Arippa
If you want to see Nature in one of her most tranquil states, few other places in South Kerala endear themselves to you like Arippa in Kollam district. On the foothills of the Western Ghats, this patch of green paradise has to be walked across on its entire stretch of a thousand hectares.
The virgin land of Arippa on the edge of Thiruvananthapuram-Shenkottai State Highway offers some dazzling spectacles and invigorating experiences of the wild with its richness of the woods, diversity of birds and chance encounters with big animals. Or if you are keen to know how we once lived in harmony with nature, visit a nearby settlement with tribal guides as your guide.
Following a thread of a birdcall
It is the silence of the woods that first teases you out of your urban iciness and lassitude with the world. And against the texture of that quietness, you may discover a thread of a birdcall weaving in from a distance. Another bird answers. Sometimes a shrill tweet emanates from just above your head, startling you out of yourself, and you look up in vain to spot the offender hiding behind the leaves.
Arippa is home to over 270 species of birds, a hot spot for bird enthusiasts. A large number of ornithologists and nature enthusiasts visit the place enchanted by its bird diversity.
Where
Arippa is located near Thenmala in Thiruvananthapuram-Shenkottai State Highway.
