The Thenamala Eco-tourism project, includes trekking and bird-watching trails to Shendureney Wildlife Sanctuary, deer-rehabitilation centre, butterfly park, Nakshatravanam, sculpture garden and musical project. Apart from initiating adventure tourism in the form of facilities for 14 outdoor sports activities, the Thenmala-Achancoil-Ayypankavu circuit will also offer scope for pilgrim tourism, Mr Chandrasekharan Nair has said. It was the first time that three departments of a state government- Forest, irrigation and tourism - put their heads together to evolve a tourism project. Only after the blueprint was vetted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), was the project taken to the execution level, the minister said.

While Rs 5 crore for the first phase, has been invested by the Keralagovernment-sponsored Thenmala Eco-tourism Society, about Rs 20 crore was contributed by the private sector for setting up an Ayurvedic Research Centre. The Thenmala project, is the first of a series of 14 eco-tourism centres planned in Kerala, he said.