Where to find dense rain forests? (Silent Valley? Periyar?)

Kilowatt

Thanks a lot all contributors for the given information above, esp. to Snonymous and Mikewill! (I bought the birdwatcher's guide and found some really useful WLS maps in it.) Before this thread, I knew nearly nothing. Now I know somewhat more and are much more puzzled where to go best. ;-) Moreover, my trip is likely to be postponed to early June, so I'll probably get lots of monsoon showers (and leeches).

Until now, I understood (correctly?):

- what I'm searching for is called wet or moist evergreen forest.
- Only this one is dense, has several canopies at different levels and lots of exotic plants.
- It is found only on certain altitudes - but how to meet the right one?
- The lower the altitude, the higher the trees. But:
- Too low altitudes have no moist evergreen forest. (Because of a lack of orographic rainfall?)
- High altitudes have Shola forests, but these are less dense.
- Sanctuaries have very few maps and signs. But I'm used to that from Lapland, Sicily and Greece.
- Nevertheless, I won't go into the jungle (if I finally find one) without a local guide.
- Even if I'm really not interested in tigers, it's hard to avoid to see one.
- If I happen to step onto a snake, the only thing I can do is hope.

Places from North to South:

- (1) Wayanad: my favourite at the moment, quickly to reach, but is it really moist evergreen (see below)?
- Silent Valley: moist evergreen only at locations/altitudes which are very troublesome to reach. (4-day-treks or like that.)
- (2) Top Slip/Indira Gandhi: my 2nd favourite: well organised, wet evergreen, but less easily to reach by train&bus.
- Kodaikanal: The place itself is not interesting, but the road to Kodai Road train station provides wet evergreen.
- Munnar/Thattekad Bird: moist evergreen only in core zone, but to there, no entry is allowed.
- Idukki: very wet???
- (3) Periyar: easily to reach and well-organised, but is it really moist evergreen? (Annual rainfall 1700 mm.)
- Ponmudi/Thattekad Wildlife/Peppara: wet evergreen, well to reach, but few touristical "infrastructure" such as guided 1-day-treks or jeep rides? Since I have to go to India by the end of May, will the monsoon, which arises from South, cause heavy troubles?

Concerning Wayanad: Snonymous, you wrote: "As Nomad rightly points out, Wayanadu district also has a lot of wet evergreen forests." This place seems to be quite easy and quickly to reach (buses every 30 minutes from Kozhikode where a trunk railway stops), so I took it as my favourite - until I checked your link http://www.keralaforest.org/html/wildlife/sanct.htm.

This link seems very exhaustive, but about Wayanad it says: "Forest Types: The forest types include South Indian Moist Deciduous forests, West coast semi-evergreen forests and plantations of teak, eucalyptus and Grewelia" and later: "The main types of vegetation met with are: Tropical Moist Deciduous, Tropical Dry Deciduous, West Coast Semi Evergreen, Southern Tropical Thorn Forests. In addition, small patches of moist bamboo brakes and reparian forests are also seen." No moist evergreen ist mentioned. So who's right? Both, because Snonymous an Nomad know some small hidden patches of "real jungle" which the general description doesn't mention? Or haven't I completely understood how my favourite type of forest is called?

Thanks a lot again for all information from you people who have already seen what I've only got in mind!
Kilowatt

voyager61

Hi! I was once in Annamalai national park and the forest was really impressive,very very dense and huge trees. And our room was a nice double in wood with hot running water and fan for a whopping 24 Rs.

hash666

also try assam,meghalaya and arunachal pradesh.. very beautiful

Silent valley is also very nice ..

snonymous

Kilowatt

Ive just returned from the Idukki district of Kerala. Forget the descriptions of forests on the official websites.

If you want to experience real "RAIN FORESTS" as they are popularly described, do this route:

From Cochin airport at Nedumbassery, its a 45 min drive to Thattekadu [Salim Ali] Bird Sanctuary. Base yourself at Kothamangalam which is just a 30 min drive from the airport - I recommend the Maria International Hotel, see my review; get hold of Sudheesh who is an excellent local forest guide at Thattekadu [if you are interested, let me know and I'll fish out his details]. Tell him exactly what you are interested in and he'll take you through the internal core area all the way through the densely forest regions through Thattekadu, Neriamangalam and Adimaly or wherever else you want. If those are not wet evergreen forests, with more than their fair share of blood sucking leeches, then Im a monkeys uncle!

From a convenience point of view, this under rated area is closest to a well connected airport, easy to reach, not frequented by tourists, and chock full of rare and typical flora and fauna of the Western Ghats. Sudheesh as a guide was really good, enthusiastic, sincere and far better than what we sceptically expected. You cannot enter the forests without a guide.

gypsichief

Thick rain forests are there along the western ghats of Kerala and Karnataka but most are in the core forest (sanctuary) areas where general people are not allowed.

Rain forests are also there in the north east

Best option in south west india are
Kerala - Wayanad , Parambikulam, Sileny valley , Chimmony

Karnataka - Agumbe , parts or Kudremukh , Dandeli

you can check up with this group that dose rain forest treks in Kerala and Karnataka..

www.exoticexpeditions.googlepa ges.com

jackiegear

Gosh LEECHES. That brings back memories. I am a bit of an old you ng rich respectable ex hippy with the same old values. I hitched in round the world for two years in 1971. I remember sleeping on a board in the waiting room in Madras and woke up in the morning covered in tiny leeches. I pulled them all off in a hurry forgetting, or rather not knowing about heads etc. Days later I was covered in 1" depp abcesses under the scabs. Yuk. I was penniless in India, a foolish young girl of 21 who set off from uk with ONLY a small amount of money which lasted me until France but I wanted to escape dominating parents. I had no money for hospitals but they took a look anyway and gave me anti biotics which didnt help. In the end a wise old man in Adyar told me to sit in the salty sea all day. AND DO YOU KNOW they went within a day. They all dried up. I still have the scars but just incase anyone gets tropical bites which do not heal, salt water is the best ever. I thought you might like to know that bit of trivia. Its really me just reminiscing. How did I survive then without money you ask? I sold my negative blood which gave me 15 times as much as anyone elses and kept me in Mango milkshakes until the 6 weeks between blood selling came round again. Yes I live on Mango milk shakes off the street made with 1970 water and never had delhi belly once, AAH THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

snonymous

I forgot to mention earlier that anyone wanting to experience a pristine montane evergreen forest, can engage a local guide and explore the vast, very dense Pambadum Shola reserve forest. You can engage the guide at the District Tourism Centre at Munnar town, or at site at Top Station [well signposted]. No prior appointments are required for day treks, as not many people are interested. You can arrange for overnight camping trips, or day treks for as long as you like, but engaging a guide is compulsory [and wise]. This is organised as a joint venture between the local districts Eco Tourism programme and the Forest Department. The best time would be December to Feb when the lower temperatures will [hopefully] keep the leeches at bay. The forest guide at Thattekadu told me that Dettol is an effective repellant against leeches. I intend trying that on my next visit to a leech infested region, and will post whether it is true or not!

jackiegear

jUST INCASE I get leeches all oerme again, is there a better way of pulling them off? i., in 1970 I had so many and they ended up in abcesses under the scabs, yuk, sorry to be so graphic. I want to avoid this so will use the dettol along with Deet etc but it there a special way of removing them if they do get on you. Do they leave heads in? Jackie

snonymous

Hello Jackie
I think its best to avoid venturing into potential leech infested areas when the weather is extra humid and moist. Im no expert on leeches. The one's my husband and I pulled off recently did not leave any discernible heads, not that I could make out anyway. Maybe we wrenched them off before they could do so - yukkkkk... I wasnt even aware of this aspect. But they did cause a surprisingly large amount of bleeding. Im not sure I believe the local who advised using Dettol, will try it the next time. Odomos does not repel leeches, at any rate not the evil buchees that we encountered. It is not very practical to carry salt as a possible repellant. There was no itching, it is almost as though the leech emits an anaesthetic substance and then sucks the blood out. As I said, Im no expert, perhaps some of our more knowledgeable members can clarify.

In general, as a tried and tested home remedy, if you rub fresh raw garlic or onion on an insect wound, it prevents infection and if you also rub fresh [from the plant] aloe vera gel, it prevents scarring. If you have already scratched a lot and a mark or scar forms, then you will just have to wait for it to fade but repeated topical application of fresh aloe vera gel does expedite the process.

Nick-H

You can, apparently, buy leech-proof socks!

Sounds like a good idea, if spending time in Leech Country

__________________
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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

jackiegear

Thanks for that information. I got mine in the first class waiting room as I was dossing on a bench, back in 1970. Actually they can be used quite therapeutically. I am a nurse and we had a fridge full in our ward as well as maggots, clean maggots grown in special conditikons debride wounds from infection.

I think I will go along with our moderator 'the grumpy' ones advice and go for leech proof socks.

jackiegear

THANKS FOR PREIOUS EMAIL. YOU GET EVERYWHERE DONT YOU? MALARIA,ETC ETC AND NOW LEECHES.

I AM GOING FOR THE SOCKS. DO THEY DO LONG SOCKS OR EVEN BODY SOCKS AND DO THEY SELL THEM IN INDIA, OR EBAY? THANKS JACKIE

snonymous

Nick
Are the Leech proof socks the same as the cotton covers they give you at Periyar Sanctuary to wear over your socks, which go up to the knees? Or are they something quite different? Please elaborate. Thanks.

Jackiegear
Maggots??? Yuckkkkkk, they sound worse than leeches, if anything could be. Thanks but no thanks! I'll stay with the garlic. Seriously though, didn't doctors use leeches as therapy in the last century?

Nick-H

Ladies, I don't know, I never bought any. .

But then neither did I get up early enough for the forest treck .

But they were on sale at the hotel shop at Thekady, so Snonymous is probably talking about exactly the same thing.

but inspired by Jackie...
Hints for avoiding Nick-H

Mountains, northern Indian itineraries, anything to do with sport.

Things to avoid if trying to avoid Nick-H

Chennai, Kerala, Malaria, social and economic issues, Visas, settling in India, Women's issues, dress, Marriage in India, Marriage to Indians, Driving in India, Families, Marriage to Nick-H himself.

But of course any of that could change at any time!

jackiegear

It may have been quicker for you to tell us what we CAN talk about. JACKIE. PS DONT BE DAFT.- LOL