Gavi Eco-Tourism

Gavi - malabar giant squirrel

Gavi is a beautiful tourist destination, inside the ranni reserve forest in Pathanamthitta district. It is part of the Periyar Tiger reserve and situated 28 km south west of Vandiperiyar and about 3400 ft above the sea level. These evergreen forest has emerged the most famous wildlife, adventure and eco-tourism destinations of Kerala. It often serves as a base camp for birdwatchers, deep jungle trekkers and nature lovers. Gavi Eco Tourism is a project of the KFDC (Kerala Forest Development Corporation) and all the facilities to the tourists are providing by them .

The main attraction of Gavi Eco-Tourism project is the thick forest with the wide variety of flora and fauna. You can see a number of dams on the way to Gavi from Pathanamthitta, they are Seethathodu, Mooziyar, Kochu pamba and Gavi dams. The forest are abundant with wildlife including elephants, Indian gaur, leopards, tigers, bears, barking and mouse deers, Nilgiri Tahrs, lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri marten and other varieties of monkeys. This place is a heaven for birdwatchers. There are more than 300 varieties of birds including the great Indian hornbills, woodpeckers, sunbirds, dongos, kingfishers and myriads of mynas, cuckoos and bulbuls. Here also having different variety of plant species and butterflies.

Gavi - elephants

Activities

• Canoeing at Gavi and Kochu pamba lakes.
• Outdoor camping or night safaris to Kullur, Gavi, Pullumedu, Kochu Pampa and Pachakanam or Anathodu. That provide ample scope for wildlife viewing. Tents are allowed in the camping site. There are tree top houses where one can enjoy the wild life to the maximum.
• Treckking with the assistance of experts. Trekking to Pullumedu Peak offers a beautiful view of the Sabarimala temple.

This place is leech infested and take precautions before trekking.