Walks and Wildlife in the Western Ghats
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are India at
its greenest - peaceful, rural states with excellent walking and
wildlife (including tigers, elephants and many endemic birds, plants
and butterflies) in the Biosphere reserves of the Western Ghats and the
spice-growing Cardamom Hills; historic Cochin with its early churches
and synagogues; verdant tea plantations; and a coastline of golden
beaches backed by coconut palms.
The famous narrow-gauge Blue Mountain train takes
us up to ‘Ooty’ to catch an echo of the Raj era; we visit
Tippu Sultan's Palace and bargain for silks in Mysore; explore a
British East India Company fort, built to protect the pepper trade, in
Thalassery; and visit exotic temples, botanical gardens and Maharajah's
palaces.
During our 2 week journey we explore these
diverse facets at a leisurely pace, guided by an expert naturalist
(assisted by trackers from the indigenous tribes up in the Ghats),
whilst based in a selection of historic hotels and special lodges which
blend harmoniously with the natural environment.
TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1
D included
We meet mid afternoon at Cochin airport and have
a one hour road transfer to our historic hotel, a beautifully restored
300 year-old Dutch mansion, on the island of Fort Kochi. There is time
for a swim in the pool in the central courtyard before drinks on the
garden terrace and an introductory dinner of Keralan specialities.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
We walk along the shore by the famous
cantilevered Chinese fishing nets and watch the morning bustle around
the fish market. Exploring the atmospheric lanes we glimpse warehouses
dealing in cardamom, chillies, ginger and pepper and visit the charming
16C Pardesi Synagogue, Mattancherry Palace with its murals depicting
stories from the Ramayana, and St Francis, the earliest church built by
Europeans and original burial place of Vasco da Gama. After a leisurely
lunch overlooking the water there is time for an Ayurvedic massage in
the hotel spa, or a relaxing punting trip along the Backwaters.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
Heading inland (in a comfortable airconditioned
vehicle) our first stop is a 4th century Syrian Catholic church, still
very much in use, followed by the Birds Lagoon where we have a guided
walk by the lake, hoping to see our first endemics such as Malabar
parakeet and the Malabar grey hornbill. A spectacular further 2 hours
drive takes us up 1,550 m, with a visit to cardamon and pepper
plantations en route, into the Western Ghats and the hill station of
Munnar, a former British colonial resort. After settling into in our
very well-appointed hotel we walk by the river and in the surrounding
tea plantations.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
An early start to drive to the nearby Erivakulam
National Park and spend the morning walking in this magnificent
mountain region, the natural habitat of the highly endangered Nilgiri
Tahr (a primitive relative of a goat) as well as endemic birds such as
the Nilgiri pipit and the white-bellied shortwing. Returning to Munnar,
we investigate the market, and the church with its headstones recalling
the lives of the many Scottish planters.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
Crossing the Great Escape Gap, where 3 mountain
ranges converge, we descend to the Marayoor Sandalwood Forest and walk
in search of Nilgiri langurs, the extraordinary Malabar giant squirrel
and 9,000 year old cave paintings. After a traditional lunch served on
a banana leaf we continue to the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and walk in
the riverine forest where stork-billed kingfishers, Paradise
flycatchers, elephants and bonnet macaques are all possible. Crossing
the state boundary into Tamil Nadu, our destination for three nights is
a welcoming heritage home set on a 4,500 acre private estate growing
vanilla and coconuts.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
Today we trek in the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve,
a particularly remote section of the Indira Ghandi National Park, where
the Kannimari teak tree, the largest in Asia, is found. Hundreds of
wild peacocks and occasional blue-winged parakeets move through the
forest, butterfly species include tree nymph, iris peacock and banded
peacock, and leopards, tigers and gaur (Indian bison) all occur here.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
A relaxing day on the farm, with a bird and
butterfly spotting walk through the chickpea and coriander fields; the
opportunity to take a bullock cart ride; learning about the tribal
customs of the villagers; a walk to a viewpoint over the Deccan
plateau; and a cooking demonstration and dinner by firelight.
DAY 8
B, L, D included
After driving (2 hours) to Mettupalayam, we board
the Blue Mountain Railway train for the spectacular ride (46kms and
almost 2,000m up) to the celebrated hill station at Ooty (properly
called Udhagamandalam), once the summer residence of the entire Madras
Presidency. We have tea in our historic hotel (the 5 star Savoy Taj),
then set off on foot to see the lovely Botanical and Rose gardens and a
glimpse of the exclusive Ooty Club where the game of billiards was
invented.
DAY 9
B, L, D included
A morning's drive to Mysore is punctuated halfway
by a bird watching walk near the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, a
tropical dry forest where we hope to find rufous tree-pie and Ceylon
frogmouth. We settle into our award winning hotel in Mysore (a
carefully converted Princess's palace where profits go to charity and
staff are recruited from less advantaged groups), then have an evening
walk round the nearby Kukkerly Lake.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
Mysore has the reputation of being India's
cleanest and most ecologically aware city and has a good share of
pre-Independence buildings. The Maharaja's Palace, designed by British
architect Henry Irwin in 1912, is a huge, walled, eclectic building,
full of memorabilia which provide a fascinating insight into a
grandiose Indian dynasty. There is time to visit the Devaraja produce
market (mountains of marigolds and jasmine) and then shop for the silks
and scented sandalwood for which Mysore is a noted centre. In the
afternoon we travel east to visit Tipu Sultan's fort (the site where he
was finally defeated by Col. Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington)
and his charmingly decorated summer palace, dating from 1784.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
Travelling west into the Ghats once more, a
scenic 2 hour drive brings us to Nagarhole National Park, former
hunting reserve of the Maharajahs of Mysore, where deciduous forest
along the Kabini river harbours wildcats, sloth bears, elephants and
monkeys, as well as the rare Malabar trogon and Indian pitta. We
explore the park on foot and by boat on the lake, and stay the night in
a very comfortable private jungle lodge, recently awarded the title of
Top Wildlife Resort in India.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
We take a jeep safari before breakfast, with
local naturalists guiding us, then have a long, somewhat bumpy, but
extremely picturesque drive down from the edge of the Western Ghats. In
the small town of Thalassery (Telicherry) on the Malabar coast we spend
2 nights in a delightful, colonial style, heritage hotel, famous for
its food and with a temple pond pool and panoramic views from the
terraces.
DAY 13
B, L, D included
We accompany our host on a shopping expedition to
the lively fish market by the harbour, then walk to the fort, built by
the British East India Company in 1683 to protect their trade in
pepper. After lunch we relax on a beautiful palm tree-backed beach and
hope to catch a performance of Thayyam, an ancient Dravidian ritual
dance drama special to Malabar, before dining under the stars.
DAY 14
B, L, D included
We catch the express train which travels the
scenic coastal route south to Cochin (airconditioned carriages, with
luggage transported separately by road), reaching our original historic
hotel on Fort Kochi in time for a late lunch and a swim. We can
investigate the intriguing antique shops near our hotel or make some
last minute shopping forays before our farewell seafood dinner,
accompanied by Indian classical music.
DAY 15
B included
We depart early for the airport and flights home.
Price includes:
All accommodation for Days 1 through 15 on a
double shared basis
All meals with local beer at lunch and dinner as
listed (beer is far more appropriate with Keralan food and the tropical
climate, and wine is often spoiled by inadequate storage)
All land transportation in private airconditioned
vehicles, and trains as described, except during free periods
Jeep safari and trips on watercraft as described
All entrance and sightseeing fees except during
free periods
Services of an expert local naturalist guide and
a driver throughout (plus our Kudu Travel tour leader)
Services of specialist trackers and guides in
National Parks and reserves
Tips for porters, restaurant & hotel staff
(appreciation for tour leaders & managers is entirely at your
discretion)
Visa and Health Requirements
All visitors require a visa for entry to India.
All visitors require a visa for entry to India. As of 29 May 2008, visa
applications are processed by Indian Visa Application
Centres (in London, Birmigham and
Edinburgh). The costs start from £40.
A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is not
required when arriving from Europe or the USA. Immunisation/boosters
against Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Typhoid and Polio are recommended -
please consult your doctor in good time about this (at least 6 weeks
before departure) and also the latest situation on malaria prophylaxis
and anything else they recommend. You may also wish to check the advice
given to travellers by the Department of Health.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that
you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as
you book a trip. We can arrange comprehensive cover for UK residents (up to the age
of 79) - follow this link for details.
If you are already insured or a non-UK resident,
please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.