BIRDING IN WESTERN GHATS, SOUTH INDIA

Day 01. Arrive Cochin

Arrival at Cochin airport, you shall be picked up by Buddha Vacations representative holding the placard on your name. Meet assist and later you shall be transferred to booked hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 02. Cochin to Thattekad (70kms/2hrs)

Morning breakfast in hotel check out and drive to Thattekad. Thattekad is rich in its eco system, it’s located at the bank of Periyar River and it’s blessed with greenery, river, lowland forest, grasslands, and scrub and dry deciduous. Thattekad is considered best birding destination in India and it is home of White bellied Treepie, Rufous Babbler, Crimson backed 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, Red Spur fowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Indian Pitta, Black-throated Munia and the Grey headed fishing eagle.
Upon reaching Thattekad you shall be transferred to hotel. Relax and day fee to explore the surroundings. Overnight stay.

Day 03. Thattekad

Today your full day is reserved for Bird watching in Thattekad Bird Sanctuary and its surroundings. Evening transfer back to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 04. Thattekad to Periyar

Morning breakfast in hotel check out and drive to Periyar. Periyar Tiger reserve is considered amongst the best wildlife and birding destination in South India. It’s the home of over 320 bird species and leading habitat for Bengal Tigers. One can also sight Asiatic Elephants, Sambar, Gaur, Tigers and sloth bear.

Upon reaching Periyar you shall be transferred to hotel. Day free to explore the flaura and surroundings. Overnight stay.

Day 05. Periyar

Morning you shall be taken Boat ride on Periyal Lake for Bird watching and wildlife view. Afternoon you shall be taken to guided walk along the reserve for Bird watching. You can sight White-rumped and Brown-backed Needle tails, Oriental Honey-Buzzard, Black Eagle, the striking Black Baza, Pompadour Green and Mountain Imperial Pigeon, the migratory Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Gray-breasted Prinia, Thick-billed Warbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, and the Asian Fairy Bluebird among other more widespread species. We may also sight the Woolly-necked Stork, Besra, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Jungle Owlet, White-rumped Spine tail, Black-napped Monarch and the Little Spider hunter.
Evening transfer back to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 06. Periyar to Munnar (100kms/3hrs)

Morning breakfast in hotel check out and drive to Munnar via Western Ghats. En-route in stop in Khammam where you might sight the Large Grey Babbler, Common Babbler, Jungle Bush Quail and the Grey Fancolin, then proceed to Bodi Ghats en-route to Munnar and stop over for sighting the rare Yellow Throated Bulbul, Indian Robin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Short Toed Snake Eagle, Blue faced Malkoha and the Black eagle.
Reach Munnar and transfer to hotel. Day free at Leisure. Overnight stay.

Day 07. Munnar

Today morning breakfast you shall be taken to the birding in the shoals, it’s an high altitude mountain, forest and the grassland for the Nilgiri Pipit, Nilgiri wooden Pigeon, Painted Bush Quail, Black and Orange flycatcher, Nilgiri flycatcher, Broad tailed Grass bird, Grasshopper Warbler etc.
Evening transfer back to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 08. Munnar to Ooty (250kms/7hrs)

Early morning start to Chinnar for Birding, Chinnar (Dry scrub forest) is famous for its White-bellied Drongo, Blue faced Malkoha, White-naped woodpecker, Blue-beared bee-eater, Sirkeer Malkoha, Jungle Bush Quail and the Yellow-legged Button quail. From here taking the long drive, we will reach Ooty by evening. Ooty - a hill station, at about 2,200m in the Nilgiri Hills - is where we will look for the endemic Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, White-bellied Shortwing, and Black-and-rufous, Rusty-tailed and Nilgiri Flycatchers.
Continue drive to Ooty. Ooty is famous hill station in South India, its situalted on Nilgiri Hills. Reach Ooty and transfer to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 09. Ooty to Madumalai (50kms/1-2hrs)

Today morninggo for Birding in Ooty later we drive to Madumalai located at the foot hills of famous Nilgiri hills. Madumalai reserver is lies with the forest belt between Western Ghats and Nilgiri hills, this terrain varied with hills, ravines, watercourses, swamps, moist deciduous, dry deciduous forest and scrub forest which makes it beautiul site for Birding.
Reach Madumalai and transfer to hotel. Day free to explore Madumalai. Overnight stay.

Day 10. Madumalai

Today your day is reserve for Birding in Madumalai National Park. Overnight stay.

Day 11. Madumalai to Mysuru (90kms/2hrs)

Today we will drive to Mysuru (earlier known as Mysore) Enroute doing the Birding. We have a chance to look for any of the endemics missed especially the very rare Broad tailed Grassbird near the Bandipur Reserve. Also seen are the Paddy field Pipit, Richards Pipit and the Ash crowned Finch Lark.
Upon reach Mysuru, you shall be transferred to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 12. Mysuru to Bengaluru via Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary (150kms/3-4hrs)

Today we depart early morning to Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary located at the bank of Cauvery River which is considered the lifeline of South Indian states Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Take rowing Boat cruise for Bird watching. Here we can see view of Eurasian spoonbill, Black-crowned night heron, three species of Cormorant, River Tern and Thick Knee, and many others.
Later continue drive to Bengaluru. Reach Bengaluru and transfer to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 13. Bangaluru Departure

Today leisurely breakfast in hotel check out and enjoy shopping at famous MG Market, evening you shall be dropped at Bengaluru airport for onward journey.