Silent Valley National Park

The towering trees occluded the sky, the variety of birds heard but not seen, and the occasional tantalising glimpse of a forested mountain

The Silent Valley National Park spreads across 89 sq . Km in Kerala's Palakkad district. The park harbours some of the best evergreen forests in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is the catchment area of the Kunthi river. The Silent Valley came in to limelight in the 1970's, when the government planned to dam the river. The protests that followed were the beginning of the environmental movement in India. The entire valley was declared a National Park in 1985. Today the core area of the park is closed to the tourists and there is no habitation within the park. The Silent Valley is not exactly silent - the cicadas chirp ceaselessly, though their chatter is muted by other sounds of the jungle.

Flora and Fauna
Silent Valley has an amazing range of wildlife. Tigers, deer, and mammals native to the South Indian Peninsula, such as the Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Flying squirrel and Civet Cat are found in Silent Valley National Park.

More than 100 butterflies' species and 400 moth species have also been observed in Silent Valley National Park. Birds such as the Malabar Hornbill, Great Indian Hornbill, hoopoes, tree pie, barbets, crow pheasant, woodpeckers, rollers, drongoes, kingfishers and parakeets can be seen in abundance in Silent Valley National park. Many varieties of snakes, amphibians and lizards can also be seen in Silent Valley.

There are more than 110 species of plants in Silent Valley National Park, including many plants that are known for their medicinal properties.
Straight Stuff
Location - Kerala
Total Area - 89 sq . km
Declared As - A National Park in 1980
Visiting Season - September to March
Baits - Butterflies, Lion-tailed Macaque and Nilgiri Langur
Entry Fee - Rs. 25 Indians, Rs. 250 foreigners

Accommodation
There is a Forest Department Rest House at Mukkali, headquarters of the forest Department nearly 23km from the park. (Ph: 0492-453225).There is a 40 bed dormitory (Rs.50 per bed), 3 bedrooms and a two room hut. There are private hotels in Amballoor.

How To Roll In
Air : The nearest airport is at Coimbatore (in neighbouring Tamilnadu State), about 55 km and at Cochin .
Rail : Thrissur (24km) and Coimbatore ( 55km ) are the nearest railway stations for reaching the park. Palghat or Palakkad (80km)is also a convenient rail head.
Road: Regular buses are available from Palakkad (80km) to Mukkali. Bus transport is only up to Mukkali, nearly 23 km from the park. The rest of the way has to be covered hiring a van or a jeep from Mukkali or on foot up to the source of Kunthi river, which flows through the valley before merging with the Bharathapuzha (Nila). Echippara is the headquarters of the sanctuary.