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| Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Please Note: As this is my first travelogue on Team-BHP, happy to receive comments and feedback. Also, many photos have been clicked with a mobile, please excuse the quality of the pics. Note to Mods: I have broken the entire TL into multiple posts due to the limit of 30 pics per post. The breakup is by day and not when I reached 30 pics. Background At the start of the year, we as a family sat together to plan our holidays for the year. Similar to that tradition, we had year-marked last two weeks of December for a road trip to south India. As the year progressed, we read about a few options that could be considered. Out of the various options, we zeroed-in on the following route for the trip. The idea was to see the wildlife in Karnataka western ghats - birds and mammals (this got Bhadra, Bandipur, Ranganathitu, Mysuru Zoo included) and also end trip with a stay at a hill-station (hence Coorg). Day 1: Pune to Dandeli Day 2: Dandeli to Jog Falls Day 3: Jog Falls to Bhadra Tiger Reserve Day 4: Bhadra Tiger Reserve Day 5: Bhadra Tiger Reserve to Chikkamaglur Day 6: Chikkamaglur Day 7: Chikkamaglur to Bandipur Tiger Reserve Day 8: Bandipur Tiger Reserve to Mysuru Day 9: Mysuru Day 10: Mysuru to Coorg Day 11: Coorg Day 12: Coorg Day 13: Coorg to Pune The travellers were My wife, my 7 year old son and me. The ride originally chosen for the travel was a Tata Hexa (that I had booked supposed to be delivered by Diwali and but later cancelled due to multiple delays) . The alternate ride I have is an i10, which was later overriden by wife and friends with a borrowed TUV300 T8 AMT. My friend insisted that an i10 will be a small car for such a long trip, and offered his 5000 km run almost new TUV300 AMT for the trip. I tried to talk him out of it, but he did not budge and finally we took the TUV300 on this trip. A big thanks to him to lend me his new ride ! I know I would not have been able to do the same ![]() Preparations and bookings Luggage: We carried a lot of luggage for the trip. Three bags full of clothes, one bag for electronics (camera, lens, binoculars, torch, laptop, camera chargers, mobiles, mobile chargers, power bank, USB stick for songs, aux cable), one bag for eatables and common medicines, one bag for shoes, slippers and related. Three bottles of water for the journey, a couple of blankets, shawls, etc. for my son to sleep on the middle row, neck pillow for naps. Of course, we had carried a lot of cash and print outs of all the hotel bookings for the trip. Car: As the plan earlier was to go in a hexa, I was not too worried. However, later when we cancelled hexa, the plan hinged on i10, which even though has never failed us, was a small car to take for such a long drive. We spent around 10K buying a set of clothes from decathlon, which could fit in the minimum possible space (similar to carrying luggage for treks). We contemplated renting a car, but the prohibitively expensive rental of about 40-50K kept us away. We were supposed to depart on 15-Dec, 0500. My friend stops by the earlier evening to wish us a safe travel. After an exchange of few pleasantries, he starts to insist that we should take his almost new TUV300 for the drive instead of our i10. After a few minutes, my wife decides to switch sides and I am the only one left resisting. It was then just a matter of time and I too agreed. Hotels: The hotels were all finalized using various reviews on Team-BHP and other review sites like tripadvisor. The final bookings looked as follows: ![]() The lens: I was thinking of renting a high-end lens for this trip knowing it will be a wildlife observation trip. I had chosen the Canon 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS for the same. This lens performed flawlessly even on a crop sensor camera, and has provided shots which I had never dreamt of clicking. Day 1 (15-Dec-17): We started our day at 4.00 am. The TUV had already been loaded the previous night. We started from Pune at 4:30am. Took the route via Kapurhole to catch NH48 up to Belgaum. Stopped for breakfast at our regular pit stop - Sai International. We exited the NH48 at Belgaum, and proceeded towards Dandeli. We reached Dandeli Old Magazine House (OMH) by 1.00 pm. We took a total of 3 stops on the way and total kms covered today were approx 450. Started from home: ![]() Sunrise on NH48: ![]() Breakfast break at Sai International: ![]() TUV on the way to Dandeli: ![]() Old magazine house in Dandeli is run by Jungle Lodge and Resorts (JLR). JLR properties are expensive as compared to the Maharashtra side Jungle resorts but offer unmatched access to explore nature's wild side. OMH was the first among the three JLR properties we had booked for this trip. The scene at Old magazine house: ![]() This JLR property is a paradise for bird lovers. We managed to capture a lot of birds here. The entire day up to the last ray of sun was spent in watching and clicking birds. The rest of the evening was spent in discussing birds, today's captures, emptying the camera card in the laptop, dinner, chitchat, bonfire and some star gazing. Some pics of day 1: Oriental White Eye: ![]() Small Sunbird: ![]() White Bellied Blue flycatcher: ![]() White Rumped Shama: ![]() White Throated thrush: ![]() Yellow Tit: ![]() Emerald Dove: ![]() Little Spiderhunter: ![]() Malabar Giant Squirrel: ![]() Asian Paradise Flycatcher: ![]() Black Naped Monarch Flycatcher: ![]() Black Throated Munia: ![]() Day 2 (16-Dec-2017): Day 2 started early with a 5:30am wake up call. It was time to wake up and go for a nature walk. This was a guided nature walk and the guide was well versed with the birds of Dandeli. He could spot a bird without even looking just by listening to calls. We saw many birds during the walk. Some were captured in pics but the pics do not do justice to the peace and tranquility of the early morning walk. Birds captured during the morning walk: Scarlet Minivet Female: ![]() Scarlet Minivet Male: ![]() Yellow Throated Bulbul: ![]() Pair of Malabar Parakeet (the one with red beak is the male): ![]() Ruby Throated Black Crested Bulbul: ![]() The walk lasted for about 2 hrs, followed by breakfast. Post breakfast, we were taken for a boat ride. We saw many fish eating birds, but managed to click only a few. Oriental Honey Buzzard: ![]() It was time for checkout after the boat ride. We bid good bye to all staff, with a promise to come back next year. Our next scheduled stop was Jog falls. The route from Dandeli to Jog goes via the Kali forest reserve, and it was pure bliss. Dandeli to Jog drive: ![]() The KSTDC rooms at Jog were equally awesome with a view of the world famous Jog falls from the window. ![]() Jog falls: ![]() We concluded our Day 2 with a light and sound show at the falls, followed by a simple dinner. We were excited for the next day as the entire trip was planned around the Bhadra Tiger Reserve where we would be spending the next two days, again a JLR property. Last edited by Maddy3008 : 13th January 2018 at 08:54. |
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| re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Day 3 (17-Dec-2017): Day 3 started with a breakfast at the KSTDC hotel at Jog falls. We refreshed ourselves and started to proceed towards our next stop - Bhadra Tiger Reserve. We had booked our stay at The River Tern Lodge. We left Jog at around 9am and reached River Tern at around 12pm. On way we saw the Bhadra dam and its gates. Bhadra Dam: ![]() Bhadra Dam Gates: ![]() The river tern lodge rooms were simply awesome. The cottages had a view of the Bhadra dam backwaters with the fish eating birds flying around all day. ![]() Post the buffet lunch, we got ourselves set in our room, and got ready for our first safari in the Bhadra Tiger Reserve. River Tern Lodge by JLR offers two safaris as part of the package - one jungle safari and one boat safari per day. Since we were staying for two nights, we were entitled to four safari tours. The executive at the reception had told us to go for Jungle safari in the evening and boat safari in the morning. At the appointed time, we reached the resort reception, from where the safari starts. My first surprise was the camera charge of Rs.500 for carrying a lens of more than 200mm. The safari was in a diesel Mahindra, and I was taken aback with the choice of the vehicle. We had always done safari in a Petrol Gypsy in Maharashtra. I was sure that the loud diesel clatter of the vehicle will drive the animals away before we can spot them which turned out to be true. We spotted very few birds and animals during the evening jungle safari. Crested Serpent Eagle: ![]() Malabar Pied Hornbill: ![]() Spotted Deer (Male): ![]() We returned to our rooms disappointed and decided we should take the next day morning jungle safari instead of the planned boat safari, hoping that we would have a better luck early morning. We requested the executive for an exchange and she agreed after about 10 mins of my persuasion ![]() We retired to our rooms after a review of the clicks of the day and a tummy full of the buffet dinner. Day 4 (18-Dec-2017): We woke up with great anticipation of seeing a tiger in the wild in the morning safari today. The bolero campers started at 6.15 am sharp, and we were greeted with a jackal. Spotting a jackal in wild is quite rare. My hopes were already higher. Jackal: ![]() After some time, we spotted a group of wild boar running: ![]() We also managed to spot a male Sambhar: ![]() However, after multiple rounds in the jungle, we could not spot the elusive tiger and we returned a little disappointed. After breakfast, we went to Kayak in the Bhadra backwaters to lift the spirits of my son. ![]() The kayak experience was good, but the round was small. We subsequently went to our rooms and decided we should go for boat safari now in the evening. At least, that way, we will spot a few fish eating birds. The evening safari was a rewarding experience, not just for birds but also for mammals. White Bellied Sea Eagle (Immature): ![]() Wifey and I just fell in love with this Osprey, who posed for us for a long long time: ![]() Osprey with a catch: ![]() Grey Heron: ![]() Ashy Woodswallow: ![]() Black Crowned Night Heron (immature): ![]() After some time, we thought it was over and I started clicking the landscapes with the setting sun: ![]() Very soon, we got to see the queen of the Bhadra jungle. She was walking towards the water. We quickly turned around and were looking at her in awe and amazement. She gave us about 45 minutes of her time, during which we managed to click a few good photographs. The queen of Bhadra: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Son was elated after spotting the tiger: ![]() We came back to the resort overjoyed and excited at our spotting. We watched the documentary film post the snacks and tea and went to bed after a quick dinner. Day 4 was a resounding success. Last edited by Maddy3008 : 13th January 2018 at 09:13. |
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| re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Day 5 (19-Dec-2017): After seeing the tiger previous day, we were looking forward to another boat safari today morning. I suppose we had got greedy to see more ![]() We left for the boat safari while the first rays of the sun had reached earth. The cottages we stayed in: ![]() ![]() We watched the sun rise over the lake: ![]() Red Shank: ![]() Large Pied Wagtail: ![]() White Necked Stork: ![]() The JLR property at Bhadra is known as River Tern Lodge. Apparantly, a bird called River Tern migrates to the nearby forest areas for breeding during winters. River Tern: ![]() White Throated Kingfisher: ![]() Great Cormorant: ![]() Tusker: ![]() After the boat safari, it was time for breakfast and good bye to Bhadra Tiger Reserve. Our next stop was in Chikmagalur, about 2 hours away from Lakkavalli. The plan was to cover Hebbe falls, Shanti Falls, Z point, Jaguar Point on the way to our hotel in Chikmagalur. We took a diversion from Kemmangundi towards Hebbe falls. The drive we took from that diversion towards Hebbe falls has been the best I have done so far. ![]() ![]() The only traffic we saw on that road: ![]() On reaching the forest entry gate, we got to know that a minimum of 8 people are required for the Gypsy to go inside the forest to reach Hebbe falls. The other option was to take the full Gypsy rental at 3200/-. We thought it was better to cover the other points in the vicinity and come back to Hebbe later in the day. Thereafter, we had lunch at a restaurant nearby and later covered Rock Garden, Z point and Shanti falls. Shanti Falls: ![]() For reaching Z point, there is a small trek that needs to be done. We completed that pretty soon, came back and visited the rock garden. After that we went back to the forest entry check-post. However, by the time we reached there, it was already 3.30pm and both wife and I decided to skip Hebbe falls for the next time. We proceeded to our hotel, which was booked in the heart of Chikmagalur. We checked-in, ordered room service and went to bed. Somewhere on the way to Chikmagalur: ![]() Day 6 (20-Dec-2017): The next day, we had planned to visit the Mullayanagiri peak, which is the highest peak of Karnataka. For this, we had read in multiple reviews that the roads are in pathetic state and only experienced hill drivers should attempt the climb. Since I was driving a borrowed car, I decided to skip driving and instead took a cab for the day. On the way to Mullayanagiri: ![]() On the top of Karnataka: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Our next stop after the Mullayanagiri was Jhari falls. More than the falls, we loved the walk through the coffee plantation and the jungle to reach the falls. It was a good 1.5 hrs walk (about 45 mins each side). Walking path to Jhari falls: ![]() Jhari falls: ![]() Day 7 (21-Dec-2017): The next day, we were supposed to drive from Chikmagalur to Bandipur Tiger Reserve (our third JLR property on this trip). This was a 5 hour drive and we did not want to be late for the buffet lunch at the reserve lodge. However, we still did an impropmtu stopover at the Belur temple, as wife wanted to see this temple. The architecture of the temple is a sight to behold. I was not sure the temple will allow me to carry a camera, so the camera was left in the car. We could click the photos on a mobile camera only. ![]() ![]() ![]() Finally, we could make it to the Bandipur tiger reserve in time for lunch. After lunch, we checked-in our room which was named 'Leopard', with matching interiors: ![]() Our safari at Bandipur started at 3.15pm, again in diesel Mahindras ![]() Langur Monkey at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve: ![]() We would try our luck next day and called it a day after the buffet dinner at the lodge. Last edited by Maddy3008 : 13th January 2018 at 09:21. |
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| re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Day 8 (22-Dec-2017): During the morning safari next day, we saw a barking deer at the entry itself. It is a very shy animal and a sighting is very rare. Barking deer: ![]() Apart from the barking deer, we also saw Spotted Deer, Sambhar and Monkeys. We also saw a tigress with three cubs. However, since the predators were behind a bush, we could only see her with the cubs whenever she crossed from behind one bush to the other. Of course, clicking her was almost impossible. Either there was camera shake or the animal was moving, and combine that with a low light environment, the photos are not at all usable. After the morning safari, we had breakfast at the forest reserve lodge and left for Mysuru. It was just over an hour's drive from Bandipur to Mysuru. After reaching Mysuru, we had a quick lunch. The afternoon was spent in visiting Jayachamarajendra art gallery and the Mysore Palace. Since the hotel was close to the palace, we took an autorickshaw to the art gallery and walked to the palace. Jayachamarajendra art gallery: ![]() Mysuru palace: ![]() ![]() ![]() The visit was complete by about 5pm. We strolled around the streets of Mysuru, had dinner and went to bed. Day 9 (23-Dec-2017): The day today was planned for visit to the famed Mysuru Zoo and thereafter to the adjoining Karanji Lake. Attaching few interesting clicks from the zoo and short boating within the lake. Greater Pied Hornbill: ![]() Lion Tailed Macaque: ![]() Indian Peafowl Male (Peacock): ![]() Black Kite: ![]() Rock Python ![]() Leopard: ![]() Baboon: ![]() Karanji lake Brahmini Kite: ![]() Purple Heron: ![]() Purple Moorhen: ![]() Today's day was a day well spent, and saw a lot of animals in the zoo. We strolled in the Karanji lake till the watchman kicked us out and thereafter went back to our hotel. Day 10 (24-Dec-2017): We were supposed to proceed to our last stop on this trip - Coorg. On the way to Coorg, we had planned a stop at the Ranganathitu Bird Sanctuary, just outside of Mysuru. We managed to spot a variety of fish eating birds. Entrance to Ranganathitu bird sanctuary: ![]() Once inside, we first took the boat ride with lots of fellow passengers. This ride was a very short one, lasting only about 15 mins. We were not satisfied. We roamed around for some time to see if we can walk the sides of the lake to take better closeups of the birds. After some time, we realized there is another longer ride, and the boat is smaller. This time we rented the smaller boat, and this trip lasted about an hour. Black Crowned Night Heron ![]() Lesser Pied Kingfisher ![]() Painted Stork: ![]() Red Wattled Lapwing ![]() Spoon Billed Stork ![]() Spot Billed Pelican ![]() Asian Open Billed Stork ![]() Black Kite: ![]() Cormorant with young ones: ![]() Crocodile: ![]() Darter or Snake Bird: ![]() Great Stone Plover ![]() After having lunch at Ranganathitu itself, it was time for us to head to Coorg. It took us about an hour to get from the Ranganathitu parking spot to the main road, due to the rush. Otherwise, Mysuru to Coorg drive was uneventful and we reached our resort at about 3.30pm. The room we got was surrounded by Coffee plantations towards the front, and dam backwaters towards the back side of the resort. Our dream of staying in a coffee plantation had come true. Coorg room & view: ![]() Coorg resort dining area: ![]() We did not do much for the rest of the day. Son was pleased to have a rented bicycle for the evening while wife and I walked on the lakeside path. The resort had provided for a nice evening with live music. We listened to great melodies of the past, had dinner and called it a day at Coorg. Last edited by Maddy3008 : 12th January 2018 at 05:15. |
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| re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Day 11 (25-Dec-2017): We had planned to visit four places today - Dubare Elephant Camp, Namdroling monastery, Chikhlihole reservoir and Talacauvery. Being on the road for so long, we had forgotten what day / date today was. It was a holiday, and every place we went to was packed to brim. We were late to wake up and get ready for going to Dubare elephant camp. The queue had gotten to about 200 meters from the boating point. Many people were wading across the river to reach the actual campsite. We did not want to get wet due to the long day ahead. So we stood in the queue for about 1.5 hours. Remaining Dubare Elephant Camp queue after standing in line for 1 hour: ![]() Finally !! Elephant feeding and handshakes ![]() ![]() ![]() We went to the Namdroling monastery after having lunch at Dubare elephant camp. From the monastery on the way back, there was a small deer park called Nisargdham. My son insisted we have to go and check it out. We went inside and it was a park like area with a few deers. Son found the zipline irresistible. It was already 4pm by the time we could come back to the parking lot. We decided to skip Talacauvery today, and instead visit it next day. Namdroling Monastery: ![]() Ziplining: ![]() Day 12 (26-Dec-2017): Today was originally planned to be a rest day. However, as Talacauvery was included the day before, we decided to keep first half for rest and will go into Coorg city for lunch and head towards Talacauvery thereafter. The morning was spent lazying around, cycling and watching birds in the plantation. We got ready and started for Coorg city at around 12 pm. We also wanted to buy a home filter coffee maker. I found a place to park the TUV in front of a steel shop. We bought the coffee maker. We saw a restaurant opposite to the steel shop named 'Coorg Cuisine Traditional Kodava Dishes'. It was just 12.15 pm and the place was looking deserted from outside. We thought lets check it out, have some quick meal and head towards Talacauvery. When we reached inside the restaurant, it was almost full. Wife and I looked at each other. When we sat down and looked at the menu of pork chops, fish curry, neer dosa, etc, it was a whole new world. We asked for the specials and ordered a lot. While we were waiting, decided to check what is the speciality of this restaurant on the net. It turned out, this restaurant was ranked #1 on tripadvisor for authentic Coorg dishes !!! We were waiting for the food to arrive even though we were not totally hungry. We ate like there's no tomorrow with a bill of just ~650. Definitely a must try. After lunch, we were sleepy once again, and decided to skip Talacauvery on this trip to Coorg. Started heading back to the hotel. After driving for about 30 mins or so, wife realizes that we have not bought any souvenirs or gifts. We decide to go the Cauvery emporium outside of Nisargdham. The entire afternoon was spent shopping. Once back to the room, we decided to rest for the long journey back home the next day. We had decided to do a break journey from Coorg to Pune, deliberately kept it open-ended. We had thought that we will break whenever we feel tired / sleepy from driving. Today, we diverted a little from that plan and decided to start from Coorg at 4am sharp. If we are able to reach Kolhapur by 4pm, we will not stop anywhere and head directly to Pune. With this plan in mind, we packed to go back. Day 13 (27-Dec-2018): Coorg to Pune: The drive from Coorg to Pune was an uneventful one. We originally planned to start by 4am but managed to start by 4.45 am only. Reached home at around 8.45pm. Had maggie and went to bed. We were happy to have reached Pune in a single day. This is the longest I have driven on a single stretch. Got the car washed thoroughly the next day before handing it back to its owner. Final trip meter reading (entire trip) - 2478 kms Wife's total driving out of above - 50 km ![]() Total expenses (approx): Hotels - 91000 (Few places had meals included) Diesel - 10000 Lens rental - 18000 Toll - 1000 Food - 20000 Safari / sight seeing / camera charges - 5000 Total - Rs. 145000 /- TUV300: My take Having spent around 15 days with this Tough UV, following are my observations. The variant is T8 AMT 100 BHP. Positives: 1. Great ride comfort on highways upto 100 kmph 2. Ladder on frame construction with rear wheel drive gives peace of mind on bad roads and ghats 3. Excellent road visibility due to tall seating position. Gets big SUV treatment from pedestrians and two-wheelers (they give side easily) 4. Refined engine, good NVH upto speed of about 100 5. Decent mileage (I got about 15 kmpl for entire trip) 6. Excellent space management - luggage space, bottle holders, phones, etc. Excellent leg space and head space 7. Useful features provided - Cornering headlamps, Lumbar support for driver and passenger 8. AMT provides a fatigue free driving experience if you are a sedate driver Negatives: 1. Side-to-side movement on bad roads at low speeds 2. Rear wheels tend to dance around (lateral movement) on roller like speed breakers 3. Engine noise after 110 kmph. I am generally a sedate driver, but wanted to test TUV's capability hence took it upto 120 on the open highway 4. AMT specific - No hill hold / creep function can be scary initially for starting on inclines 5. AMT specific - Gear shifts take around 5 seconds to execute, and at about 2200 RPM. Overtaking has to be planned well in advance. Smaller things: 1. Window buttons in the center console (reminded me of Indica cabs every time I rolled down my window to pay toll) 2. MID rather bland / featureless for a car of this segment. Only difference between this and my i10 was A/C ON odometer and distance to empty. DTE figures always looked erroneous to me. MID also shows driving mode in AMT variant, with the current gear (both D and M modes) *** END OF TRIP *** Last edited by Maddy3008 : 12th January 2018 at 06:28. |
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Team-BHP Support ![]() | re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Thread moved out from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing! |
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Senior - BHPian ![]() | Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Superb travelogue with some crisp and wall paper like pics. Frankly, I was not reading your text but engrossed in the pics. You did not stay much in Dandeli, I thought you would do the river rafting there. All in all a great trip I guess. You forgot to put the most important piece of information. The mileage stats. ![]() |
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BHPian ![]() Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Pune
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| Quote:
Overall I got about 15 kmpl of mileage on the TUV. | |
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| Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats
End of a trip but the beginning of a journey (on teambhp). Excellent travelogue with beautiful pictures and equally good narration. Enjoyed reading it. That I have been to all these places at different times, helped me connect with the writeup. A big thumbs up to the generosity of your friend for lending his TUV ![]() |
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| Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats For the next round of KA Western Ghats can do - Dandeli (JLR), Mundgod, Yana, Jog (JLR), Kodachadri, Agumbe, Sringeri, Kudremukh, Hornad, Sakleshpur, Kushalnagar, Talacauveri, Nagarahole (JLR). While returning you can do Halebidu, Belur ( once again ![]() You may need more days to cover this. Drive to Kodachadri peak and Madalpatti (Madikeri) will be as thrilling as Mullayanagiri drive. You could have done elephants at Sakrebyl (JLR) while driving from Jog to Bhadra to avoid Dubare crowd. Dubare is a great place but the crowd and dust drives me nuts, while Sakrebyl is a very peaceful and green place. |
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BHPian ![]() | Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats You do have an eye for birding. Some record shots. Beautiful narration. Keep traveling and sharing such blogs. |
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Senior - BHPian ![]() | Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Very nice travelogue. Thanks for sharing. Those Osprey shots are lovely. You are lucky to see one from so close, and also to see a tigress :-) |
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| Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats Quote:
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Thank you sir ! We mortals keep learning from the greats like you ! | |||
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| Re: Chasing wildlife in the Western Ghats |
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The following BHPian Thanks aithalsandy for this useful post: | Maddy3008 |
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| Quote:
I also meant a different trip with focus on coastal India - may be peninsular India drive. This sounds tempting already. | |
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