Detailed Itinerary for South India Wildlife Tour (15 N / 16 D)

Time You Have to Spent in this Tour: 15 Nights / 16 Days
Places Covered: Bangalore - Mysore - Ranganathittu - Srirangapatna - Nagarhole – Bandipur - Ooty - Munnar - Eravikulam National Park - Periyar Tiger Reserve - Alappuzha (Houseboat) - Kumarakom – Cochin

Day 01: Arrival at Bangalore
After arrival at Bangalore airport, Indian Wildlife Tourism representative will welcome and transfer you to the pre-booked hotel. Freshen up and take rest. Later, proceed for the half-day city tour of Bangalore. Visit the major attractions like Tipu Sultan's Fort and Palace, Museums, Vidhan Soudha or the State Secretariat, Ulsoor Lake, Temples, and Spiritual Centers. Return to hotel, enjoy the welcome dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Bangalore-Mysore
Have hearty breakfast after that drive to Mysore. Upon arrival check in at hotel and after that move forward to visit the popular attractions of Mysore like: St. Philomena's Church, Mysore Palace, Brindavan Gardens, Karanji Kere Lake, etc. Then back to hotel, have dinner and rest overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Mysore - Ranganathittu -Mysore
After having breakfast, move forward for the full day excursion of Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located on the bank of Kaveri River. You will explore the variety of birds like Spoon bills, Open Bill Stork, White Ibis, Little Egret, Darter, Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Cormorant, Shags, River Tern, Great Stone Plover, Kingfisher, Peafowl, Indian Cliff Swallow, Lesser Whistling Teal, Wild Duck, Large Cormorant, and many more. The wonderful sanctuary is also popular for the migratory birds from Siberia, Australia & South America. Return to Mysore, have dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Mysore –Srirangapatna- Nagarhole
Have yummy breakfast after that drive to Nagarhole National Park, en-route visit Srirangapatna. This beautiful place is bounded by the Kaveri River. Ranganathaswamy Temple is the major attraction of Srirangapatna. Continue your journey towards Nagarhole. Upon arrival check in at hotel and relax. Later, enjoy the evening jeep safari in the park. Have dinner and rest overnight at hotel.

Day 05: Nagarhole National Park
After breakfast proceeds to explore the exotic wildlife of Nagarhole National Park. The animals you will explore in the national park are: tiger, leopard, sloth bear, elephant, gaur, sambhar, panther, jungle cat, leopard cat, chital and the different mammals like muntjac, pangolin, giant squirrel, slender loris, the tiny mouse deer, langurs, wild boar and macaques. The park include the 250 bird species like Malabar trogon, Indian Pitta, green imperial pigeon, Malabar pied hornbill, great black woodpecker, etc. Return to hotel, enjoy dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Nagarhole-Bandipur National Park
Have tasty breakfast then drive to Bandipur National Park that is surrounded by the foothills of Western Ghats and Nilgiri Mountains. Upon arrival check in at hotel and get freshen up. Later, proceed for the exciting jeep safari in the park. Have dinner and stay overnight at wildlife lodge.

Day 07: Bandipur National Park
After having breakfast proceed to explore the Bandipur National Park. The sanctuary has wide range of flora and fauna. The animals you will see here are: Leopard, Asiatic Wild Dogs, Stripped Hyenas, Jackals, Jungle Cats, Leopard Cats, Small Indian Civets, Otters and four different species of Mongooses, Gaur, Sambar, Muntjac, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Spender Loris, Langurs, Wild Pig and also explore the variety of reptiles like Rock Python, Cobra, Marsh Crocodile, Monitor Lizard, Rat Snake, Wolf Snake, Common Krait, Viper Bamboo, Pit Viper, Green Keel Back and many more. Back to lodge, have dinner and rest overnight at lodge.

Day 08: Bandipur National Park - Ooty
Have breakfast after that leave for Ooty “Queen of hill Stations”. After arrival check in at hotel and relax. Later, proceed for the half day tour of Ooty. Visit the well-known attractions of the place like Botanical Gardens, Ooty Lake, Lamb’s rock, Kalhatty Waterfalls, and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. After this wonderful Ooty tour, return to hotel, have dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 09: Ooty - Munnar
After breakfast drive towards Munnar. It has the maximum tea estate in all over the world. Upon arrival check in at hotel and freshen up. Free to do independent activities for the remaining day. Have dinner and overnight stay will be at hotel.

Day 10: Munnar - Eravikulam National Park - Munnar
Have breakfast after that Indian Wildlife Tourism representative will take you to Eravikulam National park, the tropical lush green forest. The national park is famous for the preservation of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. Explore the different wild animals like: Elephants, Tigers, Leopards, Sambhar, Gaurs, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri, Langurs, Tourgiant squirrel, etc. Return to Munnar, have dinner and relax overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Munnar- Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
After breakfast drive to Periyar to make your journey more pleasurable. Upon arrival check in at hotel and freshen up. Later, proceed for the nature walk in Periyar tiger reserve. While doing the nature walk explore the different bird species like: Cormorants, Darters, Great Malabar Hornbill, Kingfishers, Racket-Tailed Drongoes, etc. Have dinner and rest overnight at hotel.

Day 12: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Have breakfast after that enjoy the morning boat ride at Periyar Lake. It is a superlative way to explore the wildlife perfectly. You will see the different animals like Tigers, Elephants, Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Gee's Golden Langurs, Bonnet Macaque, etc. After this thrilling visit back to hotel, have dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 13: Periyar – Alappuzha (Houseboat)
After breakfast leave for Alappuzha to board the beautiful houseboat. Through this ride you will see the natural loveliness, local life, stunning sceneries, coconut palms etc of the place. After lunch, relax or enjoy at houseboat. Have dinner and spend overnight in the houseboat.

Day 14: Kumarakoram
Have breakfast after that disembark houseboat at Kumarakom and upon arrival check in at hotel. Then proceed to visit the Kumarakoram Bird Sanctuary that is situated on the banks of Vembanad Lake. You will see the wide varieties of bird here which makes your journey more delightful. Have dinner and stay overnight at hotel.

Day 15: Kumarakom-Cochin
After breakfast drive to Cochin. Upon arrival check in at hotel and freshen up. In the afternoon, proceed for the sightseeing tour of Cochin. Visit the prominent places like Fort Cochin, Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Marine Drive, Mattancherry Palace, Bolghatty Island, Willington Island, Jewish Synagogue, Cochin Museum, etc. In the evening enjoy the Kathkali dance. Have dinner and rest overnight at hotel.

Day 16: Cochin - Onward Destination
OHave relaxed breakfast at the hotel. Later, Indian Wildlife Tourism representative will transfer you to the airport on time to catch the flight for your onward destination.

Travel Tips For Visiting the National Park

Before choosing India as your destination it’s better to have a little knowledge of this land of diversity. Since its inception in tourist books, India’s tourism sector continuously increase in dimension and popularity and today the country becomes one of the most striking destination in the world and is host to scores of international tourist every year.

To make your visit simpler, effective and more enjoyable, India presents well-organized infrastructure covering all the aspects of tourism. Apart from the exotic and colorful places, India offers a profusion of hotels of all shapes and sizes right from the reasonable budget hotels to state-of-the-art luxury hotels and heritage hotels that can even vie with the foremost hotels of the world in the field of comfort and hospitality.

Just as its varied landscape, the climate of the country varies too – from the arid deserts of Rajasthan to the coolest and wettest valleys of Assam. Practically India moves on with three seasons a year –hot, wet and the cool. The sun starts to grow hotter in the Nothern Plains around February and by April it becomes almost unbearable, and monsoon in the form of huge rainstorms kick start around the month of June.


Before you depart

Research the wildlife you want to spot as well as the destination you are traveling to.

• Plan your trip to coincide with the peak wildlife season.
• Determine the best place for spotting animals and birds.
• Organize wildlife watching trips for the early morning or late evening.
• Hire an outfitter or guide that caters to families and has experience with children.

Engage the kids

Introduce the kids to the animals and birds they are likely to see on your wildlife watching trip.

• Investigate wildlife as well as its habitat.
• Help them learn to identify animal tracks.
• Research the natural history of the area together.

Make it fun

Knowing where and how to look for wildlife will increase your child’s chance of spotting birds and animals and it will help him or her understand the need to be alert, patient and quiet.

• Scan the horizon rather and rather than focusing on a bush or tree.
• Detect motion from a bird in flight to the twitch of an ear.
• Look for shapes that stand apart from the geography.
• Watch for the flash of color both in the sky and on the ground.
• Look at the edge of the animal’s habitat, be it a forest, field or pond.
• Keep an eye out for signs, from animal tracks to gnawed wood, that animals have been there.
• Don’t focus only on sight, listen to the sounds and detect the smells.

Turn your outing into a wildlife adventure

Spotting wildlife is only part of the fun. Include the following in your child’s day pack and turn the family outing into a wildlife adventure.

• Field guide.
• Animal or bird checklist.
• Binoculars.
• Camera, many disposable models work fine.
• Notebook to record ‘evidence’ of what they see.

Things More Important ! Never Forget Them

Essentials Doccuments : If you are an outsider and visiting India, carrying proper identification is inevitable. Like any other place in the world a proper identification in the form of passport and visa is necessary and should be always with you throughout your journey period. Besides the originals, a photocopy of your passport, visa, air ticket and other travel documents should be maintained.

Travel Insurance : Wherever you go the element of risk is always there with you like a shadow. And travelling to a foreign country can make the risk unnecessarily bigger. So it is wise to shed this uncertainty of life by insure against it. What happen if you find that your luggage and other personal valuables disappeared after arrival, or a medical emergency arises during your stay or some personal emergency that demands an early return to your homeland? Your travel insurance will defend all financial crises during such fragile moments of your visit.