Wildlife spotting in Kerala

tripsammy

Hi, We visited Kerala for a week last November and spent 2 days in Periyar. We did the bamboo rafting trip which we loved, unfortunately we did not see elephants or tigers (not expected). We are returning for a week in late January and really want to concentrate on wildlife reserves as I am keen to photograph elephants and other large mammals in the wild.

Please can anyone give us any suggestions, we prefer to be active and would rather go on trecks or camp to see the real area with a guide rather than sit on noisy boats / trucks. Planning to fly into Cochin and then take train to Goa after a week.
Hope you can advise. Thanks


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vandy

Consider Nth Kerala around Wayand Area and maybe also Madakeri
to see Elephants.

Not that I've been, but read some interesting threads about those
2 areas, you will be about 25% of the way to Goa and should be able to board train for Goa from the North Keralan coast.

Maybe on my next visit to Kerala I'd seriously consider heading up that way, as I 've allways wanted to see Coorg for some time now.


vandy

danield

I just got back two weeks ago from a trip. Did not go to Periyar and hence no comment about that.

But went to Wayanad Wildlife Park in Kerala and Nagerhole (Rajiv Ghandhi)Wild Life Park in Karnataka. They are the same forest just across two state lines.

Frankly I was disappointed with the roads in Kerala (southern Coorg area) though beauty was fabulous. Coffee plantations. The wildlife viewing the 10 days I spent there was better in Nagerhole. Saw many elephants, Indian bison, birds, deer of course, langur monkeys, giant squirrels etc etc. Did not spot either tiger or leopard.

We did not see any elephants or really anything worthwhile in Wayanad, Kerala. Nagerhole turned out for us a much better experience. We stayed at Jungle Inn Resort and were treated well. I think their website is www.jungleinn.in They might be able to give you latest status when you make your trip.

Let us know about your upcoming experience. Fellow wildlife enthusiast

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camelgirl

Thanks for that link. I will save it hoping to need it!

I noticed on the prices they have Indian Prices and Foreign National prices which have a significant difference, like the Taj Mahal and other big monuments. I've never thought this was right & it's extremely anti-tourist to have to different rate, but there's nothing to be done about it if you want to go to certain places.

Can anyone imagine a foreign tourist price & a local price at any monument, museum or park in any Western country? I imagine tourists would boycott Europe, Australia, or the U.S., etc. if they tried to do that! There are concessions for seniors & people who happen to live near a local activity--for example, people who live in Florida can get a discounted pass for Disneyworld. That's the exception to the rule though.


Pardon my rant. It seems very foolish to try to make extra dollars that way. Tourists are already dropping huge sums, even budget tourists are using hotels & restaurants & transportation. Maybe the concept of "fairness" is just a western cultural construct and another thing I have to let go when in India!

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danield

Hey camel girl:

I share your frustration, even though I was born and raised in India but immigrated many moons ago. Frankly when I was growing up and pre-emergence of India I could understand. The argument was based on a more socialist view. ie Prices are based on one's ability to pay and hence the difference in price structure between foreigners and Indians. The assumption is that every foreigner has the ability to pay and every Indian does not, at least when compared to a foreigner. Same prices based on product or service provided is more a free-market capitalist idea

I am not sure that distinction holds true and perhaps insults Indians of today. In fact growth in India is over double of what it is in the states today.

India is moving more in the direction of free-market and I envision a day when some of these dated policies will be thrown by the way side.

camelgirl

Interesting, I never considered that.

I suppose because on my first trip to India in 1975 during Mrs. Gandhi's Emergency & her alliance was with the soviet union. Everything had to be purely Indian made, almost nothing was imported, which made for some very interesting & entertaining products, like Campa Cola. Anyway, prices were the same for foreigners and Indians, at least wherever I went. The really huge increase for foreigners came less than 10 years ago. The week we went to the Taj Mahal the prices suddenly skyrocketed for foreigners (I had been there twice before when there was only one price), even for Indians who had emigrated to the U.S. & now had U.S. passports. There was a lot of anger & arguing at the entrance and one european couple refused to go in. I thought that was pretty stupid, coming all that way. But the difference is huge & it got everyone angry.

Now we all expect it, though we still don't like it!

danield

Yea we all have stories. I was with my then Caucasian wife and I can still see my cousin arguing with the attendant. Saying something like even though she is white she is Indian. He was skillful and was able to get my family in with Indian prices.

They know that internationals will not for the most part turn away and hence they seem to get away. They really don't care how people feel on this matter and what the longer term effects might be. One of the sad aspects of our Indian mind set on such matters is a rather narrow and immediate focus; how to make it in the immediate. I did hear last month when I was in India that there is a movement towards looking at changing this policy. Let's see.

tripsammy

Thanks Vandy and Danield, I think we will try to include Nagerhole, the Jungle inn resort looks good. Do you know if you can go on trecks with a guide from there?