<< More About Silent Valley

The following are some of the attractive tourist spots and places of interest nearby:

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary                            

Located adjacent to the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the 285 km² stretch of forest, known as the Parambikulam Sanctuary, is one of Kerala’s premier wildlife reserves. Parambikulam lies in the Anamalai Hills, south of the Palghat Gap in the Western Ghats. The area is hilly and rocky, drained by several rivers, including the Parambikulam, the Sholayar and the Thekkady. Thickly forested with strands of bamboo, sandalwood, rosewood and teak, the sanctuary has some marshy land and scattered patches of grassland. Parambikulam was once home to some of south India’s finest strands of teak; most of these, however, have now been replaced by teak plantations. Little remains of the original teak forests, other than the famous Kannimara teak tree, the largest in Asia. The tree is located at about 5 km from Thunakadavu, and is one of Parambikulam’s prime attractions. Parambikulam’s animal species include the tiger, leopard, wild dog, sloth bear, elephant, bison and more.

Palakkad Fort           

The Palakkad Fort or Tipu Sultan Fort, one of the best preserved Forts in Kerala, was built by Mysores Haider Ali in 1766 AD. In 1790, the Fort was taken over and renovated by the British. The local ruler, Palakkad Achchan, was originally an ally of the Zamorin, but had become independent before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1757 he sent a deputation to Haider Ali seeking help against an invasion threatened by the Zamorin. Haider Ali seized upon the opportunity to gain possession of a strategically important location such as Palghat, and from that time until 1790 the fort was continually in the hands of the Mysore Sultans or the British. It was first taken over by the latter in 1768 when Colonel Wood captured it during his raid on Haider Alis’s fortresses, but it was retaken by Haider a few months later. It was recaptured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783, after a siege that lasted eleven days but was abandoned the following year. It later fell into the hands of the Zamorin’s troops. In 1790 the fort was finally captured by the British under Colonel Stuart.

Nelliampathy Hill Station 

Nelliampathy is a popular hill station 60 km away from Palakkad town. It is famous for its tea and coffee plantations and the excellent weather condition. The journey to Nelliampathy is an experience by itself. The only route is from Nemmara, from where the first town of Nelliampathy, namely Kaikatty junction, is at a distance of 26 km. At the 9th kilometer is the Pothundy Dam, a small irrigation dam which contributes water to the rice fields in the surrounding area. The dam is at the foot of the Nelliampathy hills. From here, the road winds up for the next 17 km, with many hairpin turns on the way. Immediately after Pothundy dam, comes the government forest, where one can see massive teak trees. The road is very narrow and requires a skilled driver behind the wheels. On the way, one can see wild animals like monkey, deer and porcupine. The view of the Pothundy dam from the height is a breathtaking sight. One can find many small waterfalls by the roadside during the rainy season

Malampuzha Dam 

The Malampuzha dam which is a combination of a masonry dam and an earthen dam, is a 6,066 ft. structure built across the river Malampuzha flowing through Palakkad district, and a tributary of Kerala’s longest river Bharathapuzha, with a net - work of canal systems. Malampuzha Dam is the largest reservoir in the State. It has the scenic hills of the Western Ghats in the background. It has an ayacut of 42,090 hectares. The dam and reservoir are located about eight kilometers from Olavakode railway station and 13kms. from Palakkad town. The scheme was started in 1949 and commissioned in 1955. Having a catchment area of 145 sq.kms, the reservoir has a capacity of 8000m.e.ft.of water. There are two canal systems. The left back canal traverses a distance of 32 kms to irrigate cultivable areas in the taluks of Palakkad, Chittur and Alathur. The right bank canal has a length of 32kms and irrigates areas in Palakkad taluk. The reservoir is also the source of drinking water for the whole of Palakkad town and the surrounding villages.

Fantasy Park       

Fantasy Park is Kerala’s first amusement park at the most popular destination of Malampuzha in the district of Palakkad. Located near the famous Rock Gardens at Malampuzha Dam at a distance of 10 km from the district, it is an ideal picnic spot for the entire family. With a colourful water theme park, well-maintained lawns, fountains, waterfall, joy rides, food court, planetarium and other wet and dry amusements that offer some thrilling and exciting entertainment, it has become a favourite haunt of children and visitors wanting to spend an enjoyable summer vacation indulging in fun and frolic. Facilities for accommodation, parking, shopping etc. are available.

Therer are also other attractions like the Cholanur Peacock Sanctuary at Mayilaadumpaara, 30 kms from Palakkad, which is one of the best places to watch peacocks. Then there’s the ten-step Meenvallam waterfall which is accessible from a distance of 37 kms from Palakkad on the Mannarkkad-Palakkad route; as also the Tribal Colony at Attappady, yet another attraction nearby, which houses the Irula and Muduga tribes and is a place of great interest to anthropologists.