The King Cobra Trail at Agumbe – Wildlife Photography Tour
March 09-12, 2023 (Thursday to Sunday)
Summer in the Western Ghats is an interesting time. For that’s when the longest venomous snake in the world – the King Cobra – is most active. The onset of their breeding season makes them travel long distances in search of a mate. And that increases chances of seeing and photographing this elusive creature in its kingdom.
Join Darter Photography (in collaboration with King Cobra expert Gowri Shankar’s KCRE) to the rainforest of Agumbe this summer on the trail of the King of the Western Ghats!
Wildlife photography tours in the pristine rainforests of Western Ghats. Get up-close with the wonders of these forests and experience photography in the lap of nature.
The rainforests of the Western Ghats are always alive. The sound of a multitude of insects buzzing form a natural orchestra that quickly becomes addictive. Praying Mantises blend into their environments, perfectly camouflaging themselves. The most colourful butterflies like the Blue Mormon, Southern Birdwing, Red Helen and Cruiser dance amongst the flowers. Birds symbolic of the Western Ghats, like Malabar Trogon, Yellow-browed Bulbuls, White-bellied Treepies and even Sri Lankan Frogmouths, are seen here.
This forest is also a great place to view the longest venomous snake in the world – the King Cobra. And summer is when these snakes are in their breeding season, making them very active. Darter Photography takes you on a trail through the amazing rainforests of Agumbe in search of this elusive giant. Working closely with researchers, we’ll try to see and photograph the enigmatic King Cobra in its kingdom in the Western Ghats. Learn the secrets of photographing in the rainforest. And the field skills to photograph the myriad forms of life ensuring the safety of both the photographer and the wildlife.
Tour Highlights
Experience an extended weekend in the midst of wilderness
Nature walks, by day and by night, to experience and photograph the richness of the Western Ghats up-close
Possibly come face to face with the elusive King Cobra – the longest venomous snake in the world!
Learn techniques of photographing the various aspects of the rainforest through on-the-field guidance by your photography mentor
Identify wildlife and discover the secrets of rainforest ecology from researchers in the field
Sessions on photographing rainforest wildlife – technical, aesthetic and ways to approach the subjects – by the Darter Wildlife Photography Expert
Sessions and on-field guidance on rainforest ecology, conservation and environmental issues by researchers at KCRE
Daily image reviews and feedback to help you make better photographs
Is This Tour For You?
This tour is for you if:
You are excited to photograph every fascinating life form in the Western Ghats, including the majestic King Cobra, AND/OR
You want to learn about the techniques of photographing in the Western Ghats 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 Western Ghats
The tour 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. This small-group tour is limited to a maximum of 8 participants 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 Agumbe, 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.
Accommodation
We will be staying at the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology, Agumbe. Campsite is simple and eco-friendly and is equipped with clean tents. Simple vegetarian meals in the local cuisine 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 campsite.
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
Agumbe is around 370 km from Bangalore, 100 km from Mangalore (nearest Airport) and 90 km from Shimoga.
From Bangalore – The drive from Bangalore takes around 7 hours. We recommend leaving early morning from Bangalore to reach KCRE for lunch. We can facilitate car-pooling or cab-pooling closer to the tour dates.
From Mangalore/Udupi – Mangalore is the closest airport and Udupi is the closest railhead from Agumbe. We can arrange for a cab to transfer you to Agumbe.
Tour Price
The price of the King Cobra tour starts at Rs.23,950 per person and varies based on the kind of accommodation that you choose:
Tents and Dormitory – Rs.23,950/-
Cottage (Mist and Sunset – 450 sqft) – Rs.26,950/-
Cottage (Drizzle – 525 sqft) – Rs.28,950/-
The tour price includes
Accommodation at Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology, Agumbe in camping tents
All meals (simple vegetarian food) during the stay (starting with lunch on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 4)
Escorted trips and sessions by a herpetologist from Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology
Sessions on wildlife photography, rainforest ecology, on-field assistance and image reviews
All applicable taxes and fees
The tour price does not include
Transport to Agumbe and back
Additional food and beverages
Laundry, telephone and internet access
Tips and anything else that is not part of the includes list above
Cancellation Policy for Agumbe tour:
– 20% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation at least 45 days before tour starts. Balance will be refunded to your account.
– 40% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 44 to 25 days before tour starts. Balance will be refunded to your account.
– 70% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 24 to 05 days before tour starts. Balance will be refunded to your account.
– No refund on cancellations within 04 days of start of the tour
Cancellations have to be communicated via an email to photography@darter.in. The date of email receipt in our account will be used to apply the cancellation policy mentioned above.
Join This Tour
The King Cobra Trail at Agumbe is a small-group tour and will have a maximum of 8 participants. To register for this tour, please fill in the form at the end of this page and we’ll get back to you with the details. Alternatively, please write to photography@darter.in or contact Shreeram (+91-9740083260) for details.
Photography Mentor – Shreeram M V
Shreeram M V is a professional photographer, photography mentor and naturalist. What started off as a fascination for birds in a lake behind his house turned into a journey across the natural world. For this IIM Bangalore graduate, the passion for travel and wildlife enabled him to charter his own course outside the corporate world.
He has explored and photographed places across the world as diverse as the savannahs of Africa, the ice continent of Antarctica, the islands of New Zealand, the rainforests of the Western Ghats, the salt marshes of Kutch, the grasslands of Tal Chapar, the deciduous forests of South and Central India, the high-altitude plateau of Ladakh, the coasts of peninsular India, the forests of North-east India and the islands of Andaman. His approach to wildlife photography has evolved into telling stories about the place and its habitats, biodiversity and human interactions with nature.
He is a well-published and awarded photographer. His articles and photographs have been published in diverse print and digital magazines such as National Geographic Traveller, Sanctuary Asia, Saevus, Lonely Planet India, Terrascape, Nature inFocus and JLR Explore. As a naturalist, he has been associated with Jungle Lodges and Resorts and Karnataka Eco-tourism Development Board in training and certifying naturalists from across the state.
Agumbe has played a key role in Shreeram’s understanding of photography and wildlife over the years. His passion for photographing the varied life-forms in the rainforest as well as learning more about their natural history has earned him a lot of appreciation from the hundreds of participants on out Agumbe tours over the past 8 years. See some of his work at Shreeram M V Photography
Testimonials
Participants of previous tours to Agumbe say:
A very big thanks to Darter, It was wonderful Photographic journey, you were very patient, co-operation, and well organized team, good reviews, and training section, and theoretical sections were wonderful. Good work… Keep it UP!!!!! A. ParthibanChennai
Shreeram has been a great source of inspiration for me on this trip. His mentoring on macro photography & waterfall photography has certainly helped me a lot. Prashant JoshiPune
…its really a wonderful experience for me to spend time with people who are experts in different aspects of photography. Gururaghavendran.NBangalore
It was a memorable tour with Darter, well organised & i am sure will look forward to join other tours. Saandip Nandagudi
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.
Registration Details
The King Cobra Trail at Agumbe is a small-group tour and will have a maximum of 8 participants. To register for this tour, please fill in the form at the end of this page and we’ll get back to you with the details. You can also email us at photography@darter.in or call us at +91-97400 83260 (Shreeram).
Wildlife photography tours in the pristine rainforests of Western Ghats. Get up-close with the wonders of these forests and experience photography in the lap of nature.
Shreeram M V is a professional photographer, photography mentor and naturalist. What started off as a fascination for birds in a lake behind his house turned into a journey across the natural world. For this IIM Bangalore graduate, the passion for travel and wildlife enabled him to charter his own course outside the corporate world.