Journey to Gavi was a rejuvenating experience with tea plantations, tall trees on one side to deep gorge on the other side. Though Road was small, drive was exciting as there were only few cars passing by and the anticipation to see wild animals any time was thrilling.

Gavi in Kerala has become popular among international tourists after it has been featured as one of the must see places in India by world acclaimed tourism board, Alistair International. An Ecotourism project managed by KFDC offers various activities like boating, trekking & safari. Lets delve deep to see what this place holds in it.

Locals involving in Eco-Tourism project
From guides to cooks to gardeners, Gavi Eco-tourism project of Kerala Forest Development Corporation ensures that locals are employed thereby providing a livelihood for the people and also protecting the forests. We felt that local guides took proper care of the place as well as guests.

Spot Hornbills
As soon as we checked-in, we have been greeted by a guide. By the time, we refreshed and got near the lake to sail in our boat. We were perplexed by the loud flapping sound right above us. We saw two majestic hornbills flapping its wing. Our son was excited to see it. Our guide mentioned that two days before, few guests waited for hours to see a hornbill and how lucky we were to spot it so soon.

Drench your soul in secluded waterfalls
As the boat sailed in the calm evening hours, slowly unveiling the majestic waterfalls, it was a sight to behold. Our guide carefully pulled the boat so that we could get down safe with a toddler in hand. As the path to the falls were slippery, he had even offered to keep the kid safe till we reached a safe point.

Falls was splendid and the flow was perfect to get myself drenched. Little V on seeing me getting drenched, wanted to join in. As the force of water was too heavy for him, V said no. I handed him to my not-so-water loving(aka dry) hubby and enjoyed the falls and pool only to myself. After drying our son, we returned back in boat.

Loiter in the tranquility of Gavi
Gavi is a place where it is picturesque in every corner you see.  We took evening stroll on the empty roads of Gavi. It was just three of us enjoying the wild to ourselves. In the evening as the mist floated above the lake, Gavi looked even more beautiful.

Meander through lush green forests
Trekking through the forests where the sun lights cut through the hundred year old trees was an experience in itself. As we had a kid in hand, we had decided to take a short trek for the day. From what I heard from our guide, there are chances of encountering wild elephants in the long trek. So we were advised that taking a long trek might be bit risky with a kid in tow.

Elachi Plantations
On our way back from trek, our guide took us to a small cardamom plantation. Cardamom plantations are commonly found in Gavi. Kiddo was excited to crack open the cardamom.

Indulge in some child play
Just next to the lake, there are swings to play. We sat admiring the beauty of the lake putting our legs in lake water and watching small fishes swimming nearby.

A vast area near canteen is maintained perfectly for indulging your kid as well as you in some play. We spent a lot of time playing around that area. Look at the beautiful hanging flowers on the way to the canteen. Lovely isn’t it?

Spot some exotic insects
When we went to the falls, our guide pointed to a giant striped yellow-black spider. Look at the perfectly built web and a beautiful spider awaiting its prey.

While we were playing with our kid outside the canteen, we stumbled upon a stick insect and our son was excited to see it. He had also recollected a book of Julia Donaldson which we had read. When I was reading that book, I assumed it to be something made up for book and was stunned to see it for real.

Encounter with Wild animals
We went on a group safari in the morning. We could spot only Bisons, Nilgiri Langurs and few other birds. But the drive was beautiful.

While we were driving through the narrow roads of Gavi, our car driver was telling exciting stories of wildlife sightings. Few days before, when a family was driving through Gavi road, a majestic tiger was crossing the road. We also saw the footage of the same and was dumbfounded. Though we couldn’t sight any big cats during this trip, we loved every minute spent in Gavi.

Note : KFDC also organizes day trip to Gavi. But I would recommend spending two to three days here to immerse in the raw beauty of the place. Rooms were very basic and that doesn’t deter us from enjoying the trip.

Bookings can be made in the official website of Gavi or in the tourists’ counters available in Thekkady.

Do visit the dreamy Gavi and let me know about your experience in comments.