If you are interested in the fauna of Periyar, pick up some of the plainly designed, but well researched booklets prepared by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), which should be available at the office of the Field Director.

Manan tribals are particularly good at natural history, fishing, and even collecting wild honey from hill bees, which they do at night to avoid being stung. You could try and get a guide to take you along.

To exchange money try Mukkadans Money Exchange in Thekkady. Avoid weekend visits (they are invariably overrun by tourists of the noisy picnicking kind.)

Carry sleeping bags in case you decide to spend a night or two at the tower.

For more reliable wildlife viewing opportunities, travel in the hotter months from February-May (be prepared for really humid conditions!)

If you are walking in the deep forest especially in the heavy rains, remember the leeches. Wear boots, socks, long trousers and full-sleeved shirts. Of course, not much can stop a determined leech, but try tobacco snuff smeared on your shoes as a possible deterrent. Salt does help get them off (double check your toes and ankles when you take your boots off). Leeches are not known to spread disease, in fact some are used by traditional medicine men to cure diseases.

Always inform the authorities where you plan to go so that a search party can be sent for you in the event that you get lost (easy to do if you go walking with an inexperienced guide in an unfamiliar forest).

Orient yourself. Get a map and trace out the route you intend to take.

Always carry a compass (learn how to use it first).

Keep a sensible First Aid Kit handy and always travel with enough food and water for at least 24 hours (chocolates are a great, compact energy option).

If you choose to travel by boat, be aware that there is a definite reek of diesel in the small boats, so if you are allergic to the smell of diesel, try and get an upper deck seat.

Take a pair of binoculars along, its absolutely essential equipment for close-up sightings of animals.

If you are visiting Periyar as a group, then consider hiring a smaller boat. It will give you more freedom to manouvere and allow everyone to get a good look at any animals you might spot.

In 1899, taking stock of the damage done to Periyar, the Maharaja of Travancore decided that protection was necessary. He declared the Nellikkampatty area protected, and it was finally declared a sanctuary in 1934, at his insistence. It was renotified as Periyar and enlarged to its present size in 1950. Periyar was declared Kerala’s first and only Tiger Reserve in 1978. It was also subsequently declared the 10th Project Elephant Reserve.

Several tribal communities had lived and hunted in and around the sanctuary for centuries. But the reservoir changed the identity of both the forest and its human occupants. The Manans, a tribe, were relocated to Kumily in the 1950s, but it was badly handled and they were left deprived and destitute, with none of the land they had been promised. The Malampandaram tribals still inhabit the valley near the Ranni division forests, and the Uralis and the Malaiarayans, parts of the Vallakadava range. Some of them still cultivate land and collect forest produce surreptitiously, ever since orders were passed outlawing such activity. They now survive on fish, honey and the sale of wild cardamom to exploitative traders.