Suggested programme for Study Tour for College Students

Mudumalai and Annamalai

This camp is a fabulous jungle experience. Annamalai is a beautiful evergreen forest with towering trees. Here the walking trails are a rewarding experience. They open up an entirely new world for the keen observers. One is amazed at the variety of beautiful moths and butterflies, geckos, lizards and spiders. Nilgiri Langurs and the rare Frogmouth are added attractions. Mudumalai is a deciduous forest dotted with scrubland, a terrain suitable for large mammals. Elephants are a star species here. Gaurs are a plenty, so also the spotted deer. Probability of coming across a pack of wild dogs is good. If you are lucky, you might even chance to see the Great Pied Hornbill on one of your walking trails. The flight of this bird is a sight to behold, you can distinctly hear the swoosh of the enormous wings

Camp Programme (Winter'10)

Day 1 Depart from Pune by train : Coimbtore Exp. 1013 at 0150 hrs. Full day on train.

Day 2 Arrive at Coimbatore 0630 hrs and transfer to Annamalai. Go on a discovery trail in the Kurrian Shola. A shoala is a high altitude evergreen forest and occurs in patches among the grasslands. Because of the diversity, shoala appeals to the wildlifer. At night a search of small nocturnal creatures could be highly rewarding.

Day 3 Explore Annamalai. Take a safari ride to the elephant camp. Later in the evening, take a walking trail. Sightings will include elephant herds, gaurs, Niligiri angoors, pied hornbills, spotted deers and plenty of lower fauna.

Day 4 Drive early morning to Valparai to see lion tailed macaques and then proceed to Mudumalai via Ooty.

Day 5 Mudumalai is an elephant country. On the jungle trail you will come across single tuskers or family herds. Gaurs also are plentiful and often seen in large groups. With luck, you may come across a hunting party of wild dogs.
Night jeep rides in the area can be very rewarding in terms of wildlife sightings.

Day 6 Take a birding trail in the morning, go looking for the awesome pied hornbill. Visit the elephant camp, talk to mahouts, watch elephant training. Today evening you will have games and fun activities. Go for an exciting night trail after dinner.

Day 7 Proceed early morning to Ranganthittu bird sanctuary to watch painted storks, migratory ducks and crocodiles. Board the evening train at Mysore. Ajmer Exp. 6210 at 1815 hrs.

Day 8 Arrive Pune at 1840 hrs.

The Programme includes

• Transfers by bus.
• Jungle Safaries by Forest bus and Jeeps
• Stay in dorms/ rooms.
• All veg meals.
• Services of instructors / resource persons.
• Train travel by sleeper class.

Alternative destinations:

Kumarakom

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary for Migratory birds. Kumarakam is situated on Lake Vembanad, the hub of backwater tourism in Kerala. Mangrove Forests, Paddy Fields, and Coconut Groves networked by a maze of waterways and canals adorned with water lillies, make Kumarakam an unbelievably beautiful natural paradise. However, in this tourist heaven, unseen is the pollution caused by the House Boats.

Periyar

The Periyar Forest is one of the finest wildlife reserves in India. Lying at an altitude of 900 – 1800m above sea level and spread across 777sq.Km, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. It's the only sanctuary in India where you can view wildlife at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake. Periyar's biggest attractions are the Herds of Elephants that come down to water and play, lakeside.

Munnar

Rajamalai & Eravikulam National Park, 15Kms from Munnar, this is the natural habitat of the Nilgiri Thar, a rare mountain goat (Hermitragas Hylocres). Marayoor, 40Kms from Munnar, is the only place in Kerala that lays claim to the natural growth of Sandalwood. The Muniyaracaves with murals and relics from the New Stone Age Civilization. Periyar River pollution study - Pesticide and fertilizers overuse in Spice plantations.