Periyar Bamboo Rafting: Wilderness Trekking, Tribal Guides & River Safaris

Deep Immersion in the Cardamom Rainforest Wilderness

For adventure travelers and wildlife photographers visiting Thekkady, the Periyar Tiger Reserve Bamboo Rafting program represents one of the finest eco-tourism initiatives in India. Operated jointly by the Kerala Forest Department and indigenous tribal communities (Mannan and Paliyan), this full-day expedition takes small groups deep into the strictly protected core zone of the reserve.

Expedition Itinerary & Flow

• Dawn Departure (07:30 AM): Groups gather at the forest office for briefing and leech-guard sock fitting, stepping into the primary evergreen jungle as the forest awakens.
• Jungle Trekking (3 Hours): Accompanied by armed forest guards and indigenous tribal trackers, hikers traverse animal tracks through moist deciduous forests, bamboo brakes, and marshy grasslands, identifying animal footprints, tiger scrapes, and bird calls.
• Bamboo Rafting on Periyar Lake (3 Hours): Boarding indigenous bamboo rafts made of 10 to 12 lashed bamboo poles, travelers paddle silently across submerged forest channels. Rafting in near-complete silence allows travelers to approach wild elephants, gaur, and sambar deer grazing along the banks without startling them.
• Return Hike & Jungle Picnic: A packed vegetarian lunch wrapped in banana leaves is enjoyed on an isolated forest knoll before trekking back to the boat landing by 16:30 PM.