The Great Hornbill Congregation, Valparai – 2024

DAY 1:

Please Note: This tour does not include transportation to and from Valparai. However Phillip will assist with booking all travel logistics (car-pooling or a shared taxi) to Valparai and back for all participants. You may discuss this plan with Phillip once you confirm your spot for the tour.

Participants are requested to arrive at Valparai by 1:30PM. Following an invigorating ride, arrive and be greeted by tour leader Phillip Ross, at a quaint bungalow situated in the middle of a tea estate and close to a fantastic shola forest. We check-in and while enjoying a scrumptious lunch, Phillip will introduce everyone to the Anaimalais with a brief on the wildlife found in the area, the afternoon’s plan and also a presentation on the ideal settings for their cameras. Later that evening, we proceed to a private forest patch that is home to two troops of lion-tailed macaques. We keep our eyes peeled and hope that the macaques reveal themselves without much difficulty. This area is also known for its amazing birdlife too and gives us a good chance to spot some endemics to the area. After an exhilarating experience with the macaques, we return to the bungalow and set up and deploy a camera trap in order for us to capture some of the Anaimalais nocturnal wonders. Later that evening, we set out for the much awaited late evening walk in a private estate that is home to several amphibians and reptiles and walk along a brook to look out for various macro subjects. We have a great chance to come across various bush frogs, gliding frogs, lizards, spiders, caecilians, beetles, centipedes and an array of insect life.

We end the night with a delicious dinner.

DAY 2:

We wake early and return to the lion-tailed macaque forest patch for another rendezvous. We spend most of the morning observing and photographing these magnificent animals along with some fascinating birding.

After breakfast, we checkout and depart for hornbill land. As we descend into this amazing valley we will already begin to hear the congregation from afar, before we get to sight these amazing birds in all of their splendour. We spend the entire evening with these birds, capturing several different perspectives in order to capture a hard-to-beat portfolio. While sitting around the campfire, we spend the evening reviewing pictures and sharing some insights about the day.

DAY 3:

We awake to the calls of the hornbills, and at the crack of dawn, we go out once again for another amazing opportunity to photograph these extraordinary birds. We try to capture some amazing images of the hornbills flying through the morning mist and also some stunning portraits of these brilliant birds in the soft morning light. After breakfast, we proceed to a gorgeous waterfall on the property. Here each participant can get a panoramic view of the Anaimalais and take home some breathtaking landscape images. There is also a chance to see and photograph hornbills fly against the waterfall, which will surely be an amazing sight and the perfect photo opportunity. We return to the bungalow for lunch and after some much needed rest, we embark on an another rendezvous with the hornbills. By now, you should have a clear idea of how to get around getting some stunning images of these incredible birds. We also go on amazing drive through the estate to spend the rest of the evening tracking and photographing mammals and winged beauties along the way, with the hope of coming across a leopard, elephants and a troop or two of Nilgiri langurs.

We return to the property for some refreshing beverages and snacks, and a superb presentation on photography by Phillip, before another late evening walk with our macro lens to try and photography some rare amphibians and reptiles before retiring for the night.

DAY 4:

The sweet call of ‘the whistling schoolboy’ the Malabar whistling thrush, along with the amazing hornbills calling out, will awake you once again on the final morning of the tour. After a hot beverage, we embark on our final escapade. We are sure that by now, your dream checklist for that perfect hornbill portfolio has been achieved and you are sure to go back with the biggest smile on your face.

Once back at bungalow, we enjoy a lovely breakfast, before we descend the hills looking for wildlife as the morning-light fills the surrounding hills and valleys. We bid adieu to the mighty Anaimalais, and we are sure that you can’t wait to get back home waiting to tell your friends and family some fascinating tales.