anamalai wilderness circle
One of India's richest biodiversity landscapes, just a couple of hours from Cochin
- The Anamalai Hills form the southern section of the Western Ghats, extending across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, south of the Palakkad Gap. Easily accessible from Cochin International Airport, this remarkable mountain landscape is one of India's richest biodiversity regions.
- Covering more than 3,000 sq. km of interconnected protected forests, it includes National Parks, Tiger Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystems. The region is crowned by Anamudi (2,694 m), the highest peak in South India, and offers an extraordinary diversity and endemism of wildlife, birds, forests, and mountain landscapes.
About this tour
- The Anamalai Wilderness Circle is an immersive natural history expedition through one of the Western Ghats' richest biodiversity landscapes.
- Starting and ending at Cochin, the circular journey explores the rainforests, shola forests, grasslands, dry forests, and mountain landscapes of the Anamalai Hills.
- The expedition combines wildlife observation, guided nature walks, walking safaris, birdwatching, and cultural experiences while visiting some of South India's finest
- protected areas, including Munnar hills, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary , Valparai, and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Sholayar rain forest . Flexible itineraries are available from 4 to 10 days.
What Makes This Journey Special? -Experience the extraordinary biodiversity of the Western Ghats on foot.
- The Anamalai Wilderness Circle is designed for travellers who wish to experience the Western Ghats beyond conventional wildlife safaris. Rather than focusing on tiger sightings, this expedition explores one of South India's richest biodiversity landscapes through guided walking safaris, jungle camps, sky island hikes, nature walks, birdwatching, and prehistoric site exploration. Although the Anamalai Tiger Reserve supports tigers and other large mammals, the dense rainforests make tiger sightings naturally infrequent. Instead, the journey reveals the remarkable diversity of the region—often called the "Elephant Hills"—where almost every mammal of the southern Western Ghats can be found, together with many endemic species. Birdwatchers can look for all three hornbill species and around twenty Western Ghats endemics. The expedition also explores prehistoric rock art, megalithic monuments, tea plantations, and traditional mountain landscapes, offering a complete natural history experience.
Accommodations
- Accommodation is carefully selected to complement the spirit of the expedition. Explorer style participants can experience exclusive jungle camps, offering a close connection with nature and the opportunity to enjoy the changing sights and sounds of dawn and dusk. Leisure style participants stay in comfortable homestays and plantation resorts set amidst the wilderness of the buffer zone. Most itineraries combine both styles, providing an ideal balance of comfort and immersive nature experiences.
Activities
- Accommodation is carefully selected to complement the spirit of the expedition. Explorer style participants can experience exclusive jungle camps, offering a close connection with nature and the opportunity to enjoy the changing sights and sounds of dawn and dusk. Leisure style participants stay in comfortable homestays and plantation resorts set amidst the wilderness of the buffer zone. Most itineraries combine both styles, providing an ideal balance of comfort and immersive nature experiences.