South India Bird Watching Tour

On arrival at Cochin airport, you’ll be escorted to your hotel located in the city’s historic district, Fort Cochin.

The port city of Cochin (also known as Kochi) offers a captivating mix of cultures and is a wonderful place to explore.

In the evening, enjoy a sunset cruise past Cochin’s island shores to see the famous Chinese fishing nets silhouetted against the orange and pink sky.

Accommodation: Hotel Fort House, Cochin

This morning you can enjoy a sightseeing tour around Fort Cochin & Mattancherry. At Fort Cochin, you will have the opportunity to explore the local fish market and the 16th Century St Francis Church, the oldest European church in India, followed by a visit to the colonial-style Dutch Palace featuring grand murals depicting the Indian epics as well as the intricately decorated Jewish Synagogue.

The evening holds a cultural treat in the form of a Kerala traditional dance. The Kathakali dance performance involves theatrical representations of gods and demons to the spiritual sounds of gongs, drums and cymbals. If you arrive early you can see the artists applying their dramatic, ceremonial make-up.

Accommodation: Hotel Fort House, Cochin

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning your South India Bird Watching Tour begins with a visit to Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in Munnar, which is known as being the best place for bird spotting in South India. The relatively small area of 25 square kilometres is home to 270 species of birds, including those native to the Western Ghats mountain range.

During your visit, you can expect to see species including the Red Spurfowl, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Brown-breasted and Rusty-tailed Flycatcher. Staying overnight at the Birds Murmur Camp, on the banks of the Periyar River, also gives you the thrilling chance to go on a night birding tour to see nocturnal birds like owls, nightjars and frogmouths.

Approximate travel time and distance: 2 hours, 70 km

Accommodation: Birds Murmur Camp, Thattekkad

Meals included: Breakfast

Experience another full day of birding at this prime location. Today’s part of the South India Bird Watching Tour will be focussed on spotting rare birds like the Wayanad Laughingthrush and Grey-headed Bulbul, which can both be found in the remote Urulanthanni area of the sanctuary. While at Edamalayar, on the south side of the river, you’ll be shown the habitats of the Streak-throated Woodpecker and Yellow-billed Babbler, among others.

Accommodation: Birds Murmur Camp, Thattekkad

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast you’ll be driven to Periyar National Park, which houses the best secluded wildlife sanctuary in Kerala, boasting over 320 species of birds. It’s also a haven for elephants and houses several other native species across its varied landscape of grasslands, forest and riverside scrub.

In the evening you can spot more of the sanctuary’s residents on a boat cruise across Lake Periyar. Impressive bird sightings on our South India Bird Watching Tour include the Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Blue-winged Parakeets and Great Pied Hornbill. The birds are often joined by herds of Wild Elephants, Sambars Deers, Bisons, Nilgir Langurs and Malabar Giant Squirrels.

Approximate travel time and distance: 4 hours, 120 km

Accommodation: Greenwoods Resort, Periyar

Meals included: Breakfast

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary warrants more than one day of exploring, and our South India Bird Watching Tour caters exactly to this. On the second day here you’ll trek deep into the park on a jeep and by foot to the best places to find certain bird species. In particular, your guide will be looking to give you a sighting of the elusive Wayanad Laughingthrush.

On your journey, other exciting bird sightings are likely to include the Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black Eagle, the migratory Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and the Asian Fairy-bluebird. You should also be on the lookout for the Black-naped Monarch, Asian Woolly-necked Stork, Vernal Hanging-Parrot, Little Spiderhunter and Jungle Owlet.

Accommodation: Greenwoods Resort, Periyar

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast, you’ll start the journey towards Munnar. Not only does this 1450-metre-high hill station afford amazing views across the tea-producing region, but it’s also a prime South India birding area. Munnar is home to the Large Gray Babbler, Jungle Bush-Quail, Gray Francolin and many more species. Stopping off at Bodi Ghats en route also offers the opportunity to sight the rare Yellow-throated Bulbul, Short-toed Snake-Eagle, Indian Robin and Blue-faced Malkoha.

During your time in Munnar you will be visiting the Eravikulam National Park and Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary

Approximate travel time and distance: 3 hours, 100 km

Accommodation: Ambady Estate, Munnar

Meals included: Breakfast

Today on the South India Bird Watching Tour, you’ll experience Munnar’s varied terrain for bird spotting, from the grasslands to the high-altitude montane forests situated in rolling valleys, locally known as sholas, along with Eravikulam National Park. This is your chance to see such species as the Painted Bush-Quail, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, White-bellied Sholakili, Broad-tailed Grassbird and Grasshopper Warbler. Again, you’ll stay overnight at the Ambady Estate.

Accommodation: Ambady Estate, Munnar

Meals included: Breakfast

An early start means you can go birding at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary dry scrub forest for Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha and the Yellow-legged Buttonquail, before making the journey to Coonoor. After a drive into the Nilgiri Mountains, you’ll reach the 2,200-metre hill station of Coonoor by evening to spot Black-and-rufous, Rusty-tailed and Nilgiri Flycatchers, as well as the endemic Nilgiri Laughingthrush and White-bellied Sholakili. You’ll stay overnight at the Kurumba Village Resort, which is a superior-grade hill resort in a tribal village setting.

Approximate travel time and distance: 6 hours, 225 km

Accommodation: Kurumba Village Resort

Meals included: Breakfast

There’ll be another chance to go birdwatching in Coonoor this morning before departing for Mudumalai, located at the foot of the Nilgiri mountains. Birds thrive in this area of varied forest, ravines, watercourses and swamps, and you should see the Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, White-bellied Minivet, Jerdon’s Bushlark, Large Cuckooshrike and Banded Bay Cuckoo, among many others. You’ll stay overnight in Mudumalai.

Your stay at Mudumalai will include exploring the Mudumalai National Park and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

Approximate travel time and distance: 3 hours, 80 km

Accommodation: Jungle Retreat, Mudumalai

Meals included: Breakfast

Today you’ll start the journey towards Mysuru, with stops along the way to spot birds like the Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Paddyfield Pipit and Richard’s Pipit. The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is the perfect opportunity to seek out any of the native species you haven’t already seen, especially the very rare Broad-tailed Grassbird.

That evening you get the opportunity to visit the Nandi Bull statue in the Chamundi Hills and stroll through the famous Devaraja fruit and vegetable market.

Approximate travel time and distance: 3hrs, 110 km

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Plaza, Mysore

Meals included: Breakfast

On the penultimate day of your South India Bird Watching Tour, you’ll take an early morning rowing boat cruise from Mysuru around the famous heronry islands of the Cauvery River in the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. This peaceful boat trip will enable sightings of the Black-crowned night heron, three species of Cormorant, Eurasian Spoonbill, River Tern, Thick-knee and many others.

After returning to Mysuru you can visit the grand and historic Mysuru Palace.

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Plaza, Mysore

Meals included:  Breakfast

You’ll be transferred to Bangalore International Airport for your return flight, and there ends your incredible journey with us on our South India Bird Watching Tour!

Approximate travel time and distance: 4 hrs, 150 km

Meals included: Breakfast

Pricing & Inclusions

13 day South India Bird Watching tour price guide is £3290

The prices do not include flights.

Authentic India Tours is a member of ABTA and ATOL. All the holidays on this website are ABTA protected. If you would like us to arrange your holiday including flights we will be happy to provide a quote and your holiday will also be ATOL protected.

This is a private tour and can be tailor-made to meet your exact requirements. Prices will vary depending on the number of people, length of tour, accommodation & season. Reductions are normally available for groups of three or more. Some hotels operate an additional peak pricing rate during busy times which is normally from mid December to mid January.

Please get in touch with your dates and we will be pleased to provide you with your personal itinerary and accurate quote.

Included with this South India bird watching tour are:

• Meet & greet assistance on arrival
• All transfers and sightseeing tours using air-conditioned Toyota Innova
• Services of a naturalist for the entire tour
• Accommodation for 12 nights on a single/twin sharing basis
• Standard category rooms at all hotels unless otherwise mentioned
• Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast
• Sunset cruise along the harbour in Cochin
• Tickets for Kathakali dance show in Cochin
• Spice garden visit in Periyar
• All birding activities as mentioned in the itinerary
• Tickets for boating on Lake Periyar
• Entrances at all National parks, Museums and Monuments as per the itinerary
• Mineral water on all days of travel

Price does not include:

• International flight tickets
• Travel insurance and visa
• Expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips, beverages etc
• Meals other than mentioned in the above meal plan
• Camera & video fees at National parks, Museums & Monuments

Prices mentioned above are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. The prices which were valid at the time of publication may be subject to change, based on your date of travel and local market fluctuations. You will be informed of any price differences prior to booking.

For a quote based on your dates of travel, any alternative accommodation or changes to this itinerary, please call us on 01792 315499 or email us at info@aitholidays.com

Please remember all our private tours are designed to meet your exact requirements, and this South India Tour is just an example to help inspire you.

For more information please email info@aitholidays.com or call our India specialists on 01792 315499.

To find out more about the birds mentioned, explore this handy catalogue from birdsoftheworld.org.

ABTA and ATOL Protected Tour Package

Authentic India Tours is a member of ABTA and ATOL. All the holidays on this website are ABTA protected. If you would like us to arrange your holiday including flights we will be happy to provide a quote and your holiday will also be ATOL protected.