Thenmala

The word 'Then' means honey and 'Mala' means hill; and they combine to mean 'Honey Hill'. It is believed that the honey collected from this region is of very good quality owing to its unique biological settings. Thenmala is located near Punalur city in Kollam. The first eco-tourism project in India is located at Thenmala. It has equal opportunities for fun, adventure, leisure and for learning the significance and necessity of eco-friendly measures for promoting tourism related activities. The Thenmala dam was built across Kallada River. The main attractions that are available here are boating on the lake, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and a musical fountain. The Palaruvi waterfall is a prime attraction nearby and there is also a deer rehabilitation centre nearby where visitors can see deer in the forest setting and have a peep into a traditional tree house used by forest dwellers to escape wild animals. Thenmala Eco-Tourism also offers other attractions, like an invigorating boat ride in the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, a visit to the Deer Rehabilitation Centre where one can have a look at spotted deer, the Sambar deer and the Barking deer, which have been given protection after straying out from the forests. The area also has tree top huts and children's eco-park, riverside treks, and battery powered vehicle rides through the forest, enabling one to sight wildlife from a close distance.