Palakkad is a truly an enchanting countryside vacation retreat in Kerala. It is nested on the foothills of the Western Ghats. There are many small hamlets located in the vicinity and being a border town, it has a quintessential influence of Tamil Nadu in the food, culture and dialect of the people. It is renowned as the granary of Kerala for its vast stretches of paddy fields and fertility. The verdant tropical forest with rich cultural history and traditional herbal treatment centres forms an integral part of the city. Natives are friendly and the city still clutches on to the rustic charm of the yesteryears.
Quite a few important local festivals are celebrated in the region. During the festivals, temples here are decorated with great show. The major festivals include Kalpathy Ratholsavam, Manappullikavu Vela, Nemmara Vallengi Vela and Chinakkathur Pooram. Travellers can also indulge in wild life safaris in the tropical wilderness in any of the popular national parks in the district. Adventure lovers can seek help of a travel guide to go for a hiking trail or enjoy the dams and adjoining gardens on boating trips on the waterways.
The city is the best locale to try out authentic delicious vegetarian cuisines of Kerala. You can enjoy an array of South Indian curries including Sambhar, Morukootan, Rasam and Vattal Kozhambu, which are eaten along with rice. Several restaurants and hotes also offer typical Tamil Brahmin style of cuisine.
It is a traditional small town ideal to buy tribal handicrafts and handloom material. Handicraft emporiums display a wide selection of tribal artefacts, exquisitely carved wooden items, wood crafted idols of Hindu Gods to name a few.
Tourist places worth visiting near Palakkad include:
- Attappady (About 58 km.): It is a collection of three small tribal hamlets of Agaly, Sholayur and Puthur lying inside the remote jungles of Western Ghats. These picturesque villages could be explored to satiate the flavours of tribal lifestyle. The inhabitants live by hunting and collecting honey, fruits and herbs from the dense forests. A tribal tour to Attappady can be a memorable experience.
- Nelliyampathy (About 51 km.): The pleasant hill station with lush green orchards, undulating valleys, cascading waterfalls, is a popular trekking and para gliding spot for adventure lovers.
- Coimbatore (About 52 km.): It is an excellent South Indian tourist city popular for its landscape speckled with divine shrines and temples. The other areas of tourist interest include amusement parks and botanical gardens.
- Kollengode Palace (About 67 km.): This ancient village is famous for its natural splendour, old Vishnu temple and the magnificent Palace of Kollengode.
- Silent Valley National Park (About 71 km.): This pristine tropical forest sprawls in the remote and inaccessible areas of Western Ghats. The gentle sloping mountains and the verdant valleys interweave with sparkling streams splashing through the rock-strewn terrains.
- Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary (About 93 km.): The backdrop of natural gushing rivulets down the hilly terrains is nested with dense tropical forest. It is a haven for numerous types of wild animals, reptiles and birds.
With the best tourist information, tourists can end up exploring many additional nearby places like Seethargundu view point, Tirupur, Coonoor, Guruvayur, Kalady and Thrissur