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Any travel agent will tell you that the best time to visit Thekkadi, also known as Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala, is during the months of December, January and February. They also say it is best to avoid Thekkadi during the heavy monsoons because the leeches and all those creepy crawlies, that abundantly inhabit the forest, make it difficult to trek or sightsee and rob you of the joy of experiencing the forest.

And if you give Thekkadi a miss this monsoon and head for the park sometime in late October you will be in for a surprise. Come October and a new colonial style lodge, the Taj Garden Retreat is opening on the periphery of the park.

The lush green of the Thekkadi forest lured the Taj Group of Hotels in 1996 to build upon the idea of a Taj Resort at this location. The idea has taken shape and an unusual retreat, reminiscent of colonial hunting lodges of the Raj era, is due to be open later this year. The Taj Group already has five hotels in Kerala, the Taj Malabar in Cochin, the Taj Residency, a business hotel in Ernakulam, Varkala Hotel in the coastal region, Taj Residency in Calicut which has opened only recently and finally Taj Garden Retreat located in the backwaters of Kerala. Now add to this list is Taj Garden Retreat, Thekkadi.

Accommodation in Thekkadi is on the increase. Within and around Thekkadi lie a number of high priced as well as middle range and budget hotels, that are still relatively unknown. In the top range, one of the most popular is Spice Village (04869-22315), situated near the Periyar Tiger Reserve on Kumily Road, en route to Thekkadi village.

The hotel offers standard rooms priced at Rs 4,000 per person, per day, plus ten per cent tax. This includes meals. The hotel offers facilities like a conference hall, sports facilities and safari trips.

The Lake Palace, also a luxury hotel, is built on the Periyar Lake. It is run by the Kerala tourism department and offers only suites and each suite is priced at Rs 6,000, including meals. The hotel is popular because from which ever angle one looks out, animals can be spotted around the lake's edge.

Carmelia Heaven is a more reasonably priced hotel close by and a very atmospheric place to stay at. It consists of decorative tree houses, priced at Rs 1,500 per person, including meals. Apart from the tree houses, the hotel has rooms built into cave-like structures priced at Rs 2, 650 per person, per day, including meals. While the more elaborate 'caves' go as high as Rs 5, 600 per person.

Lying 192 kilometres from Cochin, Taj Garden Retreat which is coming up at Thekkadi, is "perched atop a hill" explains K B Vinodh, the assistant sales manager for the South for the Taj group of hotels. The hotel is spread out across 3.5 acres of property. And while the civil work of the hotel is complete, the finishing touches are still being added to the interiors. Surrounded by the thick woods of the Periyar forest and coffee plantations, The Taj Garden Retreat offers facilities like a multi-cuisine restaurant, which serves Indian, continental, Chinese and Malabar cuisine. A separate meeting room, free safe deposit lockers and guests staying at the hotel can change their currency in the hotel. The hotel also has a ayurvedic massage parlour , a swimming pool and a fitness centre.

Among the middle range hotels one of the more popular hotels located in the heart of the Periyar Wild life Sanctuary is Aranya Niwas. This hotel offers standard rooms on twin sharing basis. Prices range from Rs 2, 000 per day to Rs 3, 500 not including meals .However, the hotel does have a multi-cuisine restaurant and a garden to relax in.

Also in the heart of the wild life sanctuary is the budget hotel -- Periyar House. This hotel as well is maintained by the Kerala tourism department. Its double rooms are priced at Rs 700 per day and the suites are priced at Rs 1, 500 per day. These rates include breakfast and one other meal and taxes. However, the same facilities found at Taj Garden Retreat can also be found at Periyar House. The hotel has its own restaurant, car hire, money exchange facility, doctor on call and ayurvedic massage parlour. To make reservations for the above two hotels contact 04869-22023/22026.

Thekkadi also caters to the budget travellers, who really doesn't have deep pockets at all. Hotel Ambadi situated a little away from the sanctuary offering non air conditioned cottages priced at Rs 650 a day and Rs 550 a day. There is also a Hotel Leela Pankaj with prices ranging from Rs 400 onwards.

As green, grassy, tranquil places fast disappear from our environment, virgin territory like Thekkadi, are bound to become some of the more popular destinations on tourist lists. Fortunately the resorts that are coming up in and around Thekkadi, to accommodate the expected horde, are fairly environmentally friendly. The opening of the Taj Garden Retreat, next month, will add one more hotel to this list.