Kerala birdwatching holidays, Western Ghats
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala, Western Ghats |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor-made to suit your interests of time and budget requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £400 (6 days) excluding flights, based on 2 people travelling. Price includes accommodation, all meals, transportation, guide fees, entrance fees. This trip can also be tailor-made. Extensions to Ooty & Top Slip also possible |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
check out similar holiday ideas...
introduction to Kerala birdwatching holidays, Western Ghats
Tropical rain forests are primary centers of species richness and endemism within the Western Ghats in India.
There are more than 450 known bird species from this hotspot, of which 16 are endemic, mostly found in the lowland rainforests and high altitude montane forests of the Kerala. The Western Ghats is also considered as an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International.
This is a tour specifically designed to sight most of the endemic birds of the Western Ghats. Thattekkad is one of a birding Hot Spot in the Indian Subcontinent with nearly 280 species in a narrow geographical area. Munnar on the other hand is mountainous and home to many of the endemic of the Western Ghats. This short birding trip covers Dr. Salim Ali Bird sanctuary at Thattekkad, Eravikulam National Park and Bodi Ghats area near Munnar.
There are more than 450 known bird species from this hotspot, of which 16 are endemic, mostly found in the lowland rainforests and high altitude montane forests of the Kerala. The Western Ghats is also considered as an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International.
This is a tour specifically designed to sight most of the endemic birds of the Western Ghats. Thattekkad is one of a birding Hot Spot in the Indian Subcontinent with nearly 280 species in a narrow geographical area. Munnar on the other hand is mountainous and home to many of the endemic of the Western Ghats. This short birding trip covers Dr. Salim Ali Bird sanctuary at Thattekkad, Eravikulam National Park and Bodi Ghats area near Munnar.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-3: | Thattekkad. From Cochin, we will take the short drive to Thattekkad. This is a lowland forest with several types of eco-systems enabling it to be one of the best birding destinations in India. This is also home to most of the endemics of the Western Ghats. One should sight the Whitebellied Treepie, Rufous Babbler, Crimsonbacked Sunbird, White Bellied Blue Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill besides owls like the Mottled Wood Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Oriental scopes owl, Brown Fish Owl, Oriental Scopes Owl and Spotbellied Eagle Owl. You should also be able to sight the Red Spurfowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Indian Pitta, Black-throated Munia and the Grey headed fishing eagle. Stay will be at the Hornbill Camp along the banks of the river Periyar. |
| Day 4-5: | Munnar. Birding in the sholas (high altitude montane forests) and grasslands for the Nilgiri Pipit, Painted Bush Quail, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Black & Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Whitebellied Shortwing, Broadtailed Grassbird, Grasshopper Warbler. We will proceed to Bodi Ghats for sighting the rare Yellow Throated Bulbul, Indian Robin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Short Toed Snake Eagle, Bluefaced Malkoha and the Black eagle. |
| Day 6: | Return back to Kochi by afternoon. |
traveller reviews for Kerala birdwatching holidays, Western Ghats
We loved Kerala and hope very much to visit again. Everyone we met were friendly and welcoming, and all arrangements made by the tour operator went very smoothly. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
|
All parks in this region have Eco Development Committees and Forest Protection Teams employed in tourism related work and arranging all wildlife programmes for tourists. So when one enters the park & takes part in safaris or treks in the park, the proceeds of such activities go to the local communities directly and almost in full.
By employing local birding guides at Thattekkad and by staying at environmentally low impact accommodation like the Hornbill Camp, we hope to bring in awareness about Responsible Tourism among the general public. Hornbill Camp is made of locally available materials and constructed exclusively by using locally available expertise in reed leaf thatching . There is very little concrete used, instead tents are used and more importantly only maximum of 2 kva electricity is used in the camp. The water is heated using solar heaters and the kitchen refuse is recycled for use in the spice plantations nearby. We always employ local drivers during all our tours. Our supplies like vegetables and poultry are always sourced from villagers residing near the camp & we promote local businesses by using local jeeps and locally owned wooden canoes for moving on the river, whenever possible. We always believe in small groups of maximum 6 persons to reduce impacting on the ‘carrying capacity’ of the region they are passing through. Our strict policy of Leave No Trace helps protect the environment and is an example to the locals by removing all waste from place to place. |
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. |
check out similar holiday ideas...