Kerala birds, nature & culture tour
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and adapted to suit your budget and requirements as necessary. |
| price: | From £1200 (13 days) per person excluding flights. There will be a peak season surcharge (20 Dec 2006 - 10 Jan 2007). We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Bird watching and wildlife, indigenous guides and trekkers, home-cooked food, forests and tea gardens, cardamom plantations, waterfalls, bathing, camping, tribal huts, homestays, toy train at Ooty and more…
The three hour trek through moist undergrowth of the mountain forests of Manavan Shola, takes us to our overnight stay in a traditional hut on the plains. In this terrain are wild orchids, giant tree ferns, rhododendrons and 95 species of butterflies. The 'Nilgiri Wood Pigeon' nests and breeds here.
Our trackers are the indigenous people from the mountain Muduvan villages. And here lies the essence of this tour - the relationship between birds, nature and people.
It is a relationship that the Kerala has nurtured - throughout the tour you'll see the benefits of a progressive policy to involve local communities in the joint management of the forests and ecotourism, in exchange for support preserving indigenous birds and wildlife.
The Western Ghats mountain ranges boast 16 endemics found in a rather small geographical area concentrated around Kerala & Tamil Nadu. The Short tailed Grassbird, the Whitebellied Shortwing, the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon & the lovely Crimsonbacked Sunbird are some of the very rare endemic birds that you will see on this tour.
The other endemics you will sight include the Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Rufous Babbler, Whitebellied Treepie, Greyheaded Bulbul, Wynad Laughing Thrush, Black & Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Whitebellied Blue Flycatcher, Nilgiri Pipit , Nilgiri Laughing Thrush & Greybreasted Laughing Thrush.
See our example itinerary below. Extensions include a houseboat cruise, or a stay at a heritage beach resort near Alleppey or a spice plantation farm house near Kochi.
The three hour trek through moist undergrowth of the mountain forests of Manavan Shola, takes us to our overnight stay in a traditional hut on the plains. In this terrain are wild orchids, giant tree ferns, rhododendrons and 95 species of butterflies. The 'Nilgiri Wood Pigeon' nests and breeds here.
Our trackers are the indigenous people from the mountain Muduvan villages. And here lies the essence of this tour - the relationship between birds, nature and people.
It is a relationship that the Kerala has nurtured - throughout the tour you'll see the benefits of a progressive policy to involve local communities in the joint management of the forests and ecotourism, in exchange for support preserving indigenous birds and wildlife.
The Western Ghats mountain ranges boast 16 endemics found in a rather small geographical area concentrated around Kerala & Tamil Nadu. The Short tailed Grassbird, the Whitebellied Shortwing, the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon & the lovely Crimsonbacked Sunbird are some of the very rare endemic birds that you will see on this tour.
The other endemics you will sight include the Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Rufous Babbler, Whitebellied Treepie, Greyheaded Bulbul, Wynad Laughing Thrush, Black & Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Whitebellied Blue Flycatcher, Nilgiri Pipit , Nilgiri Laughing Thrush & Greybreasted Laughing Thrush.
See our example itinerary below. Extensions include a houseboat cruise, or a stay at a heritage beach resort near Alleppey or a spice plantation farm house near Kochi.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Kochi. Set on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, Kochi is a city of cultural diversity - winding streets, shady trees, Kathakali dance, modern Indian art, 500-year old Portuguese houses, mosques, a tiny Jewish community with ancient roots - and ferry boats scuttling backwards and forwards. Once you are settled into your hotel, we can take you on our backstreet tour of the city by foot and three-wheelers, visiting the spice market, the fishing harbour and, in the evening, the city's Kathakali dance show. Overnight: The Old Courtyard Hotel, Fort Cochin - 200 year old Portuguese building, centred on a cobblestone courtyard, fine food, and live classical Indian music in the evenings. |
| Day 2-3: | Bird sanctuary at Thattekkad. A 2 hour drive to a lowland forest rich in bird life - over 270 species in a very small area. For those searching for the endemics of the Western Ghats (regarded as one of the most important pristine forest and mountain areas in Asia) - Thattekkad should be rewarding. The rare Indian Pitta, the endemic Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill and the Whitebellied Treepie are common visitors. Overnight (2 nights): The Hornbill Camp, a luxury tented camp (with en-suite toilet) on the banks of the river Periyar. You'll wake to a dawn chorus of birds, and will be cared for a feed by the guide's family and local community members. Large numbers of rare birds and butterflies can be seen just by taking a stroll around the camp. |
| Day 4-5: | The hill station of Munnar. From the lowlands, we'll take the spectacular 2 hour drive through forests and tea gardens to the hill station of Munnar, 1524 metres high in the mountains. The combination of crisp mountain air, craggy peaks and tall red wood trees make it a peaceful retreat. Here rare endemic bird species find their home - the White bellied Shortwing, the Broad tailed Grass bird - as well as the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (primitive cousins of true goats). The area was once a favourite summer resort of the British Government and still has a colonial air. Our stay at the Plantation Bungalow - a cardamom plantation bungalow - reflects the lives of the planters. Here we can explore the plantations and meet the artisans who work the land. We can also make our way to the enclave of the Nilgiri Tahr at Rajamala, explore the grasslands at Munnar, and make our way down the Bodi Ghat to search for the yellow throated bulbul. Overnight (2 nights): The Plantation Bungalow - a traditional Keralan house - perched on a cliff overlooking valleys and mountains. |
| Day 6: | Manavan Shola Forest. We'll spend the day making our way towards Asia's largest high altitude mountain forest, the Manavan Shola, with plenty of stops en-route. The forest encompasses 518 sq km of vegetation, moist and stunted with 'moss and lichen-covered tree trunks. Several rare varieties of wild orchids can also be seen, as well as Giant tree ferns, Rhododendrons. A study conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute identified 35 rare plant species and 95 species of butterflies (endemic butterflies include the 'Nilgiri Clouded Yellow', 'Nilgiri Tiger', 'Red Admiral', 'Cabbage White', and 'Nilgiri Four Ring'. ) The 'Nilgiri Wood Pigeon' breeds here. In the higher altitudes, the salea lizards can be found - the 'Anamalai salea', 'Nilgiri salea' as well as the endemic species of calotes. Overnight: camping or Talayar Estate Bungalow - a three-bedroom bungalow in a tea estate - fine food and surrounded by mountains. |
| Day 7: | We'll drive through the Muduvan village at Kandalurto the sandalwood forests of Marayur and then to Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary. We will take a 2-3 hour easy walk to a traditional hut managed by the Muduvan tribe. Muduvans are believed to have migrated from the plains of Bodinaikanur in Tamil Nadu following the attack of King Pandya of Madurai. The name Muduvan refers to the way they carry babies in a pouch made by tying the cloth on their shoulders (mudukku). This is also the reason why they are known as the Back People. The culture and customs of the Muduvans is influenced by Tamil, even though they are fluent in both Malayalam and Tamil. In the pioneering years of planting, a close bond grew between the British and the Muduvans due to the Muduvan's knowledge of the terrain. As hunters, guides and game watchers there was no rival. Mr. A. J. E Johnson - a British planter - describes his first meeting with a Muduvan thus: "He came bounding up the hillside with as little effort as a young stag and greeted me with a salaam". Overnight: Traditional huts at the top of the rocky outcrop Vaisyapara. There we will be looked after and fed by Muduvan from the local community. The view of the surrounding plains is magnificent for wildlife viewing. |
| Day 8-9: | Indira Gandhi national park. A 2 hour drive across the Tamil Nadu border a National Park place known for its great swathes of forests and wildlife - birds, butterflies, elephants, sloth bears, leopards, gaurs (Indian Bison), dholes (wild dogs), king cobra and the lion-tailed macaques in their natural habitat - all within an area known as Top Slip. Top Slip is a little hamlet in the Annamalai hills where teak was introduced during the British Raj. In the colonial days, the harvested timber used to be 'slipped' to the plains from the hills through a narrow canal - hence the reason for its name. We will stay at the farm house of Prabhu, whose 4500 acre farm skirts Top Slip. The farmstead is perfect for birding. We can stroll through the plantations (coconuts, groundnuts, vanilla, gooseberry, sugarcane); visit nearby villages; meet the local people; bath in the waterfalls; take jeep safaris around the periphery of the park; and take a day visit to Valparai to see the endemic & highly endangered Lion Tailed Macaques which lives in an isolated evergreen forest patch under protection. Your trackers during the safaris will be from the indigenous tribes. Overnight (2 nights): The Banyan Tree Resort, built as the original home of the landlord of the 4500 acre estate. The house is perfect for relaxing - with its marble floors, small living area and open dining area with covered tiled roof, and traditional Tamilian food. |
| Day 10-11: | We'll make our way by car through the hill town of Ooty and down through the steep Kallatti Ghat to Masinagudiat the foothills - 5 hours, another area for excellent birding & wildlife. Here we can visit the elephant refuge and training center, take an elephant safari into the forest, and a jeep safari to look out for birds en-route. We will be able to sight elephants, gaurs and an occasional big cat. Overnight (2 nights): Jungle Retreat - cottages skirt the forest, with a view of the mountains from your porch. Or (at an extra cost), a homestay on the edge of the forest next to a watering hole. The place offers excellent sightings of wildlife. |
| Day 12: | Back to Kochi by train. Taking the 'toy' train (trains with narrow-gauge tracks suitable for travelling in the hill county) we'll travel 46 km through forests, tea plantations, sixteen tunnels, and more than 250 bridges, to Mettupalayam in the plains. The slow journey takes four-and-a half to five hours, but is more than compensated by the stunning views en-route. We will then transfer to a larger train and continue our journey to Kochi, where we will arrive by the following morning. |
| Day 13: | Kochi. Farewell dinner & transfer to airport. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Our aim is to provide tours that give you the opportunity to see endemic birds guided by local guides and tribal trekkers and spend time with local people, absorb yourself in their cultures, and visit their homes. Our tours support specific projects in India – local guides, homestays, conservation projects, community managed co-operatives - providing people with respect for their culture and knowledge, and an income that helps support it.
 When you take a tour with us, around 60% of your money stays in India – supporting the social/environmental work of our partners and the projects they support. Hotels and homestays are owned by local people. We only use local guides and drivers, with local hosts providing personal insight into a specific area (e.g. we aim to use indigenous trekking guides). Our tours are listed in the Ethical Travel Guide, published by Tourism Concern. We charge carbon tax to our guests for their flights according to the rates given by Climate Care and pay Climate Care yearly. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |