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-   -   To Thekkady and Gavi in a BMW 630d (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/265700-thekkady-gavi-bmw-630d.html)

Hello BHPians,

I was in school when I visited Thekkady last time. So I knew it's time to refresh my memories about Thekkady. And since I had 3 days with me I decided to visit another place named Gavi which is near to Thekkady.

As always I started from Palakkad and took the route via Pazhani, Theni, Cumbum



The roads were nice throughout, freshly laid highways through some of the beautiful places are a treat for those who love driving. Fortunately the toll collection is yet to start :P





There were places where the highway work was in progress but the alternate route was also not that bad and also it was only for very short stretches.




Stopped for breakfast at a restaurant named Apoorva in the Oddanchatram bypass. With plenty of space for parking at the front and back.




The place even had a nice play zone for kids and some animals. The food was also nice.




The roads after that were also great and it really elevated the driving experience.



Stopped at a Petrol Bunk at a very nice location where I managed to click some pics.





The final stretch before Thekkady for a few kms included ghat driving as well.



Finally at Thekkady the main attraction is the boating.



The boating service is inside the forest area hence private vehicles are not allowed, you need to take the bus provided by the forest department to reach the place where boating service is carried out. We need to pay Rs.65/person towards the entry fee and bus fee to reach there.



The actual ticket for boating service is taken from there which costs Rs.255/person. There are very minimal tickets available based on the number of services carried out for the day. You can book boating tickets online as well. The bus service starts at 6 and boating service starts at 7 30. If you are not among the first few to reach there, you might end up not getting the boating tickets. So you have to plan accordingly.

The water level in the lake was low because of summer . But the place has its charm in the morning. If you are lucky you get to spot some animals. Even otherwise you can just enjoy the boat ride for an hour and half.






The tourism department has also introduced many packages. We can choose from the long list based on our interest , budget and length of stay. These include trekking , camping in the wild, bamboo rafting etc. You have to spend a few days there to enjoy at least some of it. And to be frank those packages did look really costly for me. Got to know from the tourism department that foreigners are very interested in those packages. Posting some here from the long list available.

The next day early morning as I planned, I set off to Gavi. This is also reserved forest hence private vehicles are not allowed without getting permission from the forest department.



But to go to Gavi from Vallakadavu check post in your car, the only option is to avail a day package for tourists provided by the forest department.



This cost 1630/person which includes breakfast, lunch, evening tea snacks, boating and also trekking. I was not interested in all those, but I had no option but to avail it to enter the area. With that I can go till Gavi, not beyond that. There are jeep services from Thekkady who will take you there but they will charge Rs.3500 extra for the same package. So if you have your own car, do not fall for the Jeep trap to come to Gavi , you can come to Vallakadavu check post and take the tickets needed. They are also doing bus service which is cheap and it will take you to Gavi and back without any other activities but for the bus to start there should be at least a minimum of 10 members.

The drive through the dense forest was an amazing experience and the chances of animal spotting is high throughout the day. We spotted elephants and bison in the far away grasslands on our way up and down. Not having a nice camera and lack of knowledge about photography was a big let down this time :( .
The roads are extremely narrow and giving way for any vehicles coming in the opposite direction is a task. Even though it is a one way road and traffic is very minimal as the forest department only allows a certain number of vehicles to pass through in a day, going there with a small vehicle would be ideal and stress free.




I did stop at a viewpoint where I managed to click some pics.








At Gavi tourism centre, you need to register and they will assign a guide for you after breakfast who will accompany you for boating, trekking etc. They have a nice set up there at the lake side with ample space for dining and to rest. People who loves flora will have a nice time checking out the different plants and fruits they grow there.









The guide will take you to the sabarimala view point from where you can see the famous sabarimala. It is raining leeches there and hence the guide will be carrying a pack of salt with him to remove the leech if one manages to stick on to you.





I must adit that the food they serve can be improved , more options can be brought in. Since the whole package cost Rs.1650/person , I believe there is definitely room for improvement in that area.

I am disappointed that I was not able to explore the whole stretch of road till the end . But I came to know that, I can enter from the other side and exit via the route I came in for approx. Rs.50/person which is really cheap. And also that route from what I heard covers even more exciting places .



It's a miss this time for me but now that I know, I will plan it some other day.

I said goodbye to Thekkady and Gavi on the 3rd day and on my way back stopped at a vineyard on the way.



It was a nice experience , you can buy fresh grapes , grape juice , vine etc from there.
I did not like the juice they served because the person did not know how to make it. The vine was fine.




Whether you wish to buy anything or not, being inside a vineyard is a nice experience.




So that's everything I wanted to share with you all about my recent trip to Thekkady and Gavi.

For those who enjoys video experience

https://youtu.be/iIwgVn7-dMc

Thank you all and drive safe.

Nice writing with good photos. I visited Thekkady earlier, and that was a good experience. It was just after the monsoon, and the water level was way higher. Gavi is on my list, and I hope I can go there soon.

Yes, after monsoon is always the perfect time to visit Thekkady.

@Rachet,

Thanks for sharing this travelogue. I am planning to visit Thekkady and Vagamon during the last week of May. How is the weather? I recently went to Kannur and Bekal and it was extremely warm, curtailing all day time activities. I am hoping Thekkady is a bit better.

Nice one, thanks for sharing and added more energy to my planning. Can you please look at this post and help answer?

Well, it was very sunny during the day time but it rained during the evening. Climate would definitely be better than Kannur. And the summer rains usually will be there in the evening time.

Will do for sure :thumbs up

Amazing photos and your 6GT looks awesome! I went to Thekkady via Gavi during March in my rust bucket (calling names with all the love in the world). It was so hot during the first few hours after crossing the check post we couldn't roll down the windows and enjoy the forest, but then it started to pour and then we saw this,



Spotted a couple of elephants grazing in a distant hill couldn't manage to capture any post worthy pics. But here's a picture of my bolero :cool: