Overview
The Western Ghats of peninsular India is a bio-diversity rich landscape with varied habitats. Stretching across 5 states, it harbours a plethora of flora and fauna and also home to a large variety of endangered wildlife species, many of which are endemic to the Ghats. In the southern part of the ghats is the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, a place we call one of India’s best kept secrets.
On this Wildlife Photography Tour, we would keep Valparai, a tea plantation hub as our base to explore the Anamalais. We will spend 3 nights in 2 locations as we explore the best of both areas in search of some of the most elusive beings of these hills. Anamalais which literally translates to Elephant Hills is home to the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque and the Nilgiri Tahr, both endemic to the Ghats.
The tour begins in the Manchester of South India – Coimbatore. The group will assemble at a location from where we drive towards Valparai via the town of Pollachi and up the windy ghat road into the Anamalais. Along the way, we will make a stop at a vantage point to capture breath-taking scenery of the hills and also look for the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.
Wake up every morning to the songs of the Whistling School Boy (Malabar Whistling Thrush) and take in the goodness of the crisp morning breeze. The scents of the rainforests are addictive and the spectacular views are sure to blow your mind away. Explore the untrodden paths in this ancient forest, all while you enjoy the warm hospitality of the bungalow staff.
Our first stop will be at a Colonial British Bungalow perched on a hillock surrounded by tea gardens. The seemingly agricultural landscape is a wild place. Elephants, Indian Gaur, Barking Deer, Leopards and other small carnivores like Leopard Cats call these gardens their home. Over the first 2 nights, we will explore different areas around the Bungalow looking for the myriad of wildlife and birds. Guests would be introduced to the basics of camera trapping and also have a hands-on session in setting up a DSLR camera trap and lighting to get that perfect shot.

Our beautiful Bungalow
For our 3rd night, we will move to another location. The accommodation would be a similar colonial bungalow nestled amidst a Shola rainforest patch which is teeming with Birdlife. We will dedicate half a day to photograph Lion-tailed Macaques as they go about their daily routine. During the tour, there will be a number of activities including walks for Birds, Jeep safaris in the plantations and landscape photography sessions. Spend the weekend in the hills for an experience of a lifetime!