SPICE APRIL 2017 IPAD LR

TRAVEL ||||| HOSPITALITY
THE RESORT ON
THE HILL
POETREE SAROVAR PORTICO,
LOCATED AT THE HIGHEST POINT IN
THEKADDY, KERALA, IS A
DESTINATION IN ITSELF AS WELL AS A
GOOD STARTING POINT FOR
NEIGHBOURING ATTRACTIONS
NOW FLYING
SpiceJet flies to Kochi, 190 km away. Log
on to www.spicejet.com for details
In 1895, the Mullaperiyar dam
was constructed on the
Periyar river. Located in
Kerala, it supplies water to
the neighbouring state of
Tamil Nadu, mostly for
irrigation purposes. One of the delightful
fallouts of the dam construction was the
formation of the Periyar Lake, sprawling
over a vast area of 26 sq km.
The Kerala Tourism Development
Corporation, in collaboration with the
tourist centre at Thekkady and the
Kerala Forest Department, offers twohour
well-organised boating trips on the
lake. The staff on the boats are friendly
and helpful, pointing out animals and
birds all around. It is common to see a
herd of elephants or a wandering family
of deer during the boat ride.
You stand a better chance of viewing
wildlife in April as the animals come to
the lake frequently for drinking water.
There is every possibility of you spotting
herds of Gaur, Sambar and wild boars as
well a wide variety of birds.
Understandably, tourists go clicketyclick
with their camera and mobile
phones, shooting them, the lake and its
environs.
But the lake can be best viewed from
a four-star eco-resort perched on a hill,
the highest spot in Thekkady. Embraced
by acres of untouched forest, Poetree
Sarovar Portico offers the ultimate
widescreen experience - a sweeping,
unobstructed view of silver mountain
ridges, wooded valleys and the Periyar
Lake.
But why is it called Poetree? “This
place has the grace and flow of beautiful
98 ||||| APRIL 2017