resorts near kochi: travel, activities & stay

Kochi is a wonderful travel location in Kerala and offers many tourist attractions for visitors. However, if you want to escape the city and spend some time in the lap of nature, there are some very interesting places around Kochi for an overnight or weekend trip. One can stay away from Kochi amidst natural beauty and then visit the attractions here as and when convenient. One such place is Thattekad, a Bird sanctuary located only about 1-2 hours away.

Thattekad is famous amongst birders for housing a large number of Bird species unlike any other place in the world. The flat terrain, moist soil and temperate climate here attracts thousands of birds to this natural paradise, making it an ideal place to visit for nature lovers. There some good resorts here that allow you to stay close to the Periyar River and provide ample opportunity to explore nature to the fullest.

If you live in Kochi, Thattekad is the ideal weekend destination for a quick escape from city life. You can leave early in the morning on Saturday and return to Kochi refreshed on Sunday evening or Monday morning without any hassles. During the 2-hour road trip, there is a marked change in scenery and environment as the coastline gives way to heavily wooded forests and undulating fields that are a pleasure to view and witness.

Travelling to Thattekad

From Kochi, it is very easy to get to Thattekad. One can drive from Kochi, located on the coastline inwards towards Thattekad, located on the banks of the Periyar River via national Highway 85. If you don’t have a car, you can get a taxi from Kochi that will charge you anywhere between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 2200. There is also a subway that takes you to Aluva, which is only about half an hour away from Thattekad.

Thus, we see that Thattekad is close enough to Kochi for a weekend or even a daytrip. If you come to Kochi, you can stay in the serene environment of Thattekad and travel up and down to Kochi as and when required. In the evening, you can enjoy the natural beauty of this idyllic place and engage in different activities available here such as bonfires, boating, Bird Watching, Kayaking, Trekking etc.

The Bird Sanctuary is Thattekad is a small area measuring approximately 25 square kilometers that is teeming with life but Thattekad is overall a very bio diverse land. Naturalists can study a large number of different plants including immaculate deciduous trees like oak and mahogany along with reptiles, mammals, insects and other creatures.

About Bird Watching

Birding or Bird Watching is a hobby that is slowly becoming very popular in India. Bird Watchers study different types of birds and stalk them to get photographs or to study them using powerful binoculars. According to Birders, many birds display interesting characteristics that can help humans understand the mystery of life and how living things connect with nature.

All over the world, there are birding competitions where the participant who spots the most species wins. Incredibly, there is no referee or way to ascertain what species participants have spotted and the entire exercise is based on the honor code. Bird Watchers simply note down the species that they spot during the day and the person with the most species is declared the winner at night.

But Bird Watching is not a competitive sport and is all about spending time in nature, socializing with like-minded people and exchanging notes on how to effectively find rare species. Many birders also carry around thick books that help them identify the individual species. This can be had sometimes as many species look similar and it takes an expert to identify them correctly.

Resorts near Kochi

The best place to stay in Thattekad is the Riverside Luxury Tents by Amritara. This is a posh and luxurious resort that has interesting accommodations for guests including canvass tents. The tents are very comfortable and come with all the amenities and facilities that one can expect from a world-class resort. From the tents, guests get an amazing view of the Periyar River and the thick forests that surround the area.

If you are interested in birds and different bird species, you don’t have to travel very far. From your tent, you can observe thousands of different species of birds milling around and drinking from the cool waters of the river. If you want to explore the area, you can take a walk around the property where there are clearly demarcated trails that guide guests to interesting spots.

The Amritara Riverside Luxury Tents organizes many activities and curated itineraries for tourists including specific treks to find rare birds. The staff at the hotel is very helpful and can best advise you on what to do here depending on the time available and your personal interests. They can also arrange quick and easy transportation for you to visit Kochi or the other nearby towns, cities and tourist spots located near Thattekad for a truly rewarding trip.