Birding Trip to South India - February 2027
A short video from a previous trip.
We saw some amazing birds and had many fun moments...
Dates: February 18th - February 27th 2027
Small Groups - Max 9
Travel FAQ for this trip
Packing List
We invite you to experience the bird life in the Western Ghats of India – from the amazing hornbills and sleek drongos to colorful barbets and kingfishers. Wild elephants, giant squirrels, gaur (Indian bison) and maybe even tiger! We visit national parks, tiger preserves and local villages. Our accommodations will be in rustic cottages with en suite bathrooms and hot water. You will be escorted by Sachin Aggarwal, founder of Mowgli Expeditions, an Austin resident and TAS member, originally from India. Sachin will be assisted by local naturalist birding guides. Our birding and wildlife tour is an amazing opportunity at an affordable cost.
Cost per person: $4,200 per person in double/twin occupancy
Single supplement: $950
A $750 deposit is due to confirm
All payments are refundable till 120 days prior to departure minus a $750 cancelation fee
The purchase of personal travel insurance is required, including medical evacuation. To confirm your spot, please contact Mowgli Expeditions at sachin(@/at)mowgliexpeditions.com
Included: All lodging, meals as listed, tips for meals, group airport transfers, all internal transportation including 2 train rides, park fees, all taxes.
Not Included: International flights, 2 internal flights (approx. $200 total), visa, beverages, laundry, tips, travel insurance, and items of a personal nature.
Guiding: Sachin Aggarwal, a Travis Audubon’s member and Austin resident who grew up in India will escort the trip. Guiding will be provided by local birding guides and naturalists. Vaccinations Required: Standard childhood shots, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid
5-day extension to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Agra and the Rajasthan recommended and available.
Itinerary Summary
Day 1 — Thu Feb 18, Arrive Mumbai (L,D)
Day 2 — Fri Feb 19, Dandeli National Park (B,L,D)
Day 3 — Sat Feb 20, Dandeli (B,L,D)
Day 4 — Sun Feb 21, Cochin, Thattekad (B,L,D)
Day 5 — Mon Feb 22, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (B,L,D)
Day 6 — Tue Feb 23, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Banglore (B,L,D)
Day 7 — Wed Feb 24, Kabini, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (B,L,D)
Day 8 — Thu Feb 25, Kabini, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (B,L,D)
Day 9 — Fri Feb 26, Bangalore (B,L,D)
Day 10 — Sat Feb 27, Departure (B)
B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner
Flights: To make travel easier, we recommend a half day rest in London Heathrow Thistle hotel.
Fly from Austin to Mumbai via London
Suggested flight: British Air 190, departs Austin 6:55 pm
Day room in London, fly to Mumbai
Arrive London Heathrow 10:05 am. Go to your day room at Thistle Hotel close by to London Heathrow airport, reached by new self driving pods from the terminal T5 (hotel room not included in tour price) for a rest before the evening flight.
*This trip is also open to folks from other cities of course.
Expedition itinerary:
Day 1 Thursday - Arrival at Mumbai
After clearing customs, and picking up our luggage, we shall travel by an AC mini bus from the airport to our hotel. After some rest, we shall head out for sight seeing and dinner. Our first visit shall be the Victoria Terminus - one of the few operational UNESCO World Heritage sites. We shall then head to Gateway of India that was built to represent the grandeur of the British Raj in India. The Gateway was built in 1924 to welcome King George V and Queen Mary to India and years later, the last of the British troops left India through this gateway. With a possible visit to the hanging gardens, we shall head to an amazing local restaurant that serves local delicacies "Thali" style. Night stay at Mumbai. Hotel Trident or similar. Day 2 -Friday- To Ganeshgudi,Dandeli
This afternoon we’ll fly from Mumbai to Dandeli, but first we will visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a green island amidst the bustling metropolis of Mumbai. SGNP has over 1,300 species of plants and 274 of birds, including many species of sunbirds (old world equivalent of the hummingbirds), various kingfishers, woodpeckers and drongos, parakeets, and more.
We head to the airport around 11 a.m, will have lunch there and take a short flight to Hubli en route to Dandeli. (flight not included in tour price)
On arrival, we’ll be picked up in a van/jeeps for the 2 hour drive to our lodge, The old Magazine House for the next four nights. The cottages have en-suite bathrooms with hot water.
Old Magazine house at Ganeshgudi, one of the prime spots for bird watching in the Western Ghats. The Old Magazine House, was originally a British building that was used to store ammunition. It has now been set up as a lodge with bird blinds, feeders, and bird baths.
As Malabar Giant Squirrels scurry about for food on the ground, we’ll look for Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), Indian Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys), Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea), Yellow-browed Bulbul (Acritillas indica), Indian Paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata), Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra), Malabar Trogon (Harpactes fasciatus), White-bellied Blue-flycatcher (Cyornis pallipes), Tickell’s Blue-flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae), and the stunning Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella). Did we mention butterflies? They are abundant.
Day 3 - Saturday - Birding at Timber depot
This morning, after our early cup of coffee/tea, we head to the ‘Timber Depot’, a teak plantation and timber auction site filled with birds. It is located about 45 minutes from our lodging and we will spend a few hours birding.
Here, a variety of fig trees offer fruits that attract a greater number of birds. We hope to see Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), and Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) – along what is commonly called the ‘Hornbill Trail’. Additionally, we hope to see the gorgeous Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes socialis), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), India Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo), Malabar (or Blue-winged) Parakeet (Psittacula columboides) and a diurnal owl called Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum).
What a wonderful way to begin birding in this beautiful foreign land!
Lunch mid-day and an afternoon adventure from around 3:30 – 6:30 pm. Evenings include a bon fire, dinner, and either a movie or talk by your local guide.
Day 4 – Sunday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
After breakfast we shall head to Thattekad bird sanctuary, one of the first areas in south India to be declared a bird sanctuary and the only tropical bird sanctuary in India. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, also known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, is about 50 km east of Kochi.
Our stay is at a beautiful lodge next to a river close to the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
In the evening, time permiting, we shall go or birding looking for Sril lankan Frogmouth and Raquet-tailed Drongo. After dinner there is night birding to go look for the Bay Owl and Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl.
Day 5 – Monday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
After our early coffee/tea, we’ll head out for birding and return for a late breakfast. Our target birds here are Sril lankan Frogmouth, Blue-faced Malkoha, Black Baja, Red Spurfowl, Rufous Babbler. Also in Thattekad bird sanctualy and surrounding area you can find several different flycatchers and we shall look for White-bellied Flycatcher, Blue-tailed Flycatcher, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher and Brown-breasted Flycatcher. We shall also be on the lookout for some of the endemics like Wynad Laughing Thrush, Grey-headed Bulbul.
In the afternoon you can go kayaking in the calm river or just read a book on the hammock.
Late afternoon, we will walk more trails for more birding looking for more birds like The Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, White-bellied Treepie, Heart-spotted Woodpecker.
After dinner there is night birding again to go look for owls.
Day 6 – Tuesday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
Our final morning in Thattekad will be spent with our last birding walk into the sanctuary hoping to see more birds which we have missed especially the Sri Lankan Frogmounth, the Great Hornbill, Blue-bearded bee-eater and the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher.
After a brunch, we shall head back to Cochin to take a flight back to Bangalore.
Day 7 – Wednesday - Bangalore to Kabini by train
Early morning before breakfast this morning, we’ll visit Lalbagh Botanical Gardens for an hour. Lalbagh has a famous glass house and boasts India’s largest collection of tropical plants. While Lalbagh is known for plants, there are many birds here as well, like Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), or Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii), Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus), Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).
On our return, we’ll pack up our things onto the bus and head to the train station. The bus continues, but we’ll travel from Bangalore to Mysore by a comfortable train, with only our day packs. It’s about two hours and gives you another perspective of the country. On arrival we’ll have lunch after we meet up again with the bus and head to Kabini, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Depending on arrival time, we may go straight for a boat Safari on the Kabini river, giving us an opportunity to look for water birds and hopefully seeing elephants on the riverbank.
Kabini River Lodge was the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore and is a sprawling colonial estate in the heart of elephant country. We’ll stay two nights at Kabini River Lodge in cottages with en suite bathrooms with hot water.
Day 8 – Thursday - Nagarhole National Park
After our early coffee/tea, we’ll take a jeep safari in Nagarhole National Park.
This national park has some of the best wildlife of india and we shall shift our focus from birding to mammal species - Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), Indian bison or gaur Bos gaurus), Spotted deer or chital (Axis axis), Indian muntjac or Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak).
Just before or right after lunch, we will walk the trails of the lodge for more birding.
We shall go for our second jeep safari in the afternoon looking for Indian wild dog or dhole (Cuon alpinus), Indian boar (Sus scrofa cristatus), Gray langur or Hanuman Langur (Semnopitheaus entellus), Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi), and Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca).
There is also a chance to spot the Bengal tiger here!
Day 9 – Friday - Return to Bangalore via Mysore.
Our final morning will be spent with our last safari into the national park hoping for an encounter with the elephants or the predators. We’ll return to Bangalore by our private air-conditioned mini-bus, stopping at the amazing Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary comprises of six islets on the banks of the Kaveri river. Roughly 170 bird species have been recorded here. Of these, the Painted stork, Asian openbill stork, Common spoonbill, Woolly-necked stork, Black-headed ibis, Lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, Stork-billed kingfisher, egret, cormorant, Oriental darter, Spot-billed pelican and heron breed here regularly. The Great stone plover, and River tern also nest here.
We should arrive Bangalore around 6:00 pm. It’s your final evening in India and we will take you to special place. The final evening for this trip will also be memorable.
Day 10 Saturday - Departure
You can catch your flight back home or fly to Udaipur, Rajasthan for the Northern India extension to see the Taj Mahal, see the old palaces of Rajasthan, visit a village where leopards roam free and bird in Bharatpur bird sanctuary now part of Keoladeo NP.
NOTE: The order and sites visited and other parts of the itinerary may vary due to weather, road conditions, and other factors.
Come join us for this memorable trip!
For enquiries or to confirm your spot, please contact Mowgli Expeditions at sachin(@/at)mowgliexpeditions.com
A short video from a previous trip.
We saw some amazing birds and had many fun moments...
Dates: February 18th - February 27th 2027
Small Groups - Max 9
Travel FAQ for this trip
Packing List
We invite you to experience the bird life in the Western Ghats of India – from the amazing hornbills and sleek drongos to colorful barbets and kingfishers. Wild elephants, giant squirrels, gaur (Indian bison) and maybe even tiger! We visit national parks, tiger preserves and local villages. Our accommodations will be in rustic cottages with en suite bathrooms and hot water. You will be escorted by Sachin Aggarwal, founder of Mowgli Expeditions, an Austin resident and TAS member, originally from India. Sachin will be assisted by local naturalist birding guides. Our birding and wildlife tour is an amazing opportunity at an affordable cost.
Cost per person: $4,200 per person in double/twin occupancy
Single supplement: $950
A $750 deposit is due to confirm
All payments are refundable till 120 days prior to departure minus a $750 cancelation fee
The purchase of personal travel insurance is required, including medical evacuation. To confirm your spot, please contact Mowgli Expeditions at sachin(@/at)mowgliexpeditions.com
Included: All lodging, meals as listed, tips for meals, group airport transfers, all internal transportation including 2 train rides, park fees, all taxes.
Not Included: International flights, 2 internal flights (approx. $200 total), visa, beverages, laundry, tips, travel insurance, and items of a personal nature.
Guiding: Sachin Aggarwal, a Travis Audubon’s member and Austin resident who grew up in India will escort the trip. Guiding will be provided by local birding guides and naturalists. Vaccinations Required: Standard childhood shots, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid
5-day extension to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Agra and the Rajasthan recommended and available.
Itinerary Summary
Day 1 — Thu Feb 18, Arrive Mumbai (L,D)
Day 2 — Fri Feb 19, Dandeli National Park (B,L,D)
Day 3 — Sat Feb 20, Dandeli (B,L,D)
Day 4 — Sun Feb 21, Cochin, Thattekad (B,L,D)
Day 5 — Mon Feb 22, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (B,L,D)
Day 6 — Tue Feb 23, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Banglore (B,L,D)
Day 7 — Wed Feb 24, Kabini, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (B,L,D)
Day 8 — Thu Feb 25, Kabini, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (B,L,D)
Day 9 — Fri Feb 26, Bangalore (B,L,D)
Day 10 — Sat Feb 27, Departure (B)
B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner
Flights: To make travel easier, we recommend a half day rest in London Heathrow Thistle hotel.
Fly from Austin to Mumbai via London
Suggested flight: British Air 190, departs Austin 6:55 pm
Day room in London, fly to Mumbai
Arrive London Heathrow 10:05 am. Go to your day room at Thistle Hotel close by to London Heathrow airport, reached by new self driving pods from the terminal T5 (hotel room not included in tour price) for a rest before the evening flight.
*This trip is also open to folks from other cities of course.
Expedition itinerary:
Day 1 Thursday - Arrival at Mumbai
After clearing customs, and picking up our luggage, we shall travel by an AC mini bus from the airport to our hotel. After some rest, we shall head out for sight seeing and dinner. Our first visit shall be the Victoria Terminus - one of the few operational UNESCO World Heritage sites. We shall then head to Gateway of India that was built to represent the grandeur of the British Raj in India. The Gateway was built in 1924 to welcome King George V and Queen Mary to India and years later, the last of the British troops left India through this gateway. With a possible visit to the hanging gardens, we shall head to an amazing local restaurant that serves local delicacies "Thali" style. Night stay at Mumbai. Hotel Trident or similar. Day 2 -Friday- To Ganeshgudi,Dandeli
This afternoon we’ll fly from Mumbai to Dandeli, but first we will visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a green island amidst the bustling metropolis of Mumbai. SGNP has over 1,300 species of plants and 274 of birds, including many species of sunbirds (old world equivalent of the hummingbirds), various kingfishers, woodpeckers and drongos, parakeets, and more.
We head to the airport around 11 a.m, will have lunch there and take a short flight to Hubli en route to Dandeli. (flight not included in tour price)
On arrival, we’ll be picked up in a van/jeeps for the 2 hour drive to our lodge, The old Magazine House for the next four nights. The cottages have en-suite bathrooms with hot water.
Old Magazine house at Ganeshgudi, one of the prime spots for bird watching in the Western Ghats. The Old Magazine House, was originally a British building that was used to store ammunition. It has now been set up as a lodge with bird blinds, feeders, and bird baths.
As Malabar Giant Squirrels scurry about for food on the ground, we’ll look for Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), Indian Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys), Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea), Yellow-browed Bulbul (Acritillas indica), Indian Paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata), Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra), Malabar Trogon (Harpactes fasciatus), White-bellied Blue-flycatcher (Cyornis pallipes), Tickell’s Blue-flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae), and the stunning Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella). Did we mention butterflies? They are abundant.
Day 3 - Saturday - Birding at Timber depot
This morning, after our early cup of coffee/tea, we head to the ‘Timber Depot’, a teak plantation and timber auction site filled with birds. It is located about 45 minutes from our lodging and we will spend a few hours birding.
Here, a variety of fig trees offer fruits that attract a greater number of birds. We hope to see Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), and Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) – along what is commonly called the ‘Hornbill Trail’. Additionally, we hope to see the gorgeous Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes socialis), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), India Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo), Malabar (or Blue-winged) Parakeet (Psittacula columboides) and a diurnal owl called Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum).
What a wonderful way to begin birding in this beautiful foreign land!
Lunch mid-day and an afternoon adventure from around 3:30 – 6:30 pm. Evenings include a bon fire, dinner, and either a movie or talk by your local guide.
Day 4 – Sunday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
After breakfast we shall head to Thattekad bird sanctuary, one of the first areas in south India to be declared a bird sanctuary and the only tropical bird sanctuary in India. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, also known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, is about 50 km east of Kochi.
Our stay is at a beautiful lodge next to a river close to the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
In the evening, time permiting, we shall go or birding looking for Sril lankan Frogmouth and Raquet-tailed Drongo. After dinner there is night birding to go look for the Bay Owl and Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl.
Day 5 – Monday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
After our early coffee/tea, we’ll head out for birding and return for a late breakfast. Our target birds here are Sril lankan Frogmouth, Blue-faced Malkoha, Black Baja, Red Spurfowl, Rufous Babbler. Also in Thattekad bird sanctualy and surrounding area you can find several different flycatchers and we shall look for White-bellied Flycatcher, Blue-tailed Flycatcher, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher and Brown-breasted Flycatcher. We shall also be on the lookout for some of the endemics like Wynad Laughing Thrush, Grey-headed Bulbul.
In the afternoon you can go kayaking in the calm river or just read a book on the hammock.
Late afternoon, we will walk more trails for more birding looking for more birds like The Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, White-bellied Treepie, Heart-spotted Woodpecker.
After dinner there is night birding again to go look for owls.
Day 6 – Tuesday - Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
Our final morning in Thattekad will be spent with our last birding walk into the sanctuary hoping to see more birds which we have missed especially the Sri Lankan Frogmounth, the Great Hornbill, Blue-bearded bee-eater and the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher.
After a brunch, we shall head back to Cochin to take a flight back to Bangalore.
Day 7 – Wednesday - Bangalore to Kabini by train
Early morning before breakfast this morning, we’ll visit Lalbagh Botanical Gardens for an hour. Lalbagh has a famous glass house and boasts India’s largest collection of tropical plants. While Lalbagh is known for plants, there are many birds here as well, like Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), or Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii), Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus), Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).
On our return, we’ll pack up our things onto the bus and head to the train station. The bus continues, but we’ll travel from Bangalore to Mysore by a comfortable train, with only our day packs. It’s about two hours and gives you another perspective of the country. On arrival we’ll have lunch after we meet up again with the bus and head to Kabini, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Depending on arrival time, we may go straight for a boat Safari on the Kabini river, giving us an opportunity to look for water birds and hopefully seeing elephants on the riverbank.
Kabini River Lodge was the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore and is a sprawling colonial estate in the heart of elephant country. We’ll stay two nights at Kabini River Lodge in cottages with en suite bathrooms with hot water.
Day 8 – Thursday - Nagarhole National Park
After our early coffee/tea, we’ll take a jeep safari in Nagarhole National Park.
This national park has some of the best wildlife of india and we shall shift our focus from birding to mammal species - Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), Indian bison or gaur Bos gaurus), Spotted deer or chital (Axis axis), Indian muntjac or Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak).
Just before or right after lunch, we will walk the trails of the lodge for more birding.
We shall go for our second jeep safari in the afternoon looking for Indian wild dog or dhole (Cuon alpinus), Indian boar (Sus scrofa cristatus), Gray langur or Hanuman Langur (Semnopitheaus entellus), Indian grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi), and Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca).
There is also a chance to spot the Bengal tiger here!
Day 9 – Friday - Return to Bangalore via Mysore.
Our final morning will be spent with our last safari into the national park hoping for an encounter with the elephants or the predators. We’ll return to Bangalore by our private air-conditioned mini-bus, stopping at the amazing Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary comprises of six islets on the banks of the Kaveri river. Roughly 170 bird species have been recorded here. Of these, the Painted stork, Asian openbill stork, Common spoonbill, Woolly-necked stork, Black-headed ibis, Lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, Stork-billed kingfisher, egret, cormorant, Oriental darter, Spot-billed pelican and heron breed here regularly. The Great stone plover, and River tern also nest here.
We should arrive Bangalore around 6:00 pm. It’s your final evening in India and we will take you to special place. The final evening for this trip will also be memorable.
Day 10 Saturday - Departure
You can catch your flight back home or fly to Udaipur, Rajasthan for the Northern India extension to see the Taj Mahal, see the old palaces of Rajasthan, visit a village where leopards roam free and bird in Bharatpur bird sanctuary now part of Keoladeo NP.
NOTE: The order and sites visited and other parts of the itinerary may vary due to weather, road conditions, and other factors.
Come join us for this memorable trip!
For enquiries or to confirm your spot, please contact Mowgli Expeditions at sachin(@/at)mowgliexpeditions.com