Aranya Nivas

Property build type was typical old-school. But the experience it had to offer was immense. Te best part of living here were: you are right in the midst of the Forest, nature lovers would love the calmness and the occasional animal / monkeys greeting you while in the room. The food is average and priced fairly above average. The staffs at the reception, restaurant and security desk are extremely courteous. The ladies at the reception are ever-smiling which lets you keep vibing!

It's a premium hotel, very Quiet and can spot some animals.you can enjoy the wilderness of the nature and location is good.
The Rooms were average and more typical like a guest house & we have stayed in premium room.
Buffet options was there and food taste is ok & buffet charge is 499+GST.
For Boat ride you dont have to make any effort. Just tell them and they will book it for you without any additional cost.
One more thing you are allowed to enter the Forest Check Post by 5: 30 PM max. And after that you are not allowed to go In or out (Govt guidelines) so you will miss you Kathakali and Martial Arts show. So book accordingly.

A place which gives you a special vibes. If you are nature lover, dont think too much just book for two nights. Exceptional service by staff. Nice restaurant and food. A must visit.

Very good place to stay in Periyar tiger reserve enjoying the wilderness and sounds of forest. Maintained very well and washroom were clean. It is a pricey option compared to Periyar house. Food was served as buffet. An excellent choice to stay in PTR if you are really into love to forest enjoying the comfortable stay with an easy access to boat house and boking point.

Aranya Nivas is well inside Forest and is an ideal place to stay for all the nature lovers. The hotel is well maintained with decent and clean rooms. It’s major attraction is it’s proximity to boating area. The hotel is surrounded by somewhat dense forest, where you could see deers, monkeys and porcupines with out much of a struggle. Also it has a somewhat decent pool.

Excellent stay in the middle of the forest to experience the wildness and calmness of Periyar national park. We had stayed at their jungle view rooms - with a huge glass window that opened to a view of the forest - and we could spot a lot of animals including Nilgiri langurs, Indian giant squirrels and a variety of birds from within our room itself. 50 metres from the hotel is where the boating in the lake starts. When we had stayed at the hotel, large groups of elephants and gaurs were grazing on the opposite bank of the lake for a few hours and we got some amazing clicks. The place also has a cozy small library with a lot of old books, as well as recreational activities like badminton, TT etc. - all of which are well maintained.

Its in forest area, gate closes at 5 PM.
Boating jungle safari just outside of the hotel.

Everything is good except the Orchid restaurant. The price is too high. Each dish starts with above 400 INR (taxes extra).

One of the oldest resorts in Thekkady run by KTDC. Friendly staff and rooms though were well maintained.

Stay was nice right in the middle of jungle however the restaurant was not good.the lunch at the restaurant was not good at all, but still they charge a 5 star rate.

The buffet Breakfast and dinner was just average.
You have to get inside the resort before 5.30pm, so not much option to have the dinner from anywhere else.

The room was old but maintained well. Swimming pool was clean and well maintained. Kids enjoyed very much.

And all the staffs were really helpful and very cooperative.

Overall it was a nice experience except for the food.

Rooms are very spacious and beautiful. However they failed to mention that boat ride was canceled due to rain which really frustrated us

The property was absolutely awesome great experience staff very friendly I recommend this property

Location and service was really good. Rooms were old but well maintained.
Only issue is with restaurant, as it is over priced and limited in dishes. We have to enter the hotel compund before 5: 30 pm (forest department regulation), hence no other option for dinner. Buffet not available everyday, it depends on crowd.

I had a wonderful experience at the Aranya Nivas with family. Every staff member, I encountered, from the valet to the check-in to the cleaning staff were delightful and eager to help! Thank you! The room was clean & neat, the service was excellent as well. Would definitely recommend to my friends & colleagues.

Went in there in May 2022 for some vacation in kerela region. Great place within the tiger reserve. Great location and nice hotel. Professional and friendly staff. Restaurant of the hotel is buffet style nice food and variety. Rooms were spacious and clean.

The place is inside the forest area with adequate amenities. Pool area was closed due to covid restrictions as the guided tours and other activities for same reason. Staff is polite and helpful.
A must visit to explore the beauty of the lake. Place can arrange the boat tickets for you, otherwise it’s a Hassle you don’t want to deal with. You can enjoy the roundabouts with your family and loved ones
Entry is not allowed after 5, so plan accordingly.

Natural Ambiance. Calm and Quite area inside the Forest. Loved it. Staffs are very Friendly. Rooms are neat and clean
Overall had a nice experience in Aranya Nivas ️ Best place for one night stay

Aranya Nivas is located perfectly inside the forest and the location is too good. All staffs including Service staffs, housekeeping staffs are all courteous and polite. But the sad part is that the food is horrible, the price is too high and the price doesn't compensate even one percent of the quantity. KTDC must seriously consider improving food quality. Because looks like that is the only thing need to be improved in Aranya Nivas.

Basic but clean. Beware of leeches in the woods when it is wet. On the boat trip in the early morning we saw many animals: elephant, wild boars, Buffalo, deers, mangoustes

Its a picnic spot in Thekkady inside forest run by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. Its beautiful place for relaxing and boating. It has swimming pool. Break fast only free. Online Booking is there.

Aranya Nivas is a Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) owned property. It has a lot of negatives of being owned by a public entity.
However what no other property in Thekkady can beat it is it's location, and the reason why I booked this. This (along with two other KTDC properties on either side of the cost spectrum) are the only hotels allowed inside the Reserve Forest.
From this specific hotel, its only a few steps to get down to the boat landing area and from where all activities like Nature Walk starts. This is probably the only reason you would want to book here. And the fact that you are surrounded by the forest. You get a lot of monkeys, also we were lucky to see a deer family grazing on the lawn outside the hotel.
As for other amenities, there is a decent sized swimming pool, which was quite clean and maintained. The quality of room mught depend on where they put you up. Mine wasn't so great, but not bad either. We had a good view of the forest from our room, but so had people walking outside, a view of our room. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. The bathroom was updated and new, but the storages were old and not so great. Bed was ok.
The food, oh the food! It's priced high - Rs. 50 for a single chappati is expensive. Most other dishes are around 350 to 400 range. Unfortunately the taste/cooking doesn't do the high price any favour. The chicken curry I had was bland and I personally could have done a better job cooking it. However since you are inside the forest and entry is limited till 5 pm you have no other options.

Overall nice place for a one night stay. Anything longer, look for other resorts outside.

Right in the forest provides calming experience. Prime location near periyar lake. Boat cruise is easy. Nature walk was awesome experience. Rooms could be improved a little. Does not give a very plush feeling. Buffet has limited options but you can survive with that.

A typical state government set up that is constrained to the core! We stayed there for two days and there were hardly any options available. At 5: 30 PM EVERYTHING comes to a halt because it is a forest reserve area (understandable). The pool table was locked up, the ball for table tennis was broken and they couldn't buy a new one because it was a Sunday. The dinner buffet (which you are totally dependent on since there is no way you can go out), was pathetic - both in terms of taste and spread. The biggest disappointment was a room sold to us stating that it is "Jungle View Premium". All that you had is a big window (which you cant open due to monkey menace) and some random trees. Nobody has till date felt the idea of building a balcony or having some good nets to protect your room, than instructing you to keep everything closed.

Weather was pleasant, but a little warm, but the room didnt have an AC. It may have been good for old times, but now that's not the case, thanks to global warming and the month of May.

My 2 star is for 3 reasons - (1) Getting a boating ticket was pretty easy (2) the staff were super courteous - they have attained that natural thick skin to tell you why somethings are not working or available with a big broad smile, so that you don't shout at them (3) We got to see some wild life in front of us - Wild Boar, Porcupines and Sambar deers (Elk).

Not a star facility and not recommended.

Food was average, was not upto to the mark it was 4 years ago. 4 years ago the food was too good that taste lingered for a quite time.

Best customer service
Everything was super.
Food is highly expensive like star hotels.
(There service is like star hotels)

Better than expected. It is situated at the edge of the lake though you cannot see it because of the trees. Nice ambience, good location, well maintained pool, good sporting facilities, wildlife visitors, and many more. Great sleeping quality. The windows should be better so that animals do not enter

The hotel is placed at the best location in Thekkady, but not maintained well. For the amount you pay for a 3 or 4 star hotel you get a Non AC room and cannot open windows due to monkey menace. They said that they're waiting for approvals to fit AC for past 2 years! Why can't the management just fit grills and let visitors keep the windows open?

I saw monkeys taking bath in the swimming pool! Felt sorry about people who used it.

Feeding wild animals is prohibited by law. But here they throw some vegetables outside in the evening to attract porcupines. No body seems to be bothered!

Nice place to stay at Thekkady, Average non AC rooms, tasty food and very cooperative staff. Very good location. Only thing is you need to enter the premises before 5 pm.

Located inside the reserve, this is a getaway place for people living in cities. Affordable. Rooms are comparatively large. Offers high speed WiFi which I wouldn't recommend not because of security problems, rather to just remind you that you should put down your phone and enjoy the nature. Quite a few rare species of animals can be seen depending on the season you visit. Try to go out early in the morning if you want to spot some rare species of birds. Boating can be arranged by the hotel itself if you're interested. Food was delicious although there was nothing memorable about it. The staff, when we visited, was polite and friendly. There is actually no major cons other than the restriction they kept for walking at night which is reasonable because of safety issues.

There is no AC in the rooms, though there charges are high.ventilation is a big problem.though they have spacious room and wide windows can't use it because money's enter the room, they could have atleast had put a metal mesh to windows to avoid monkey's, mosquitoes and insects entering.second most disappointing was the restaurant charges are very very high.u have no choice but to eat there as one cannot go out or come in after 5 pm in the evening.only advantage of staying in this property is boating is booked instantly.pool is not average.service and ambiance below average.

Great ambiance and the buffet breakfast, although tasty, not justifiable for the price they charge you. Beware of the guy at the reception - he is a bit short of etiquette.

The place is neat and serene palatial rooms with heritage like furniture upgraded to the modern standards. Best for lovers of natural silence! Friendly animals brought to visitors by animal loving security officers Christensen name with names. It's worth watching the response of these wild animals. The only disappointment is the monkeys who prevent you from enjoying the fresh air in your rooms and a bit expensive restaurant.
But on the whole an exceptional nature experience!

Nice place to stay with family. Saw wild boars, sambar deers near the resort. Courteous staff. Decent food. Guaranteed tickets for Periyar Lake boating. Swimming pool closed due to Covid restrictions.

The only two benefits of stay here are boat tickets and peaceful stay.the resort had closed swimming pool due to on going pandemic situation and government regulations.only indoor games and cycling were allowed.you could see some animals like porcupine and sambar deer visiting the resort in the evenings.it is not advisable to be outside of resort campus after 5.30pm. Rooms were good but feels older however, bathroom are renovated and modern. The food is not good at all. We tried many options but none turned out to be good.
All staffs were fantastic and hospitable

If you are going to Thekkady, should stay here. It's inside the Periyar National Park. No other place can offer this experience. Porcupine and flying squirrels are common inside the resort. (Don't worry guards will show you, no danger at all).

We had an idea that all the government owned tourist properties are built beautifully at most sought after location but maintained carelessly. Aranya Nivas is an exception. Moreover, all the executives are very complaisant.
Would have given a 5 star for operative swimming pool.

Nice property of ktdc in category of wildlife resort. Anyone who is looking for peace for sometime must book it for 2-3 days and enjoy the nature in its true sense. Various activities regarding eco-tourism are Carried out by forest department. That should be included by visitors in their plan.

Great place of stay. Located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Wonderful hospitality by the staff.
The property is located roughly 3kms inside the reserve. To get to the stay one needs to purchase tickets at the entrance (₹175/- for 2 adults and a car). The ticket is only valid for the day.
The staff can provide boating tickets upon request (₹510/- for 2).
Plethora of activities offered by the forest department can be enquired/booked from the information counter near to the boating area.
Food is on the pricier side, nothing fancy. Carrying a few snacks will lighten the load. Also one can make use of the kettle in the room and the accompaniments to brew tea/coffee.
A beer and wine parlour is also present.
The guards are super friendly, let them know your room number and they'll let you know when an animal is close by.
Great place and a different experience in itself do check it out if you are planning to visit.

Stayed for a night on 4th December 2021. Great Location. Super staffs. Courteous behaviour. Moreover they called to the room when animals were spotted in the compound. Lunch was normal, nothing special. Dinner buffet was good. Breakfast was also nice. Rooms were neat, clean and spacious. Pool was well maintained.

Very good property to enjoy one or two days. Calm and peaceful location inside Periyar tiger reserve. Good pool is there. Cycles also available. Food is bit expensive, but considering 3 star resort, it's ok.

Good experience. Located inside the jungle and hence it’s pretty serene. Food was also pretty good. Rooms can be improved.

Good location, friendly staff, well maintained property. But blanket are very old and to be replaced by new one. Food quality is very good but availability of traditional kerala dishes are very little

We had a family get together (9 families) at Aranya Nivas. The staff was very courteous and the food was delicious. If you want to take an early morning nature walk in Periyar Tiger reserve, this is the best place to stay. We had the luck of seeing a herd of elephants in the Nature walk as we started our Trek at 7 am. Even otherwise, you can take a stroll around the hotel and see wild animals like sambar deer just on the perimeter of hotel.

It was a short stay of 2 days at KTDC Aranya Nivas (located within the sanctuary area) in October. Spacious, clean and well kept rooms and facilities. The natural surroundings are great for anyone who is looking for a break from the routine. The food selection is also good and room service is provided. Mr. Binoy, the property manager was eager to help and did things professionally along with a team of friendly staff.
Its highly recommended for any kind of group or for a solo break.
Star point- lots wild life around / monkeys, Porcupines & Deer, all passing through the hotel car park area and outdoor walkways.

Jungle living experience. We stayed Dec 18-20,2021 the Superior Jungle View room (non AC). Accommodation is spacious and updated. Staff was always available, courteous and answered all questions.

The windows are openable but
One is not supposed to open the windows because the monkeys will certainly come inside. There are no mosquito nets so we couldn't even open the windows a crack for air circulation. Although it was Dec, the room was quite warm (tropical temps 28 degrees Celsius high during the day, lowest 19 at night).

Its a good place to stay inside forest and if lucky, we can see some wild animals also. But felt like they don't offer nothing much to explore or enjoy after 7pm apart from the dinner. Gate closes at 5pm and you can go out till next day morning. When we went, billiards was closed. And everything will be closed at 10pm. Pricing is also high for tea- 70rs. And you can't go out to buy food after 5pm.

Nice ambiance
Easy access to the boat service
Rooms were neat and clean.
Average pricing for the stay.
Food was a bit expensive.

Visited this place October 2021 and I must say the the ambience, food and staff service is excellent. The room is not up to the mark. Leaking roof during heavy rains.

Wonderful experience. Very good hotel services and tasty food at reasonable rate. Staffs are so co operative and good behaved. One of the attractions in booking this hotel is assured boating tickets. Nice Swimming pool is available. Bicycles are available on request. As the hotel is inside the forest area, we can enjoy the nature and privacy is also there. Must visit hotels of KTDC. Assured service and worth of money.

A picturesque place to relax in God's own country. Located in the deep woods and on the banks of the lake this place offers a very pleasant stay experience. Had seen deer and porcupines in near vicinity inside the property. Very friendly crew enhances the experience. The buffet spread is little disappointing. Steward Sachin at the restaurant is offering great service. The boat ride will go a long way recharging your spirits. Wonderful experience

Just Awesome! Follows covid protocol strictly.
Lot of animal sightings during boating time.

A medium range jungle lodge in Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Spacious rooms.
Good food.
Excellent service. The staff take extra care to keep the rooms and precinct clean.
They have a beer and wine parlour in house.
Follows covid-19 protocol to its letter and spirit.
Staying in this property is ideal to go for boating in Periyar lake and other activities like wild trek and rafting organised by the forest department.

The stay was good. Staff interaction with guests give a real homely feel. There's no much view from the rooms. It's right inside the forest so occasional spotting of animals possible. Food is not that good.

Really great experience.very friendly and polite staff, rooms are very spacious and bathrooms very clean and new. Very economical for this price. Food was very good and Kerala style.

Good hotel inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve. If you book room here then only you can take your private vehicle inside the tiger reserve. Good service by the staff and very clean and tidy place.

This hotel is situated in core jungle near Pariyar lake

The hotel is run by ktdc and is worth staying here

The cruise trip to pariyar lake is just like heaven we can feel like life and nature

The hotel is situated around 5 km in the pariyar wild life scentury

We can see wild animals like sambhar porcupine bear elephants barah singha live near by hotel

The was the life time experience to visit there

Very good place. Wonderful experience. Highly reccommended. Good staffs and management security staffs are very helpful, food also very tastey and yummy.boating, trucking, cycling, childrens park, badminton cort, indoor playstations and very nice pool. Enjoyed very muchyo yoo

Location is nice. Food is not at all good, fish they served was old.

Edit:
Visited this place again for the second time. Property is near and clean. Best place inside the forest.

Reducing the star from 4 to 2 this time for flowing reasons
1. Cycle was not available to roam around and all the cycles were in maintenance. At the time of booking they confirmed that they have got the cycle available.
2. Food was not good as last time.

The resort is best if you wish to have a jungle experience. You can enjoy your cup of tea while watching the monkey dancing, deer walking etc. The lake in front of the resort is extra ordinary

Very nice place. Inside periyar tiger reserve. One can spend few days amidst of wild animals & birds. Boating & trekking through the reserve has been a wonderful experience.

It is one of three properties allowed to operate inside the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. All operated by KTDC.
#Pros:
1. Beautiful location.
2. Assured boat tickets for wildlife viewing (upper deck).
3. If you are lucky, night-time viewing of animals that feed near the resort.
4. Large rooms.

#Cons (If you may call them so) :
1. As it is inside a reserve, there are restrictions. For example, you cannot enter or leave the reserve after 5pm. And, there are no activities after sundown, unlike upmarket resorts. I loved it as I caught up on reading and sleeping.
2. Food is so so. Limited options. I have heard north Indian tourists complain about how the roti or subzi is not up to scratch. You are in the south of India, so their southern cuisine will be decent. Northern fare not so much. I would not expect an A-plus aviyal or thoran from a chef in say Lucknow.
3. The phone net is patchy, if you are not on BSNL. Complimentary WiFi works great.
4. Watch out for the bonnet macaques. If they think you have food, they will swoop in and fight you tooth and nail. No plastic covers, please, and if the window is not barred, keep it closed.

This is a paradise for Nature lovers and those who wish to stay in a wild life sanctuary. One of the rare place in Kerala where you can stay in a sanctuary

Great place for a day chill out. Staffs are very cooperative, very nice food, you will find deers and other wild animals roaming around the property but are very harmless. Games and other activities available for children.

Excellent place if you would like to get experience of nature and wild life. Very good, polite and courteous staff is a big plus.

Situated very near to the Thekkady boat landing centre. An evening walk around the boat centre gives an excellent view of the lake and can spot wild animals by the lake side.u can also spot wild animals like Sambar deer, wild boar and different types of monkeys around the hotel. The staff was very polite and helpful. But the room was not upto the mark. There were moulds in the wall. Bathroom was excellent. Food was not worth the price.

Good hotel present inside a very good place. Worthy for your money. Food is also good.

This is place is very near to the boating place and we can get the tickets directly by talking to the reception people.

We need to pay the amount in cash for boat rides and card options are available for room payments.

We had the new year evening buffet and we are satisfied with the taste of the food. Even catering people had good attitude towards customers. Overall a pleasant stay and I can even consider this same place if I were to visit thekkady again.

Has pleasant stay here. Location is the beauty of this hotel whc is in middle of forest. Had chilly chicken 1 bowl cost 375rs whc was watery, no salt or spicy.resort guards r very Helpful in any kind of guiding events here.bamboo rafting, forest boat riding, jeep safari n so on avaliable here at reasonable cost. No accommodation for car drivers who drive long way here is the cons.

Aranya nivas resorts are operated by KTDC it's situated in the middle of the forest as the name itelself implies. They assure boating tickets booking when you are staying there. It will be a good place to stay for the nature lovers. The boat landing area is walkable distance. Ohe of the concernful thing here is about the monkeys and have to careful about them as they sometimes trouble people