Silent Valley National Park - Connectivity
Silent Valley is situated in the northeastern part of
Palakkad district, Kerala. The nearest town is Mannarkkad (66Km). Bus transport
is available to Mukkali (23 Km). You can hire a private jeep from Mukkali to Sairandhri
or trek right up. Jeep takes 1 hour while a trek uphill takes between 4-5
hours. Visitors are few as the place is totally non-commercialized. Forest
officials are helpful and dedicated.
By Bus
Buses are available from Coimbatore & Palakkad frequently. From Palakkad there are
frequent buses to Mannarghat (45 kms.) Mannarghat is connected to Mukkali (22
kms) by bus. Silent Valley is 18 kms away from Mukkali which can be reached by
Jeep or Truck. Jeeps and trucks are available for hire at Mannarghat.
From Mukkali, there is a Motorable metalled road of 22
including Km up to Sairandhri, from where the trek paths are traversing
through different areas inside the park.
The area of Bhavani Range can be approached from Mukkali
and Mannarkkad and the area of buffer zone attached to Silent Valley Range can
be approached from Mannarkkad and Karauvarakkundu (Nilambur). The
Division head quarters is situated at Mannarkkad. Head quarters of two Ranges
viz. Silent Valley and Bhavani are at Mukkali, which is 20 km away from
Mannarkkad.
Basic amenities such as petrol, diesel, hotel, hospital,
bank etc are at Mannarkkad and Agali, which are located approximately 20 km and
10 km away, respectively, from Mukkali, the base camp. Facilities like
accommodation, transport, telephone, post office are available at Mukkali also.
·
Coimbatore
– Anaikatty – Mukkali – 90km.
·
Coimbatore
– Palakkad – Mannarkkad – Mukkali – 120km
·
Kozhikode
– Palakkad – Mannarkkad – Mukkali – 120km
By Train
The nearest railheads are at Palakkad (60 Km), Shoranur
(73 Km) and Coimbatore (70 Km.)
The nearest railway station is Palghat Junction.
From Palakkad, go to Mannarkkad and from there to Mukkali. KSRTC
buses are available every half an hour. If you are planning to stay at Mukkali,
reserve rooms in advance at the Forest department rest house.
Or else you can stay at Mannarkkad or Agali
Hills and hire a jeep to
reach Mukkali by 8.00 am. Mukkali is about 60 km from Palakkad, with Mannarkkad
en route. The visit to the Valley and Kunti River will take only a day, and you
can return back to Palakkad the same evening.
Another nearby railway station is Coimbatore Junction. From Coimbatore, take the road to Anaikatty (around 30 kms) and from there to Agali
Hills (15 kms) and then to
Mukkali (20 kms). The total distance via the Coimbatore route is only around 65
kms. It’s almost a straight road drive from Coimbatore to Mukkali. The scenic
roadway keeps one captivated all through.
By Air
Nearest Airport: Cochin (135KM), Coimbatore (55 KM) and
Calicut (80KM).
Travelling Inside National Park
By Bus:
Silent Valley FDA own and operate one 24 seater mini bus
and the visitors can avail the tickets from the information centre. The ticket
charge will include entry fee to the park, bus fare and the charges of the
accompanying guide. The trip includes a five hour of 44 km. Entry to the watch
tower and a small trek up to the Kunthi river banks.
By
Jeep:
There are 20 jeeps owned by the Mukkali Drivers EDC. The
booking for this jeeps were taken over phone at Silent Valley Range office and
jeeps will be allotted to the visitors on arrival. Based on the seating
capacity 5 persons were allowed to travel in a jeep accompanied either by a
guide or a driver trained as guide. The trip includes the guided jeep safari,
entry to the watch tower and a small trek up to the abandoned dam site at the
Kunthi river banks. The trip will take 5 hours.