Shendurney Forest Rest House

About this place

Shendurney Forest Rest House is associated with the forest landscape of Thenmala and the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam district, a protected area of the southern Western Ghats established in 1984 and covering 171 square kilometres. The sanctuary was created to protect an ecologically important tract of forest and its wildlife, and today forms an important part of the region’s conservation and nature-based tourism landscape. The setting around the forest facilities reflects the character of the Western Ghats, with dense forest, streams, hills and the Parappar Reservoir creating a distinctive environment for experiencing Kerala’s protected forests. Shendurney is particularly significant for its biodiversity and for the presence of the endemic chenkurinji, or Gluta travancorica, from which the sanctuary derives its name. The forests provide habitat for a variety of wildlife, including elephants, gaur, sambar, wild boar, deer, langurs and other species associated with the tropical forests of the Western Ghats. The sanctuary also supports a range of organised nature experiences, including soft and hard trekking, forest walks, wildlife-oriented programmes and designated camping activities. Some trekking programmes are conducted with guides and forest personnel, while access to particular forest areas is regulated according to sanctuary rules and prevailing conditions. The wider Thenmala destination complements the sanctuary experience through its planned ecotourism facilities, which include leisure, adventure and cultural zones, nature trails and other visitor-oriented activities. Thenmala is recognised by Kerala Tourism as India’s first planned ecotourism destination, with the ecotourism project developed around the forested hill landscape and the Kallada River system. A heritage-oriented presentation of the Shendurney Forest Rest House can therefore provide a context for understanding the relationship between forest administration, conservation and the changing ways in which protected landscapes are experienced by visitors. The historical character of forest inspection and rest facilities is relevant to the broader history of forest management in the region, but specific architectural or colonial-era claims about an individual rest house should be based on records associated with that building. Today, the primary significance of the location lies in its setting within a protected forest landscape and its connection with the conservation and ecotourism activities of Shendurney and Thenmala. Visitors can experience the area through officially designated programmes while respecting the ecological sensitivity and access regulations of the sanctuary.

🚆 Punalur Railway Station (~21 km); Thenmala is the nearer halt

✈️ Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (~74 km)

🚌 Punalur Bus Stand (~20 km); the gate is at Thenmala

🏨 Shendurney forest rest house

✅ The rest house is inside Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary and is booked through the wildlife warden at Thenmala Dam. Confirm the stay before you travel. Entry is with the forest department.