Kerala – Nature Walks – Cycling and Wildlife Safaris

After breakfast, drive to Thattekkad Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, one of the low altitude evergreen forests, situated by the banks of River Periyar. On arrival,check into your hotel and later go for a birding trek at Thattekkad and Urulanthanni rain forest patches. Overnight at your hotel in Thattekkad.

Morning, afteran early breakfast, start your cycling towards Munnar, known as nature lover’s paradise. On arrival in Munnar,you will be taken to the base camp of Chokkamudi peak to start your hiking to the Tahr Camp site which will be 3 to 4 hours trek. Your vehicle can be parked at the base camp and if you wish to be transferred to the Camp by motor vehicle, we can organise 4×4 Jeeps. You will be trekking through plantations like Cardamom, Pepper& Tea, grasslands etc. On arrival at the camp have a hot coffee/tea and settle down yourself. Later watch sunset from the campsite followed by campfire and dinner. Overnight inside the tented camp. The Camp is equipped with modern toilet block, exclusive kitchen and common dining hut etc. We will be providing sleeping bags, Mat, pillowsetc to add maximum possible comforts.

Early morning watch sunrise and go for a short morning walk. Breakfast at the camp. Later with a packed mini lunch, trek to the peak of 2450 Mtrs which will take around 8 Hours.The climbing of 4.5 Hours and walking down through another route for 3.5 Hours. Return to the camp to watch the sunset, campfire and dinner.

After breakfast at the camp, our jeeps will bring you to the base station to continue your travel to Marayoor village for a tribal village visit and a soft walk through the sandalwood forest. You will also walk through the Tea Plantations. By early evening arrive at your jungle lodge. Overnight at a jungle lodge in Chinnar.

We have a soft walk through the forest to enjoy the forest canopies, birds and flowers. Reach Perumala – outside of the forest by noon. Have a quick visit to a mountaoin village and tribal settlement- their contour farming, agricultural activities, lemon grass farm and distillery etc.

Later proceed to Marayoor valley. Taste a traditional lunch in banana leaf. Visit to a rock cut temple, ancient inscriptions etc. Walk to the Mount of the Dead, a world-famous Megalithic site with dolmen, dolmenoid and dolmenoidcists. Visit to a traditional sugarcane farm and Jaggery (black sugar) manufacturing.Marayoor is famous for its Sandalwood Forest which is protected by the Forest Department.

After breakfast I go for a full day trekking through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary with a Packed Mini lunch. Evening return to your jungle lodge for an overnight stay.

Proceed to Chinnar wildlife sanctuary. Hiking through the wildlife zone and visiting a Mesolithic Cave art site. As you go on the nature trail in Chinnar, you are bound to come across a fascinating plethora of bird and animal life. Chinnar Sanctuary is located on the eastern slope of Western ghats sharing its flora and fauna with Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park.

After breakfast, you will return to the base station at Chinnar to start your cycling towards Topslip covering some nice villages. Overnight stay at a farm stay set on a private estate growing vanilla, banana & coconuts, in the edge of Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Evening you may cycle through the village.

Anamalai is in the foothill of Anamlai Bio-sphere and the highest mountain in South India. This day is for a visit to Anamalai Tiger Reserve, sharing flora and fauna with Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. Walking safari through MaruthumKoodam moist deciduous forest and Kariyanchola Rainforest for wi ldlife and birds (GPH, SFG etc). Early in the morning go for a safari at Anamalai Tiger Reserve and later a walking tour at Parambikulam Tiger Sanctuary. Today we will go with packed lunch. Early evening return to your farmstay to go for a Nature trail through the estate to try sighting butterflies, Paradise flycatchers and blue-winged parakeets. Later in a dusk walk we can try owling for mottled wood owl.Overnight at Farmstay.

After breakfast,drive to Ooty which is a nice climb through the Nilgiris. Afternoon visit Botanical Garden. Overnight at Hotel.

Ooty stands at 7,347 feet (about 2.24 km) above sea level in the Nilgiri mountain range. The landscape is marked by rolling hills covered with dense vegetation, smaller hills and plateaus covered with tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests.

Target species: Black and orange fly catcher, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Nilgiri fly catcher, Wayanad laughing thrush, Nilgiri laughing thrush, etc.

Morning, proceed to Kabini or popularly known as Nagarhole famous for Rajiv Gandhi National Park. Karnataka Sanctuaries has the biggest Tiger population in India which consists of more than 400 Tigers as per recent sensus. On arrival, check in at the Hotel. Evening goes for a guided safari through the National park. Lunch& Dinner at Hotel. Overnight at the Hotel.

Karnataka’s forests and wildlife are the natural heritage for which the State is boasted of. From the majestic evergreen forests of the Western Ghats to the scrub jungles of the plains,a wide variety of habi tats teem with diverse flora and fauna, some of them endemic to the region. Nestled amidst the Karapur Forest lays a pristine piece of land that abounds with nature. Beckoning you to explore it for a wild exciting holiday. The steep valleys with rich forests, spectacular pools and rapids provide an ideal opportunity to revive your adventurous spirits.

Early morning goes for a guided safari in boat. After breakfast, go for a four-hour cycle ride through the villages nearby. Evening go for another land safari. Lunch& Dinner at Hotel. Overnight at the Hotel.

Nagarhole, a Kannada name has meaning of Snake River. The name derives from the winding course of the river that flows through the forests. Nagarhole has an astonishing abundance of wildlife, especially the Asiatic elephant.

After breakfast, drive to Mysore. Afternoon, visit to Mysore palace, Devaraja Vegetable, flowers and fruits market. Mysore is known as the city of Palaces and the entire architecture and decorum of the place is in harmony with the Royal style for which Mysore is known. The still existing colonial buildings add charm to the Royal city. Overnight at Hotel.

After breakfast,drive to KekkerebellurPelicanery. Maddurvillage entrance on the highway from where you take a turn to the village,you will be again shifted to your cycles.Your van will follow you to Kokkarabellur to drive you back.This village is one of the best and undisturbed natural habitat of various migratory birds. Later drive to Bangalore to check in at an airport hotel for overnight stay. Kokkerebellur Pelicanery is in Maddur village.

The village itself is a nice haven for a relaxed lifestyle.Its a great job done by the villagers to protect it as a silent haven for their favouritebirds. Every child in the village has a story to tell about the migratory birds in the village. They keep an open orphanage for the birds with handicap etc. Its amazing to see a full village where the birds are at full freedom living in harmony with other domestic birds and animals.

On day 14th you will be transferred to Bangalore International Airport to connect your flight home.