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India - Dragonflies & Butterflies of the Western Ghats
Tour Code: IND49A 10-day holiday, led by one of India's foremost experts, David Raju, in search of the wealth of dragonflies and butterflies, and other wildlife, found in one of the World's bio-diversity hotspots - India's Western Ghats.
£3,995 (Inc flights)
£3,495
Highlights
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Summary
The Western Ghats form a biodiversity hotspot and centre of endemism that is of special appeal to the naturalist and on this exciting, and unusual, holiday we will focus in particular on the beautiful dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies of the region. After a flight to Cochin, we will drive to Kumarakom on the eastern banks of Lake Vembanad, Kerala’s largest lake. Our base here, the Coconut Lagoon Hotel, has a wonderful butterfly garden which will provide our first taste of the region’s species; and we will search for dragonflies and damselflies in the nearby lake, ponds, canals and paddyfields. Next, we travel to Thattekad Wildlife Sanctuary, where over 40 species of dragonfly have been recorded within a 100-metre stretch! Butterflies are well represented in the sanctuary’s lowland forests, and we will look for species such as Red Helen and Tamil Catseye, while dragonfly species include Emerald Banded Skimmer, Crimson Marsh Glider and Splendid Dartlet. Finally, we head south-east into the moist evergreen forests of Periyar Tiger Reserve which provide a haven for a wide range of mammals and birds, as well as a wealth of dragonflies and butterflies.
- Led by David Raju, an outstanding Indian naturalist
- Southern Birdwing, Common & Tailed Jays, Chocolate Albatross, Coconut Lagoon Hotel
- Blue Grass & Kerala Dartlets, Pygmy Blue Spot, Common Picture Wing & Globe Skimmer
- Malabar Torrent Dart, Steam Glory, River Helidior among dragonflies at Thattekad
- Clipper, Malabar Rose & Banded Blue Pierrot among butterflies at Thattekad
- Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Nilgiri Langur & Malabar Giant Squirrel, Periyar
- Periyar’s dragonflies include Blue Hawklet, Emerald Spreadwing & Ruby Marsh Dart
- Paris Peacock, Western Centaur Oak Blue & Malabar Raven among host of butterflies
- Special birds include Malabar Trogon & Malabar Grey Hornbill, Periyar
Grading
A/B. This is a wildlife tour that includes plenty of gentle walks in sometimes hilly terrain.The Western Ghats comprise an ancient chain of hills that runs from north to south along the western coast of India. They form a biodiversity hotspot and centre of endemism that is of special appeal to the naturalist, such is the impressive range of endemic and near endemic species that they hold. On this exciting holiday we will focus particularly on the beautiful dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies of the region, many of which are endemic, in the company of David Raju, an outstanding all-round Indian naturalist from this area who is particularly expert in this field. He is also a renowned frog expert, adept at finding the most exquisite and colourful species that the untrained eye would never spot, not to mention the region’s birds and mammals.
We will concentrate our explorations on the lush forests of the Western Ghats, exploring a rich tapestry of habitats that includes scenic hills and mountains, extensive tracts of characteristic evergreen forest, grasslands, and beautiful lakes, streams and other wetlands. These landscapes and ecosystems are significant in that, not only do they sustain large human communities, but they also support a rich natural history, so much of it unique to the region.
We begin in Cochin, from where we will drive straight to Kumarakom, on the eastern banks of the vast Lake Vembanad, the largest lake in Kerala and the longest in India. The Coconut Lagoon Hotel, where we will be staying, has a wonderful butterfly garden. Here we should find such beautiful species as Southern Birdwing, Common Jay, Tailed Jay, Chocolate Albatross, Blue Tiger, Great Orange-tip, Monkey Puzzle, Gram Blue, Tiny Grass Blue and Bush Hopper, amongst others. We will also search the lakeside, canals and ponds in the region looking for the many dragonflies and damselflies found here — species such as Blue Grass Dartlet, Kerala Dartlet, Pygmy Blue Spot, Common Picture Wing and Ground Skimmer. The paddyfields here also attract a good number of migratory dragonflies, amongst them the Globe Skimmer, which flies all the way from Africa!
Next, we will travel north to Thattekad Wildlife Sanctuary, stopping en route at a small stream to look for more dragonflies. Here over 40 different species of dragonfly have been recorded within a 100-metre stretch — amongst them Malabar Torrent Dart, Stream Glory, Black-tipped Forest Glory, River Helidior and others. Butterflies will also be an attraction here, with species such as Grey Count, Commander and Common Sailor. Thattekad Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in honour of the pre-eminent 20th century Indian ornithologist, is situated on the northern bank of the Periyar River. The Sanctuary was established in 1983, based on a recommendation made by Dr. Salim Ali many years previously. He described Thattekad in the 1930s as the richest bird habitat in peninsular India, comparable only with that of the eastern Himalaya. Much of the forest of that time has been lost, but the surviving areas certainly give glimpses of the rich diversity of the once widespread lowland forests of Kerala, and the area still remains excellent for butterflies and dragonflies. The Clipper, Common Rose, Crimson Rose, Malabar Rose, Tamil Catseye, Red Helen and Banded Blue Pierrot are just some of the butterflies we should see here, while dragonfly species may include Crimson Marsh Glider, Emerald Banded Skimmer, Splendid Dartlet, Fulvous Forest Skimmer and many others. For birders, this is also a good spot for Sri Lankan Frogmouth.
Finally, we head south-east into the more moist evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, afforded protection within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Its 777 square kilometres provide a haven for a wide range of mammals, including Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Leopard, Asian Wild Dog, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-tailed Macaque and Malabar Giant Squirrel. Periyar also supports a wealth of dragonflies which include Blue-tailed Forest Hawk, Blue Marsh Hawk, Crimsontailed Marsh Hawk, Blue Hawklet, Ruby Marsh Dart, Emerald Spreadwing and Travancore Torrent Dart. Many spectacular butterflies also occur here, amongst them Paris Peacock, Black-vein Sergeant, Western Centaur Oak Blue, Malabar Raven and Malabar Tree Nymph, while the birdlife includes several of the species found only in southern India and Sri Lanka, such as Malabar Trogon and Malabar Grey Hornbill.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: Tourist hotels at Kumarakom and Marari; comfortable lodges elsewhere. All rooms have private facilities.
- Food: All included in the price.
Dates & Prices
2025
2026
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Who can fail to be delighted by butterflies – the intensity and variety of their colours, their delicate beauty and fascinating life cycles? Our tours allow butterfly-watching enthusiasts to observe marvellous species all around the world. Sadly, butterflies are in decline in many regions. To help prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures, our butterfly holidays make a direct contribution to their conservation.
Naturetrek Butterfly Tours
- We offer an excellent range of dedicated butterfly holidays
- All tours are led by a Naturetrek butterfly-watching expert
- Although butterflies are the main focus of our butterfly tours, we also take time to observe other wildlife
- By booking one of our dedicated butterfly holidays you will automatically be making a contribution to their conservation.
Here’s a selection of our dedicated butterfly tours:
Although we include butterfly-watching in many of our holidays, we offer a wide selection of dedicated butterfly tours, including:
- The Cevennes – we look for butterflies in the Massif Central
- Butterflies in Normandy – we go in search of some of Normandy’s 160 species of butterfly
- Sweden's Butterflies & Dragonflies – Sweden is home to Large Blue, Apollo, Scarce Copper and many more species
- Butterflies of the Dolomites – we explore sheltered valleys and butterfly hot-spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour – seeking Sri Lanka’s dazzling tropical species
- Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains – a search for the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains, with a wealth of other wildlife and mountain walks in spectacular scenery.
Naturetrek & Butterfly Conservation
As a top category ‘Gold’ corporate sponsor of Butterfly Conservation (BC), we donate around £1,500 annually to the charity. As well as this, since 2002 we have donated 10% of all income generated by our annual programme of butterfly tours that we run in partnership with BC, and give BC membership to all non-members joining the tours.
Our specialist recommends...
"I'd recommend Naturetrek's Butterflies of South Africa holiday. On this butterfly holiday we look for butterflies in the Wajkkerstrom (montane grassland), which supports a wonderful diversity of species. Closer to home I'd suggest our Butterflies of Hungary tour, or Butterflies of Croatia for unspoilt landscapes and a density of butterfly-life rarely seen in western Europe now."
Tom Brereton - Operations Manager
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Dragonflies are certainly not for the faint-hearted! They are fearsome insects – if you are their size or smaller! They are also dazzlingly beautiful, with a wide array of hues and forms. Our dragonfly tours take you to some of Europe’s top habitats where we have the best chances of witnessing a range of species and their behaviour.
Naturetrek Dragonfly Tours
We like to respond to your specific wildlife interests and, in recent years, we have had an increasing number of requests for dedicated dragonfly holidays. We are pleased to be able to offer a selection of tours which focus on exploring habitats where some of Europe’s most diverse and spectacular dragonfly species are found.
All of our dragonfly tours are accompanied by at least one specialist leader. On some tours there may be a second leader with a different area of natural history expertise. Some highlights of our dragonfly holidays may include: observing clouds of damselflies as they emerge in late spring from pools, watching them hover over a lake or stretch of grassland, or witnessing a fight to the death between territorial males.
We’re equally comfortable providing opportunities for the dedicated enthusiast to debate the finer points of identification with our expert guide, or to simply enjoy their beautiful display of colours and forms.
Our specialist recommends...
"I’d recommend our Sardinia’s Dragonflies tour – it has about 35 species, most of which are not found in the UK, and its proximity to Africa means it hosts some rather exotic species such as Banded Groundlings. Island Bluetail will interest the real enthusiast, whereas Copper Demoiselles are a bit easier to find."
David Smallshire - Tour Leader
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
