5 Days Thenmala Ecotourism Tour Package Kerala | Pioneer

The full Thenmala day of this thenmala ecotourism tour package kerala moves through all three zones of India's first planned ecotourism destination. The morning is the Adventure Zone — the elevated walkway above the forest canopy, the nature trail through the butterfly safari area, the riverside trek along the Kallada and the rock climbing and river crossing activities for groups that want them. Thenmala's butterfly zone is one of the most concentrated butterfly habitat areas in south Kerala — the forest composition at the Western Ghats foothills gives the specific plant diversity that supports high butterfly density.
The afternoon is the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary boat ride — the reservoir boat circuit where spotted deer, sambar and various bird species come to the water edge. The musical fountain in the Leisure Zone closes the evening. Overnight at Thenmala.

The drive from Thenmala to Kollam covers approximately 45 kilometres — a short transfer that shifts the landscape from the forest foothills to the Kollam coast. Kollam sits on the Ashtamudi Lake — Kerala's second-largest lake, with a distinctive eight-armed shape from which its name derives, Ashta meaning eight and Mudi meaning head. The Kollam Boat Jetty on the Ashtamudi waterfront is the departure point for the Kollam-Alleppey backwater cruise — one of the longest houseboat routes in Kerala at approximately 8 hours.
For this thenmala ecotourism tour package kerala, the afternoon at Kollam is a local boat ride on the Ashtamudi Lake edge and the Kollam port town walk — the historic lighthouse area and the old merchant quarter near the beach. Overnight at Kollam.

The drive from Kollam to Varkala covers approximately 35 kilometres — a short coastal transfer. Varkala is the laterite cliff beach — the only place in south Kerala where cliffs sit directly against the Arabian Sea, a geological monument where the cliff face drops sheer to the sand below. The Papanasam natural spring at the cliff base has been associated with the Janardhanaswamy Temple above it for approximately 2,000 years.
The cliff path runs along the top of the headland with the sea dropping away on one side and the forest edge on the other. The afternoon is the beach below the cliff — the Papanasam Beach section with the spring accessible at the base. The evening is the cliff at sunset — the specific Varkala light when the laterite turns red. Overnight at Varkala.

The final morning at Varkala before the return to Trivandrum. The cliff at dawn — before the restaurants open and the footfall begins — is the most honest version of Varkala. The cliff face catches the morning light from the east sideways and the layering in the laterite shows at that angle in a way the afternoon light does not.
After the morning the vehicle drives to Trivandrum — approximately 50 kilometres from Varkala, taking around an hour. Travellers with afternoon flights have time for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple or the Napier Museum complex in Trivandrum city. The Bon Voyagers vehicle drops at Trivandrum Airport. This thenmala ecotourism tour package kerala ends here.