The day-long Gavi eco-tourism package launched by the District Tourism Promotion Council here is fast becoming a hit.
DTPC sources said a total of 905 tourists, including foreigners, had visited the lush forests over the past six months.
The DTPC had launched the one-day package to the wild interiors of Gavi, situated in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, 102 km away from here, in October last. The tourists are being taken to Gavi in A/C and non A/C vans. The package costs Rs.1,600 (5-seater A/C), Rs.1,300 (5-seater non-A/C), and Rs.1,600 (12-seater non A/C). The tour party would leave Pathanamthitta or Konni at 6.30 a.m. to return by 8 p.m.
The route
The tour groups set off to Gavi via Angamoozhi, Kochandy check-post, Moozhiyar, Kakki dam, Anathode dam, Eco View Point at Kochu Pampa, and Pachakanam and return to Pathanamthitta via Vallakadavu, Vandiperiyar, Kuttikkanam, Mundakkayam, Erumeli, and Ranni the same day.
For tourists coming from Thiruvananthapuram, and Kollam, Konni is the nearest pick-up point.
For those from Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta is the nearest pick-up point.
The tour package is being organised in association with the Forest Department and the Kerala Forest Development Corporation.
The panoramic view of the Kakki, Anathode, and Kochu Pampa reservoirs of the Kerala State Electricity Board, especially in the twilight hours, is a major attraction.
Gavi is known for its wild fauna, especially birds. The forest patch is rich in its diversity of amphibians, reptiles, insects, and plants.
