Masinagudi Birding & Trekking

This is the first trip to Masinagudi & Madhumalai forest located in the border of Karnataka and TamilNadu.


As usual, I being the first person to initiate any wildlife place in our group, googled places and also asked reviews on net for stay & birding opportunity around Masinagudi. So, started to check for accommodation in & around of Masinagudi & this time it was with family and kids.

My cousin managed to finalise on stay and food @ Green Valley Resort, though we dint get any confirmation on guided birding tours.This place is located inside Madumalai forest, accommodation starting @ 1500/twin room. Mess bill has to be paid separately.

We hired bird guide from the resort,rather you can call him a forest route guide (local person with full knowledge of forest routes). He is not from any govt department, charged Rs.300/head. We shall have to let him know about the species which we are looking for, say either mammals or birds in prior and he takes the routes accordingly (that's what he said).


I, my cousin and guide started trekking @ 5:45 a.m in the morning, sited many species of birds and finally came back to resort @ 11:00 a.m. It was totally a 10 km walk for us, we had not packed any breakfast so had to return inevitably.


It was really a wonderful trekking in the thick forest, saw Tiger,Leopard,Sloth bear scats & many were fresh too.. BEWARE!! you are not armed and all on your own in the thick jungle.

A person from neighbouring resort told that we should have hired Kuravi Kuttan.. a professional bird watcher and a guide who is available for Bandipur, Masinagudi and Gopalswamy Betta :P (But, our guide was also good).

Our intension was to shoot Malabar giant Hornbill which I missed for some reasons.. the guide has promised to take us next time to the place where we can find hornbills in particular.

I have posted some pictures of Masinagudi in my Flickr account.. please check on this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saandipng/sets/72157623262808227/

Most and most IMPORTANT thing to keep in your mind is to carry insect repellent cream (may be Permithrin) without fail.. Forgetting your batteries for camera is excusable but not the repellent, you ll have to pay for your deed...I forgot to carry and was bit by tics. These can fix on your body for more than 3 days even if you take hot water bath daily.. It causes severe itching and red boils emerge which some people find years to come out of this problem... Its not only seen in this forest, it is very common in any deep forest or any trek. Now I am on medication..

Resort : http://www.greenparkmudumalai.net/

Bird Guide : Raju: 09787848683