FSD 2020: EXTENDED TRIPS ENIGMATIC ENDEMICS Delhi, Thattekad & Valparai

Expected Weather: Delhi- Min.13°C-Max.30°C 8 nights & 7 days Thattekad-Min.24°C-Max.34°C An exploration into the in search of species Valparai- Min.18°C-Max.28°C UNIQUE to the region with plenty of opportunity for Physical Level: BIRDING and FOREST WALKS. Easy to moderate, with walking in forests. Highlights:

Good for: ✴ A lot of forest walks and hikes to view wildlife on Birding, hiking, wildlife, foot. photography ✴ See flora and fauna that exist no where else. ✴ Small interest group in lesser explored areas. Departure 1: Pre-Conference 23 Feb 20 Arrive at Delhi. Check-in and overnight at the hotel in Delhi Aerocity. 24 Feb 20 A site-seeing tour of Delhi’s history and contemporary culture.

25 Feb 20 Fly from Delhi to Cochin and then drive to Thattekad, followed by an evening birding walk. Overnight at The Hornbill Camp. 26 Feb 20 Full day birding at Thattekad. 27 Feb 20 Morning drive to Valaparai, evening walk exploration and overnight stay at Sinna Dorai. 28 Feb 20 Full day excursion in Valaparai. Drive to Cochin from Valaparai, sight-seeing at Cochin and overnight at The Waterfront 29 Feb 20 Granary. 01 Mar 20 Fly from Cochin to Delhi and overnight at hotel in Aerocity. 02 Mar 20 Transfer from Delhi to conference venue at Corbett

Departure 2: Post-Conference 06 Mar 20 Arrive at Delhi. Check in and overnight at hotel in Aerocity. 07 Mar 20 A visit to old & new Delhi, visiting famous monuments and bazaars. Fly from Delhi to Cochin and then drive to Thattekad, followed by an evening birding walk. 08 Mar 20 Overnight at The Hornbill Camp. 09 Mar 20 Full day birding at Thattekad. 10 Mar 20 Morning drive to Valaparai, evening walk exploration and overnight stay at Sinna Dorai. 11 Mar 20 Full day excursion in Valaparai. Drive to Cochin from Valaparai, sight-seeing at Cochin and overnight at The Waterfront 12 Mar 20 Granaray. 13 Mar 20 Fly from Cochin to Delhi and overnight at hotel in Aerocity. 14 Mar 20 Departure to your onward location. FOOD & ACCOMMODATION

Delhi Accommodation is in a smart and contemporary airport hotel in the Aerocity area of Delhi. Your accommodation will have modern amenities and food here caters to international travellers.

The Hornbill Camp This tented camp on the banks if the , is built with the intent of blending into the landscape of the ghats. They have tented living spaces with attached bathroom and a private balcony, considered a birder’s paradise. The food is ethnic cuisine and prepared with home-grown spices.

Sinna Dorai Bungalow A 6 bed-room bungalow amidst a sprawling tea-estate, over-looking tea estates and valleys, the stay offers one the opportunity to experience a by-gone era of a slowly paced life with walks accompanied by forest sounds. Food is a plantation home fare and can be savoured in the large sunny verandas of the bungalow.

The Waterfront Granary The first museum hotel in , this used to be a granary in the 1870s and was later used to store Ayurvedic herbs. It is now a luxury accommodation with a museum housing sculptures, manuscripts and furniture dating back to centuries. The hotel is now run by the descendants of Kutchi Memon, of Singeri family. Traditional Kutchi recipes also feature in the food menu.

GEOGRAPHY & NATURAL HISTORY

Delhi Delhi is India’s capital city and is a metropolitan urban space while retaining old world charm with buildings dating back to the 1600s. It is bordered by Haryana on three sides and by Uttar Pradesh on the east. The Yamuna is the only major river flowing through the city of Delhi. It is one of the most densely populated cities and is home to many cultures. It houses exemplary contemporary artistic influences while also having sprawling Mughal & Turkish architectural marvels including the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s tomb & Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. Delhi is also known for its bazaars where shopping can be a never ending activity! Thattekad The Thattekad Bird Sanctuary covers an area of 25 sq. Kms and is located in the state of Kerala. It is known to be one of the richest bird habitats in peninsular India, as observed by , a famous ornithologist. It is an evergreen low-land forest located between the branches of Periyar River. It is home to a variety of bird species such as- Indian Pitta, Orange- headed Thrush, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Jerdon’s Nightjar, Indian Cuckoo, Oriental Darter, Cormorants, Whiskered Terns, Collared Scops Owl, Ceylon frogmouth, Yellow-browed Bulbuls, Indian Hawk Cuckoo, Drongo Cuckoo, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Malabar Trogon, Hill Mynas and Malabar Grey Hornbill to name a few.

Valparai Sitting between three wildlife sanctuaries and kilometres of tea, lies the region of Valparai. Located right on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Valparai in the Annamalai hills forms the southern most extent of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. With an average elevation of over 1100 mts., a salubrious climate and tracts of forest and plantation, Valparai is a an endemic hotspot. The region is also a rich elephant tract and is known to have many leopards. Bordering the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is noted for elephants, two endemic primates i.e. Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii) and Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), Gaur, Spotted deer, sambar and giant squirrels. The area is also rich in birds, including the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis).

The Valparai range is also habitat to the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), an endemic wild goat. Their territory extended far and wide all along these hills in the past, but, because of hunting and large-scale habitat destruction, they now exist only in a few isolated sites like the Annamalai Hills.

Cochin Kochi or Cochin is port city in Kerala. It is a growing cultural hub and hosts the famous Kochi Biennale, an international art festival. A lot of the area by the coast has Jewish and Portuguese influences in architecture and culture. An entire street called the Jewish street is a shopping galore and is also where one of the oldest active synagogue exists. Kochi was the

Tour price: Rs.87,660/- (incl of 5% GST)

NOTES: Trip price is per person based on double/twin occupancy This is a fixed departure trip and requires a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 travellers.

Tour Price Includes: • All accommodation on twin/double sharing basis. • All meals starting with breakfast on day 1 to breakfast on day 8. Tea/coffee included. • All entry fees and permit cost as per the itinerary. • Guided excursions as mentioned in the plan including Jeep safaris. • A naturalist guide for the entire duration of the tour. • Road transfers by air-conditioned vehicle and rail journeys by air-conditioned coaches between locations as specified in the itinerary. • Internal airfare - Delhi to Cochin (return)

Tour Price Excludes Any expenses of a personal nature like beverages, laundry, telephone, souvenirs, gratuities and food/snacks beyond what is mentioned in the itinerary.

Ritish Suri Phone: +91 – 8650350756 Email: [email protected]

Conan Dumenil Phone: +91 – 9972068300 Email: [email protected]

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