Day 01 – Cochin

On arrival at Cochin Airport, you will be met & transferred to your hotel. Afternoon  for free walks in Fort Cochin Area.Early evening a short cycling tour through the shore highway passing through small fishermen villages.Return to your hotel for overnight stay.

Cochin the queen of the Arabian Sea is one of the most interesting cities of
India and has one of the finest natural harbors in the world. A root-conscious people of Kerala have preserved their past not only in the form of history books but also in the form of monuments and palaces. Places, palaces and institutions of historic value are being preserved conscientiously.

Day 02:Cochin-Thattekkad(2 Hours Drive)

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.

Thattekad Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, is one of the low altitude evergreen forest. It is a home for 280 species of birds including  Grey hornbill, White-bellied tree pie, Rufous babbler, Wayanad laughing thrush, Grey headed bulbul, White-bellied blue flycatcher,  Crimson-backed sunbird, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar parakeet etc and a number of water birds.

Day 03 -Thattekkad – Munnar 

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 modern toilet block,exclusive kitchen and common dining hut etc.We will be providing sleeping bags, Mat, pillowsetc to add maximum possible comforts.

Munnar… breathtakingly beautiful – a haven of peace and tranquility – an idyllic tourist destination in God’s own country with unending expanses of tea plantations… pristine valleys and mountains… exotic species of flora and fauna in its wild sanctuaries and forests… aroma of spice scented cool air. Munnar has all these and more…. It’s the place you would love to visit… It’s the place you would wish never to leave. Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, situated at the confluence of three mountain streams, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Sprawling tea plantations, picturesque towns, winding lanes, trekking and holiday facilities makes Munnar a holiday resort. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji a flower, which bathes the hills in blue once every twelve years. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India – Anamudi – which towers over 2695 M and is an ideal spot for campers who like trekking.

Day 04

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 for  watching sunset, campfire and dinner.

Day 05: Chokkamudi – Chinnar

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 into 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.ReachPerumala – in the out skirt 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 dolmens, 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.

Day 06: Chinnar

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

Proceed to Chinnar wildlife sanctuary. Hiking through the wildlife zone and visit to 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 in the eastern slope of Western ghats sharing its flora and fauna with Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Eravikulam National Park. The sanctuary has an area of 90 sq.km. Chinnar has the unique thorny scrub forest with Xerophytic vegetation . The undulating terrain with rocky patches manifolds the scenic splendor of the sanctuary. As the altitude varies from 500 to 2,400 m above sea level within a few kilometer radius, there is a drastic variation in the climate and vegetation.

This sanctuary has also rainfall ranging from 600 mm to 3000 mm and a dry season ranging from three to six months. Elephant, gaur, leopard, spotted deer, sambar, grizzled giant squirrel, hanuman languor, long eared fish owl etc. inhabit the Chinnar forests. The grizzled Giant squirrel is an endangered species.

Day 07:Chinnar-Sethumadai (Topslip)

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.

Day 08:Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Sethumadai)

Anamalai is located 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 wildlife and birds (GPH, SFG etc). Early 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.

Sethumadai village around Anamalai Tiger reserve is so great to walk around and full of vegetation.You will pass through thick plantations of banana, Coconut and other vegetables. There are few units processing Coconut and its by products like coir, coconutoil, cattle feed etc. The village is so lively with men and women working in the fields,children going to the local school,regular ceremonies at the village temple and so on. Though roads are good and facilities like water and electricity are in abundance,we may see that the urban culture is yet to enter this village.

Day 09:Sethumadai-Ooty

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 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.

Day 10  –Ooty-Nagarhole (Kabini)

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 more than 400 Tigers as per recent sensus. On arrival, check in at the Hotel. Evening go 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 habitats 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.

Day 11 –Nagarhole

Early morning go 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.The backdrop of the distant misty blue Brahmagiri Mountains,the natural sounds of the jungle,the gurgling of streams and rivers and the twittering of the birds,make a trip to Nagarhole a memorable experience.It has an area of 643.39 Sq.km.Covered mainly by moist and dry deciduous forests,and dominated by teak,rosewood and dry deciduous forests in the eastern limits of the peak.Mammals include elephant,tiger,leopard, wilddog, sambar, barkingdeer, slothbear, wildboar, Indianbison, mousedeer, spotteddeer, slenderloris, black –napedhare, jackal, langur, wildpig, porcupine, Malabarsquirrel, striped hyena and four-horned antelope.

Cycle past village life in a slow lane. The routes go through villages and life is at a very slow pace. People are curious and want to know all about you.Rides are along the backwaters of Kabini, through village roads, mud tracks and at times through forests.People are either farming or grazing cows or sheep. Pass through several tribal colonies and ponder over the difficult lives of the tribes living in a settlement after having spent years as nomads in the forest.Stop for a tea break in a village tea stall and have some interesting snacks with a whole village watching you, have a dip in a pond or climb on to a Machan house – all these areas are along the edge of the forest. Residents keep watch from these machans to guard their crops and ward off marauding elephants and other wild animals.

Day-12-Nagarhole-Mysore

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.

Mysore, the capital city of the Wodeyars has always enchanted its admirers with its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent palaces, beautifully laid-out gardens, imposingbuildings, broad shady avenues and sacred temples. There’s an old world charm about the city that reaches out and leaves no one untouched.Visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911-12. The palace is of harmonious syntheses of the Hindu and Saracenic styles of architecture with archways, domes, turrets, colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery; drive up to Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple & a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way back, see the Nandi Bull. Mysore is known the world over for its exotic sandalwood and rich silks.Mysore, an undulating tableland, covered in parts by granite outcrops and fringed by verdant forests, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendor of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centres and scenic spots.

Maharaja’s Palace is a synonym for Mysore in the Tourist Map.Its built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes,turrets,arches and colonnades.The Palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.The walled Palace complex houses the Residential Museum,temples and shrines including ShwethaVarahaswamyTemple.The jewel studded golden throne,the pride of the Wodeyars and the symbol of their sovereignity,displayed here during Dussehra festival in October.The Palace will be lit with One Hundred Thousand electric bulbs on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Day 13:Mysore-Kokkerebellur-Bangalore

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.

KokkerebellurPelicanery is in Maddur village. This place is famous for its Spot Billed Pelicans and the Painted Storks that can be sighted here in large numbers during season time. This scenic village has paddy fields, cattle, water, and lots of exotic birds. Kokkare is the local name for “Painted Storks” that are very famous in this region, “Bellur” meaning village of jaggery (raw sugar from sugarcane); hence, the village has derived its name from the bird. Other than Pelicans , Storks and other water birds are richly seen in the fields around.

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.

Day 14:Bangalore Departure

Today you will be transferred to Bangalore International Airport to connect your flight home.

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