5 Wildlife Resorts In South India

A country as huge as India has a diverse wildlife that makes it a heaven for nature and animal enthusiasts. From the magnificent Bengal tigers to the gigantic elephants, from the flighty deer to the imposing leopards, you can find almost all exotic animals here. From the Siberian tiger in the Himalayas to the dolphins in the Ganges plains, from the lions in the grasslands of Gujarat to the elephants in the hills of Kerala, from the camels in the deserts of Rajasthan to the rhinos in the wetlands of Assam, every corner of India has exotic and stunning wildlife. And if you've explored the beautiful flora and fauna of Northern India, let's move south and explore some of the most fascinating national parks and wildlife resorts in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

* Periyar Tiger Reserve

Located atop of Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills in the Idukki district of Kerala, Periyar National Park is spread across 777 sq km. There are 35 species of mammals in the park, including bisons, sambars, wild boars, langurs, elephants and tigers. It is also one among the 48 tiger reserves in India.

* Eravikulam National Park Road

Eravikulam National Park was established for the conservation of Nilgiri tahr, the endangered mountain goat of South India and the park today is home to the largest number of Nilgiri tahr in the world. The wildlife sanctuary houses many other animals like gaurs, elephants, langurs, leopards, tigers, and lion-tailed macaque.

* Mudumalai National Park

Mudumalai National Park is 321 sq km forest reserve with thin, spindly trees and light-slotted leaves concealing spotted chital deer and grunting wild boar. The reserve is the best place to spot wildlife in Tamil Nadu. The creatures you are most likely to see are deer, peacocks, wild boar, langurs and giant Malabar squirrels. There’s also a significant chance of sighting wild elephants (the park has several hundred) and gaur or the Indian bison. The showstopper is the Bengal tiger, however, it is rare to actually spot one in these jungles.

* Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Gulf of Mannar Marine Park comprises of 21 small islands and coral reefs, about 8km off the coast of Tamil Nadu. Dominated by mangroves, this marine national park is a protected area with high diversity of plants and animals, such as the green turtle, clownfish, bottlenose dolphin and sperm whale. It is also an important feeding ground for dugongs. The voyage to all the islands takes about three days and permissions are required by the tourists prior to visiting these islands. The park is a marine biosphere encompassing the coasts of Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) and Ramanathapuram districts.

* Bandipur

An enchanting forest, that offers you a chance to surrender completely to nature, and spot some of India's most captivating wildlife, Bandipur National Park is Karnataka's jewel. A part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Bandipur National Park covers 880 sq km, and was once the Mysore Maharaja's private hunting reserve. Now Bandipur is a protected zone for over 100 species of animals, including tigers, elephants, leopards, gaur (Indian bison), chital or spotted deer, sambars, sloth bears and langurs. It’s also home to 350 species of birds.