This trip explores South India's wildlife from three exceptional lodges in outstanding protected areas, and includes visits to both a productive tiger park and India's southern rainforest.
We begin with a visit to Nagarhole National Park, home to tiger, leopard, Asian wild dog, Asian elephants and a black panther. Next we travel to the edge of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where we stay on a superb private reserve. We’ll make forest walks in search of Malabar trogon, parakeets, pied and grey hornbills, and Nilgiri langur. After a night in Coimbatore, we continue south to Anamalai Tiger Reserve. From our base on a tea plantation we look for endemics including lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr and Malabar whistling thrush.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Depart London on an overnight flight to Bengaluru.
Days2-4: Nagarhole National Park
We reach Nagarhole in time for a late lunch on day two, before taking our first evening drive in this beautiful park. For the following two days we take morning and evening safaris in the park, at least one of which will be a boat safari on the Kabini River dam.
Nagarhole is a beautiful park in the state of Karnataka. Tiger, leopard, Asian wild dog and Asian elephant are all readily seen here, as are stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, grey langur, bonnet macaque, Indian giant squirrel and several ungulates.
Nagarhole is also a great park for watching birds. In addition to widespread species including red-vented and red-whiskered bulbuls, jungle and common mynas, this is a great place for southern species including white-cheeked barbet, southern hill myna, grey junglefowl and Malabar parakeet.
Fringe Ford is an exceptional private reserve on the edge of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. A colonial cardamom plantation has largely been allowed to revert to forest and has been recolonised by native plants and animals.
We explore the trails here on foot, and have excellent chances of finding a range of southern endemics including Malabar trogon, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill and Nilgiri langur, in addition to more widespread species including the magnificent gaur.
After a full day’s drive, we break our journey towards the rare endemics of the south by spending the night in a stylish hotel in the city of Coimbatore.
Accommodation: The Residency Towers, Coimbatore, 1-night
Days8-10: Valparai Range, Anamalai Tiger Reserve
One of South India’s little known wonders, Anamalai Tiger Reserve is home to many regional endemics, including a host of birds and mammals. We spend the afternoon of day 8 and two full days visiting sites in the Valparai Range of the park, looking for such charismatic and threatened mammals as lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Asian elephant and Nilgiri tahr.
The birding here is also very good. Localised species we may find include Malabar whistling thrush, Malabar parakeet, Nilgiri flycatcher, black-and-orange flycatcher, Palani (Kerala) laughingthrush, blue-faced malkoha and Loten’s sunbird.
This morning we leave Valparai, bound for Kochi International Airport. From here we take a domestic flight to Bengaluru where we check into a hotel near the airport, prior to our early departure the following day.
Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport, 1-night
Day12: Arrive UK
Please note: We have an excellent and experienced team of naturalist tour leaders guiding our groups in India. The exact leader for each departure will be confirmed once the group has been guaranteed to travel.
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 12 daysfrom £4,495 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 11 daysfrom £3,895 pp
Choose your preferred departure date below, then make a booking request, or enquire if you would like to ask us a question.
Departure date
Group size
Duration & price from
Single supplement
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Tour leader(s)
Tour status
25 Jan 2027
5–6
12 days:
£4,495 (inc. flights)
£850
On request
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Anurag Yadav, Snehaa Sundaram or Kopal Thakur
†
†: This tour is led by one of our expert naturalist leaders, each with a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the region’s wildlife. On occasion it may be necessary to appoint an alternative leader and we will notify you at the earliest opportunity.
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Anurag Yadav, Snehaa Sundaram or Kopal Thakur
†
†: This tour is led by one of our expert naturalist leaders, each with a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the region’s wildlife. On occasion it may be necessary to appoint an alternative leader and we will notify you at the earliest opportunity.
Anurag's love of wildlife began in his childhood, sparked by observing animal behaviour. This passion led him to pursue a degree in zoology and steered him into a life in the field.
Anurag qualified as a field guide in South Africa before returning to India, where he has guided at safari lodges across the country. With extensive experience and a broad, in-depth understanding of India's wildlife, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the safaris he guides.
His wildlife experiences across India and beyond have inspired a lifelong commitment to conservation, and he's passionate about leading tours that are not only memorable, but also educational, sustainable and responsible.
As a passionate photographer and artist, Snehaa enjoys telling stories through her imagery to connect those under her guidance with nature.
Snehaa’s journey into guiding began with a fascination for animal behaviour. With a background in Zoology and Ecology, she started her career in Kanha as a naturalist and proceeded to work on research projects across India—from Nicobar’s macaques to Sanjay-Dubri’s langurs. She spent over six years with the Wildlife Trust of India, leading outreach programmes nationwide. Today, Snehaa leads wildlife expeditions across Ladakh, the Himalayas, and Central and Southern India, and believes ecotourism is a vital tool for conservation and coexistence.
Kopal is a safari specialist with over a decade of guiding experience navigating the forests of Central India and the high-altitude landscapes of the Himalayas.
Kopal has extensive experience guiding guests through some of India’s most challenging and rewarding wilderness regions, providing her with a wide knowledge and expertise in the country’s wildlife. Away from the field, she works closely with indigenous and forest-edge communities, training local youth as wildlife guides and naturalists — ensuring that conservation and authentic knowledge remain deeply connected to peoples' livelihoods. She's a grounded presence in the wild and believes that the finest expeditions are built not just on sightings, but on respect for wildlife, landscapes, and the people who call them home.
Nagarhole is a mixture of forests and rolling hills, criss-crossed by streams, waterfalls and swamps. Formerly a Maharaja’s hunting reserve, it is now dedicated to saving wildlife, and is considered one of the best places in India to see elephant. In the summer months they congregate in large herds along the river.
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Where: Karnataka State
Ideal for viewing: Asian elephant, tiger, leopard, wild dog, gaur
Sharing a boundary with Bandipur National Park, with which it forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Wayanad is a rare protected patch of Malabar rainforest in the extreme north of Kerala. It is home to Nilgiri langur, Malabar grey hornbill and many others of the region’s endemics.
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Where: Kerala State
Ideal for viewing: Malabar trogon, Malabar parakeet, Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri langur, brown palm-civet
The forested Anamalai Hills contain one of Tamil Nadu’s most beautiful reserves. Its steep slopes are covered with deciduous jungle and bamboo thicket, where sightings of gaur, elephant and leopard are common. The birdlife is also prolific, with over 300 species. You can join a game drive or walk with a guide.
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Where: Tamil Nadu State
Ideal for viewing: African elephant, sloth bear, tiger, wild boar, wild dog
Surrounded by 2,000 hectares of tea plantation and close to the key wildlife sites of the Valparai Range and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, the Briar Tea Bungalows offer colonial-style comfort and elegance in a stunning natural setting of valleys, mountains, waterfalls and thick forest with unique flora and fauna.
Find Out More about Briar Tea Bungalows
Fringe Ford is a unique lodge on a 400-hectare private reserve at the edge of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The historic bungalow, built for a colonial cardamom plantation, has comfortable rooms and a 360 degree view over forest-clad hills. Dinner here is served under the stars by a murmuring stream.
Find Out More about Fringe Ford
This is a typical Indian safari lodge, formerly the hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore. It accommodates up to 50 guests in spacious rooms or cottages, and a wealth of wildlife can be found in nearby Nagarhole National Park, such as elephant, sambar, gaur and even sloth bear.
Find Out More about Kabini River Lodge
