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Kerala Birding
08 Nights and 09 Days Trip

Book OnLine: touch@keralaadventure.com | comvoyge@vsnl.net

Destination Covered

Arrival Cochin - Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary - Munnar Hills -Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary - Kumarakom - Deluxe Houseboat Alleppey and departure Cochin

Tour Cost

01 October 2011 to 31 March 2012

Deluxe Package /Per Person

Cost of ac Transport + Accommodation INR 36765

What you Get

Food and accommodation

Accommodation in the hotels /Homestays/House boats on twin sharing basis with one double room for two persons.

We have taken great care to arrange good accommodation and high quality, safe food for the whole trip. Full-board accommodation is provided, All rooms have en suite bathrooms. The daytime meal will normally be in our hotel, but will occasionally be a packed according to the situations or a picnic or at Local restaurant.

And What you Don't

Any meals other than those mentioned above

Tips / Gratuities

Any meals other than those mentioned above.

Any airfare / train fare.

Any portage at airports and hotels, tips, insurance, wine, mineral water, telephone charges, and all items of personal nature.

Any services not specifically mentioned in the inclusions.

Expenses caused by factors beyond our control like rail and flight delays, roadblocks, vehicle mal-functions, political disturbances etc.

Transport and Naturalist

Representative On arrival and Departures / Uniformed chauffeurs and air conditioned vehicle ,One Naturalist accompanies the full tour and Providing Local trackers and respective transfers and birding

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary : This sanctuary is the best place in Kerala to see birds. The sanctuary is also known as the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, named after the world-renowned Ornithologist (1896-1987) who described as a 'birder's paradise'. Thattekkad is a tremendous and as yet little visited place. It is alive with Indian Golden, Black-headed and Black-naped Orioles. It was here that David Attenborough filmed Rufous Woodpeckers, nesting in the still-occupied nest of ferocious tree ants. The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and beautiful Indian Pitta are here in good numbers, as are Asian Fairy Bluebirds, small Sunbirds and Flame-throated Bulbuls. The rare Black Baza is resident – we saw six on our last visit. Ceylon Frogmouth has been found to be common along with Malabar Whistling Thrush, Tickell's Flycatcher and much more.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary : This National Park is between 900 m and 2,000 m above sea-level and is said to offer the visitor the best chance to see wild elephant in the whole of India. This is possibly the most accessible Wildlife Sanctuary in South India and consequently there is a wide range of hotels in the adjacent town of Thekkady. Boat trips to the more remote, hidden parts of the flooded valley give us a chance to see the real wild India. Jungle walks are the way to see Forest Wagtails, Malabar Trogons, Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters and White-bellied Blue Flycatchers. The enormous White-bellied and dainty Heart-spotted Woodpeckers are both here. Given a little luck, it is possible to see hunting packs of Indian Wild Dog. Sambar Deer, Indian Wild Boar and Malabar Giant Squirrel are all common and we stay here long enough to maximize our chances of seeing Indian Elephant, Sloth Bear, Indian Bison and Short-clawed Otter amongst others.

Munnar : At around 1600 m above sea-level the hill station of Munnar (previously known as the High Range of Travancore) is one of the highest tea growing areas in the world. The landscape is dramatic with craggy rocks and neat manicured tea gardens. Munnar is home of the Nilgiri Tahr, one of the rarest antelopes in the world, which resembles its goat-like cousins of the Himalayas. We are especially interested in the changes of habitat here, and will see Hill Swallows over the tea plantations and look for Oriental White-eyes, Blyth's Reed Warblers and Greater Flamebacks amongst the cardamom and pepper groves.

Eravikulam National Park : This park is within easy reach of Munnar and is home to the rare and endangered Nilgiri Tahr. The rolling grasslands and high level sholas are somewhat reminiscent of the Alps. An excellent chance of finding White-bellied Blue Robin, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Nilgiri Blackbird and Kerala Laughingthrush, all of them endemic. Can easly find Tickell's Warbler to be common at one spot, and the localized, endemic Nilgiri Pipit and locate Tytler's Warbler and plenty of Black-and-Orange Flycatchers, amongst other specialities. Please note that Eravikulam is closed for much of January and February when it is breeding time. The exact date depends on the Tahrs.

Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary : Chinnar is two hour drive from Munnar and is positioned in a rain shadow which makes it considerably drier than its neighbour, Eravikulam. Chinnar is considered to be a birding hotspot with 225 species recorded to date. Most visitors come here to see the grizzled giant squirrels - healthy numbers thrive here amongst the thorny scrub (dry deciduous forest).

Climate :The ideal time to enjoy stay at kerala are August to February in view of the cultural events taking place in Sept-Oct season and the pleasant climate of cooling rains. Averages temperatures at just above 22c which goes up to 31c on a hot and humid Febuary to April. The ideal season is between September to February which is in view of the greenery of flora and the gushing rivulets which makes the destination colorful and less crowded.

Clothing : Informal Cottons are ideal, but the months between Sept – Dec does have rains at intervals so the fickle weather makes it essential to have warm and rain proofing clothing's.

Protectives : These months do have the insect "Leech" in the plantations so leech guards will to an extent help protect ourselves when on a trek and local protection using salt (Saline Water) or snuff powder made from tobacco is also found helpful. To fight them any available repellents from your country may be the best to carry as a safe guard. Mosquitoes are seen up to October in the evenings and are not very common in high altitude properties but we still use vaporizing repellents in the bedrooms to rule out the any chances of their disturbances.

Kerala Birding | Itinerary

ARRIVAL COCHIN | THATTEKKAD BIRD SANCTUARY

Arrival Cochin and transfer Cochin/ Kothamangalam check-in to your hotel

PM: Visit Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary with local Naturalist

Dinner and overnight stay

FULL DAY BIRDING AT THATTEKKAD BIRD SANCTUARY

Early morning birding with local Naturalist / local Trackers

You will be carrrying packed breakfast

Afternoon lunch and birding at Bothathankettu

Evening return and overnight at hotel

THATTEKKAD BIRD SANCTUARY | MUNNAR

Morning Visit Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary with local Naturalist

Transfer Kothamangalam/ Munnar and check-in to hotel

Birding in and around Munnar with local Naturalist / local Trackers

FULL DAY BIRDING AT MUNNAR

Early morning leave hotel with packed breakfast and mineral water

Birding of Munnar including Rajamalai with Naturalist / local Trackers

Afternoon Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and return to your hotel

MUNNAR | PERIYAR NATIONAL PARK

Early morning birding

After breakfast transfer Munnar/ Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Evening Game viewing in lake Periyar with Naturalist / local Trackers

Night Trek ( beween 10 Pm to 1230 Am ) with Naturalist / local Trackers

Return and overnight at hotel.

FULL DAY BIRDING AT PERIYAR NATIONAL PARK

Early morning Trekking and Birding with Naturalist / local Trackers

Breakfast and Leisure at hotel

Evening Birding with Naturalist / local Trackers

Night Trek ( beween 1000 pm to 1230 am) with Naturalist / local Trackers

Return and overnight at hotel

PERIYAR NATIONAL PARK | KUMARAKOM

Early morning Birding with Naturalist

After noon transfer Periyar/ Kumarakom backwaters

Checkinto hotel and evening birding at Kumarkom local village