Tuesday 29 September 2015

Upcoming Trip: Explore the southern Western Ghats in the Periyar Wildlife Landscape

Dates

19th to 22nd November 2015

Itinerary Outline

Day 1: AM transfer from Cochin to Thekkady. PM (evening or night) Trek in Thekkady, as well as boat safari if available

Day 2 & 3: Early AM departure to Gavi on Day 2 and two full days exploring this wildlife rich location

Day 4: After AM activity and breakfast, depart to Cochin for a PM arrival

Price

INR 20,000/person (Inclusive of Transport, Accommodation on Twin Share, Meals in Gavi, Naturalist, Guided Activities and Entrance Fees)


Asiatic Elephant in the Periyar Landscape

As the summer monsoon makes way to 'winter', we welcome you to our (almost) annual exploration of monsoon forests in and around the Periyar Tiger Reserve in November. This wildlife rich landscape of the southern Western Ghats, is particularly known for large congregations of Asiatic Elephant and Gaur - but also a healthy, moderately visible, numbers of  Tiger and Leopard - among its large mammals. One could also come across specialities of the Western Ghats - Lion-tailed Macaque around Gavi and other rarities like Brown Mongoose, Brown Palm Civet and perhaps even the highly elusive Nilgiri Marten! Of course, some of these animals are strictly nocturnal, but, luckily, this is where the unique opportunity for a night walk in Thekkady provides the requisite conditions! 


Lion-tailed Macaque, Gavi
Dhole

Birdlife is excellent, as is typical for mid-altitude Western Ghats locations in south India. Great Hornbill, Wynaad Laugh Thrush, White-Bellied Treepie, Rufous Babbler, Malabar Barbet, Blue-bearded Beeeater .... a moderate effort of birding can get you a sizeable list of local specialities and rarities, with more than a dash of colour included. Potential for winter migrants like Indian Pitta, various Flycatchers and Warblers add to what should be an impressive list from a relaxed birding effort.


Great Pied Hornbill

Asian Fairy Bluebird
Brown-breasted Flycatcher
Flowers of the Cullenia exarillata - an important food source in these monsoon forests
Almost our entire exploration will be on foot, offering an intimate experience of the jungle and an opportunity to appreciate the the impressive biodiversity of these locations - including of smaller creatures, like butterflies, frogs, fungi, flora ..... . The matrix of forest, plantation and grasslands are not just scenic backdrop to the wildlife at Gavi, but also enhance visibility, unlike in theunidimensional environment, under a dense forest canopy. 

Rainforest Frog
Common Map 

Our local tribal guides - involved in a commendable ecotourism promoted by the local authorities - will enrich our experience with their insights and observations of their forest home.


As always, this tour is for a small group (max 6 persons + 1 accompanying naturalist) with an emphasis on a relaxed, ecologically friendly approach to wildlife viewing. We stay in a quaint resort at Thekkady on the first night of our itinerary and move onto a well located forest accommodation at Gavi (either in Swiss tents or Rooms depending on availability) for the next two nights. Accommodation will be on twin share, with en-suite facilities. Food will be simple, largely local affairs, especially in Gavi, while more options are available in Thekkady.


Please email us or call Ravi (+91 9941918519)/Ganesh (+91 9383114321) for more information

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Wednesday 15 April 2015

Report: Sri Lanka's Central Highlands and its Wildlife, April 2015

Green Calotes, Singharaja Forest Reserve
We do not, as yet, offer trips to Sri Lanka, but we hope this pictorial report from a short personal trip, will inspire interest in our readers to travel with us to visit our hospitable neighbor, filled with spectacular natural riches. For a country so small in size, the amazing diversity of natural areas and its wild occupants are to be seen to be believed. Please keep an eye on this space and on our website for our introductory trips to the Emerald Isles 

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Report: Wildlife of Kaziranga NP, March 2015 - A pictorial report


Hello all

Welcome to all our first time readers (the only kind, since this is our first post), to join us in experiencing, appreciating and to help conserve our considerable, irreplaceable, natural heritage. As a brief introduction, we are a specialist nature travel company for guided birdwatching, wildlife watching and natural history oriented travel to India's (with plans in neighboring countries) fascinating natural areas. We look forward to engaging with readers of the blog with the latest on our upcoming trips, trip reports and any other information of interest to natural history travel enthusiasts. Please do visit our website and Facebook Page for related information

The iconic One-horned (Indian) Rhinoceros in Kaziranga's Western Zone
Our first post on this blog is a pictorial report from a natural history oriented guided trip to the superb flood plains of the Bramhaputra at Kaziranga National Park in Assam from 18th to 21st March 2015. We visited all the major ranges from the extreme west in the little visited (by tourists) forested hills of the Bura Pahar Range to the extreme East to an area where the Bramhaputra defines the park boundary.
Blessed with the abundance that spring brings with it, we saw fantastic congregations of large mammals, Hoolock Gibbon (India's only Ape) and excellent birds including Great Hornbill, Green-billed Malkoha, Blue-bearded Beeeater, Jerdon's Baza, Pallas Fish Eagle and Swamp Francolin among others. An enjoyable trip to a park that has to try very hard to disappoint!

Best Wishes
Ravi
ficustours@gmail.com