more than an hour to reach. Alluva is close to 200km away.

Roadways

Road journeys are considered as the best ways to reach this Wildlife Sanctuary. It is well connected to most of the major parts of Kerala, and can be easily traveled in cars and buses from popular Kerala tourist destinations like Munnar, Cochin, Ernakulam, and others. The cheapest way to get from Kerala to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is through buses which take around 12hours. In cars and taxis, the distance is close to 7 hours.

Accommodation facilities

There are many ideal locations to visit in and around Munnar. Some of the popular stays here include Sandal Breeze Hotel, Marayoor Holidays, Cure Monastery, Hevin Home stay, Calwin Tourist Home, Chandana Royal Resort. Being a touristy place, there are plenty of options for stay. They all have the basic amenities associated with it.

One of the unusual options includes the tree house and the jungle cottage at Vysappara. Tree house and the cottages also offer great forest experience.

Things to do

  • Night safari

  • Jeep safari

  • Trekking

  • River trekking

  • Trail walking

  • Elephant ride

  • Boat ride


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