Goa is not just about the beautiful sun-kissed beaches. There’s a mysterious side to Goa that comes alive in the monsoons. The mountains of Goa, part of the Western Ghats, are home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. Many of them are still being discovered and described to this day. Welcome to Darter’s Rainforest Rendezvous photography tour to Goa.There is more than one surprise waiting to be unravelled here. Trees that glow in the dark. Saw-scaled Vipers hiding under rocks. Colourful Yellow-browed Bulbuls flitting from tree to tree. Huge Tiger Centipedes hunting actively at dusk. Iconic Malabar Gliding Frogs calling out to females near the ponds. And the Malabar Pit Vipers waiting for them to make a wrong leap. We could go on and on.
Our destination – Chorla Ghat – is set amidst the rainforests of the Western Ghats, with unparalleled views of the mighty Vazra waterfalls. Darter Mentor Shreeram M V and Goa’s superstar herpetologist Nirmal Kulkarni will bring alive this photography tour with their insights about the natural world and the techniques of photographing them. All this while you explore the wilderness the way it has to be explore – on foot. Taking in the sights, sounds and smells. And being mesmerized with every step!
Jump to ◆ Overview ◆ Tour Highlights ◆ Is this tour for you? ◆ Accommodation ◆ Getting There ◆ Tour Price ◆ Join This Tour ◆ Photography Mentor ◆ Detailed Itinerary
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Wildlife photography tours to the pristine rainforests of Western Ghats. Get up-close with the wonders of these forests and experience photography in the lap of nature. -
Tour Dates
July 25-28, 2024
Tour Price
₹37,950/-(Double Occupancy)
Max Group:8 Participants
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 Ghat birds like Malabar Grey Hornbills, Yellow-browed Bulbuls and Malabar Trogons are seen here.
Visit a plateau ecosystem that offers vast prospects for observing and photographing uncommon biodiversity of the region. In the latter part of the monsoon season, these plateaus come alive with numerous flowering plants, each of them adding a different colour to the landscape. And hidden under the rocks are wonders like Saw-scaled Vipers, Olive Forest Snakes and a variety of wildlife.
Rainforest Rendezvous is a great opportunity to photograph these less photographed creatures. Shreeram M V, Darter Photography Expert on this tour, calls the rainforests of the Western Ghats his second home in the monsoons and has been photographing here for over a decade. He will guide you on photographing not just the myriad forms of life here but also the wonderful scenes of the rainforest – from the canopy to the numerous waterfalls and streams.
Renowned researcher and herpetologist Nirmal Kulkarni leads us on the trails to discover the myriad forms of wildlife here. Learn a great deal about the elusive wildlife in the depths of the Western Ghats. His extensive knowledge about rainforests and conservation will enrich our interactions. Interact with researchers at the Mhadei Research Centre to understand more about field techniques.
Our stay at Swapnagandha Resort offers unparalleled views of the mighty Vazra waterfalls. The comfortable rooms, delicious food and wildlife all around us make this an amazing setting for a memorable wildlife photography tour this monsoon!
Tour Highlights
The tour includes:
Is this Tour For You?
This tour is for you if you:
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 the rainforest at Goa, 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
Accommodation
We will be staying at Swapnagandha Resort, Chorla Ghat, Goa. Swapnagandha is snuggled cozily amidst picturesque setting of the fabled Western Ghats landscape of Goa at a height of 700 meters above sea level in full view of the majestic Vazra Sakla, a 143 meter waterfall on one side and the tranquill Anjunem backwaters on the other.
The cottages at Swapnagandha have been created by following International Eco Standards and present an unobstructed view of the famed Swapnagandha valley, with its majestic waterfalls and forests.
Getting there
Swapnagandha Resort, the venue for this tour, is located near Sankhali, Chorla Ghat, Goa. It is around 65km from Panjim and 60km from Belgaum. We can arrange for transport from Panjim/Belgaum at an additional cost.
Travel tip: If you are traveling from Bangalore, Belgaum is closer and has good train and bus connectivity. Contact us if you need help with booking transportation from Bangalore to Belgaum. In case you plan to drive to Swapnagandha Resort, we could also provide assistance with car-pooling.
Tour Price
The price of the tour is Rs.37,950/- per person on twin-sharing basis (inclusive of 5% GST).
If you’d like to choose single accommodation during the tour, the single supplement is Rs.14,000 extra.
The tour price includes
The tour price does not include
Cancellation Policy:
– 20% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation on or before 30 days before start of tour
– 50% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 29 to 15 days before start of tour
– 70% of full tour fee is charged as cancellation fee on cancellation between 14 to 7 days before start of tour
– No refund for cancellation on or after 6 days before start of tour, or for no-show
If you have any questions about the tour, please email us at photography@darter.in or WhatsApp/call Shreeram at +91 97400 83260. You could also fill in the form at the end of this page and we’ll get back to you with the 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.
The Western Ghats 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 our Rainforest Rendezvous tours over the past 8 years. See some of his work at Shreeram M V Photography
Herpetologist and Rainforest Expert – Nirmal Kulkarni
Nirmal U. Kulkarni, herpetologist and field ecologist, is well known for his research and conservation initiatives in the Mhadei Bio region. He is a Director at Wildernest. His specialized fields include wildlife photography and conservation related studies of herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) in the Sahyadris. A committed ecologist and wildlifer, Nirmal Kulkarni is widely known as conservation circles and spends most of his time studying herpetofauna in the Sahyadris. He was part of a team that discovered three new species of legless amphibians, the caecilians – Goan caecilian (Gegeneophis goaensis), Mahdei caecilian (Gegeneophis mhadeiensis), and the Chorla Giant striped Ichthyophis (Ichthyophis davidi) – besides having mapped and extensively documented the lesser-known biodiversity of the region.
A graduate in Applied Art from the Goa College of Art, Nirmal has also completed his Masters in Environment and Ecology. He has to his credit, the distinction of being Goa’s youngest Hon Wildlife Warden and is a Member of State Wildlife Advisory Board. A state Yuva Awardee, Nirmal is also the recipient of Sarpamitra award from the Indian Herpetological Society for conservation and research work in snakes an the state of Goa and has been a member of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan state committee. He was also awarded the Carl Zeiss Conservation Award in 2011 for his research and conservation initiatives in the Mhadei Bio region. He has compiled a book on Goan Wildlife called ‘The Goan Jungle Book’.
Detailed ltinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Swapnagandha Resort at Chorla Ghat before 12 noon. After check-in and lunch, we’ll go through an orientation session about the rainforest and photography in the rainforest. Nirmal would also explain the Snake Bite protocol and other precautions that need to be taken. We’ll then head out for a nature trail around Swapnagandha resort to familiarise ourselves with the place and what to expect. In the evening, we’ll review the photographs clicked during the day, with the Darter Photography Expert giving his inputs on techniques and composition. After dinner, we’ll head out on a night trail around the resort looking for nocturnal animals like Snakes and Frogs.
Day 2 and 3: We start with an early breakfast, where we do a debrief about the learnings from the previous day. On Day 2, we’ll head to a unique plateau eco-system. This is an open area, with a lot of rocks and small streams. We’ll look for some interesting forms of life, including Freshwater Eeels, Shieldtails (snakes) and Caecilians (limbless amphibians resembling snakes). We’ll also spend time with researchers at the Mhadei Research Centre to get a glimpse into their areas of research and methodologies. On Day 3, we’ll do a nature trail in the forests around Swapnagandha/Wildernest resort. If the weather is clear, we may get to see many species of birds and butterflies too, in addition to the countless insects, snakes and frogs. In the evening, after photography reviews and dinner, we’ll head out on a night trail or night drive (depending on the weather) looking for nocturnal animals.
Day 4: A relaxed morning where we can admire the beauty of the Vazra falls and take a walk around the resort. We meet for breakfast, followed by a debrief of the learnings on the tour. We’ll leave Swapnagandha by 11 AM, with some amazing memories and lots of photographs on our memory cards.
Please note that the above itinerary is indicative and might be subject to changes based on weather and any other circumstances that might arise during the course of the tour.
Registration Details
This tour is limited to 8 participants only. To join the tour, please contact us by email/WhatsApp/phone or by filling up the form at the end of the page.
email: photography@darter.in
WhatsApp/Call: +91 97400 83260 (Shreeram)