Rainforest Rendezvous – Photography Tour of Coorg (Kodagu)

Overview

The rainforests of the Western Ghats are always alive – the sound of water droplets falling from high up in the canopy to puddles on the ground, the croaks of frogs as they look for mates, and the multitude of insects buzzing form a natural orchestra that quickly becomes addictive. Little streams flow through the forest, tumbling down as beautiful waterfalls in many places. Fungi of all shapes, sizes and colors are everywhere. Snakes, in their myriad colours and sizes, eagerly wait and lookout for prey. Praying Mantises blend into their environments, perfectly camouflaging themselves.

A brief break from the rains brings the sun peeking out from the clouds. And along with it, the most colourful butterflies like the Blue Mormon, Southern Birdwing, Red Helen and Cruiser dance amongst the flowers. Western Ghats endemic birds like Malabar Grey Hornbill, Yellow-browed Bulbuls and even Sri Lankan Frogmouths are seen here.

Rainforest Rendezvous is a great opportunity to photograph these less photographed creatures. Shreeram M V, Darter Photography Expert on this tour, has visited the Western Ghats several times in the past and has rich experience in photographing the beauty of the rainforest and its denizens. He would guide you on photographing not just the myriad forms of life here but also the scenic beauty of the rainforest.

Under the guidance of renowned herpetologist, researcher and conservationist Gowri Shankar, learn a great deal about the elusive wildlife in the depths of the Western Ghats. He would share his extensive knowledge about the rainforests and their conservation and lead us on the trail to discover the myriad forms of life.

Tour Highlights

The tour includes:

• Sessions on photographing rainforest wildlife – technical, aesthetic and ways to approach the subjects – by professional wildlife photographer Shreeram M V
• Sessions and on-field guidance on rainforest ecology, conservation and environmental issues by renowned herpetologist Gowri Shankar
• Expert assistance on field in getting best images
• On field assistance in identifying wildlife and in understanding the rainforest ecology
• Rainforest walks at day and night to experience and capture the richness of the forests up-close
• Daily image reviews and feedback at the end of every day’s shoot

Is this Tour For You?

This tour is for you if:

• You are excited to photograph every fascinating life form in the rainforest, from little frogs to beautiful butterflies to majestic snakes, AND/OR
• You want to learn about the techniques of photographing in the rainforests from the experts, AND/OR
• You have a keen interest in diverse forms of wildlife and wish to learn more about the rich biodiversity in the rainforests

Rainforest Rendezvous is designed for photographers of all levels of expertise – amateur and serious – who would like to photograph the beautiful rainforests and the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats. As in all our tours, the group size would be limited so that the Darter Photography Experts can interact closely with every participant. Wildlife enthusiasts who are not photographers, but are keen to see and experience Coorg, are also welcome to join this group. This trip, showcasing the wonder that are the Western Ghats, will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

Our tour is designed in such a way that we

• work closely with every photographer
• help beginners understand the basic nuances of photography and get beautiful images
• facilitate expert photographers to photograph the different facets of the rainforest, assisting them further when necessary
• allow wildlife enthusiasts to explore the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

Visit our Tour FAQs page for more details about our tours.

Accommodation

We will be staying at an eco-friendly resort that is spread over 70 acres with 4 mountains, and two perennial streams that form part of the campus. The area around the resort has received more than 7000mm of rainfall in a single year.

There are different forest trails around the resort. We’ll explore them during the different sessions of the tour, including a night trail.

The resort has 4 spacious rooms, with attached bathrooms, that would be allocated on a triple-sharing basis. Simple vegetarian meals will be served. Electricity may be available for some part of the day and resourceful usage of the same is encouraged.

Important Note

• Smoking and alcohol is restricted in the premises of the resort.
• Bonfire and loud music is prohibited at the  campsite to avoid any disturbance to animals.
• Avoid carrying plastics to the campsite. If it is unavoidable, please carry back plastic waste with you. Eg. Pet bottles, plastic bags etc.
• No provision for room service is made available at the campsite.

Getting there

The resort is located close to Kopatti village on the Madikeri-Bagamandala route. You could get to the resort through either of the following ways:

• Take the overnight bus from Bangalore to Bagamandala. KSRTC operates a Rajahamsa (non-A/C bus with push-back seats) at 23:16 from the Mysore Road Bus Stand. The bus passes through Kopatti village. We’ll arrange for transportation from there to the resort (included in the tour price).
• Take the overnight bus from Bangalore to Madikeri. KSRTC operates a Volvo at 23:11 from the Mysore Road Bus Stand. We’ll arrange for transportation from Madikeri to the resort. This would be charged additionally based upon the number of people. The cost of the vehicle is approximately Rs.1000 and can take 8 people.
• You could drive down to Coorg and back. It takes about 6 hours as the roads are fairly good throughout. We can help you with car-pooling.

Tour Price

The price of the tour is Rs.14,500/- per person. (Introductory price for the first tour only)

The tour price includes

• Accommodation in spacious cottages on triple-sharing basis
• All meals during the stay (starting with breakfast on Day 1 and ending with dinner on Day 2)
• Escorted trips and sessions by a renowned herpetologist
• Sessions on wildlife photography, rainforest ecology, on-field assistance and image reviews

The tour price does not include

• Transport to Coorg and back
• Additional food and beverages
• Laundry, telephone and internet access
• Tips and anything else that is not part of the includes list above

Transport arrangement from Bangalore to Coorg and back can be organized by us with prior notification. The cost of the journey can be paid directly to the Darter Photography Expert at the time of the tour.

Join This Tour

Rainforest Rendezvous tours will have a limited number of participants.

Email us at register@darter.in or call us at  +91-97400 83260 (Shreeram) / +91-98800 06460 (Arun) to join this tour.

Alternatively, fill in the form at the Registration details and we’ll get back to you with the details.

We also conduct Rainforest Rendezvous tours to Agumbe  and Goa . If you’d like to sign up for more than one tour, please contact us at register@darter.in.

If you’d like to rent photography equipment for this tour, you could do so through our photography rentals partner – Bookmylens. Mention the coupon code – DARTER – and get a 10% discount on your rentals for this tour. Talk to us if you have any questions about the equipment needed for this tour.

Experts

Accompanying Herpetologist and Rainforest Expert – Gowri Shankar

What started as curiosity and love for reptiles became the forte of this herpetologist. Gowri Shankar started handling snakes at the age of 13 and now uses this skill to explore the undiscovered grounds of the reptilian world. His stint as an animal inspector, education officer, researcher, has molded him well to suit the current profile as a Conservation Officer at Centre for Rainforest Ecology (CRE). Based at Agumbe and focusing primarily on studying and conserving king cobras he has become the first in the world to observe and document the nesting, male combat, courtship, mating and cannibalistic behaviors of king cobras in the wild.

He has been featured in several wildlife documentaries like the ‘King and I’, ‘Secrets of the King Cobra ‘by BBC and the National Geographic Channel respectively. He has also served as a consultant to these channels. He has rescued over 120 King cobras from distress situations and through various educational programs has reached out far and wide to ensure that the last remaining habitat of this magnificent creature is conserved.

Darter Photography Expert – Shreeram M V

Shreeram is a passionate naturalist and a professional wildlife photographer with an experience of working as a naturalist with Jungle Lodges. His wildlife images are widely acclaimed have found place in glossy desktop calendars, publications and wall hangings. He has the experience of photographing wildlife across multiple habitats across India – from the rainforests to the high-altitude deserts to grasslands to coasts. He comes with vast expertise in wildlife photography, having photographed hundreds of species of birds and mammals from places as far as mountains of Ladakh to seashores of South India.

See some of his works at Visual Quotient.

Detailed ltinerary

Day 1 – Arrive at the resort. The resort is located in an abandoned coffee plantation and is surrounded by the rainforest. After breakfast, we’ll have an orientation session on the forests and wildlife of Coorg, followed by a walk into the rainforest to observe and photograph the different facets of the rainforest. We’ll then have a session on Rainforest Photography – the various subjects, techniques, light conditions, macro photography and ethics. After lunch, we head out on another walk into the rainforest around the resort. Around dinner, we’ll review the photographs that have been clicked during the day. At night, we walk around the resort to find and photograph interesting nocturnal animals like Frogs, Snakes, Moths and, if we are lucky, a Leopard or a Civet too!

Day 2 – We start Day 2 early with some birdwatching (if the skies are clear) around the resort. After breakfast, we head out on a trail into the rainforest. In the afternoon, we have a session on the nuances of photographing waterfalls in the rainforest. We then head to a beautiful waterfall right next to the resort. The multi-stage waterfall gives us excellent opportunities to get some wonderful photographs. In the evening, we go through another round of reviews of photographs. After dinner, we head out for a night trail around the resort.

Day 3 – After breakfast, we head out for a walk into the rainforest. We’ll photograph the beauty of the rainforest, along with the rich biodiversity that it holds, from a unique vantage point – the canopy. In the afternoon, we would have a session on venom and first aid for snake bites. After an early dinner, we catch the bus back to Bangalore, with our cameras carrying back memories for a lifetime.

In addition to all these activities, the Darter Photography Expert would conduct photography review sessions everyday to give you feedback on your photographs. Also, in the event of a snake rescue call, we may get to accompany the herpetologists on the rescue mission (this is dependent on the type of rescue and permissions from forest department).

Social Responsibility

Enabling Research: This tour is being conducted in association with Gowri Shankar’s Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology. Part of the tour cost would go into funding researchers in their quest to unravel the secrets of the rainforest.