Tranquil Valparai

Location: Valparai
Date: Sept 22nd to 26th, 2025.
To get there: From Bangalore via Krishnagiri Erode, Coimbatore(bypass), Pollachi or via Kollegal then Erode. Buses are also connected but you may have to change at Coimbatore or Pollachi. We took the Krishnagiri route when going and Kollegal while coming back where we got stuck on the narrower Sathyamangalam ghat section which allows huge transport vehicles. The ghat section from Pollachi to Valparai is a lovely drive with great views and well designed 40 hairpin bends each named after mostly birds and some animals using large boards.
Distance: Approx. 450km, 9hrs by car.
Facilities: It is quite a large hill town similar to Ooty with mostly tea estates all around.

Valparai was always enticing for us due to its unique location and bio diversity but too far. But, after considering it we would eventually choose Coorg, Wayanad or Ooty. This time when we wanted to go some place quiet to relax and do some birdwatching, it was a now or never vote for Valparai.

Bird watchers nest at Vellode

To manage the long 9 hours drive, we planned a stop at Erode and spent couple of hours in Vellode Bird Sanctuary. This gave us a glimpse to this well managed water body that hosts migrants as well as give us the much needed break. The ducks had not arrived yet but we did spot the Blue-tailed King fisher as our migrant.

Hairpin 28/40
Malabar Trogon

Valparai

The ghat section with 40 hairpins was a lovely drive from Pollachi to Valparai. Its just 40 kms but takes nearly 2 hrs. Road was wide, well maintained with good views though no proper view points where we could stop and enjoy. Each bend was named after an western ghat bird or animal and few as a tribute to persons/places, I think. A lovely way to educate as well as make the drive fun.



We had decided on tea bungalows for our stay so that we would be away from the main city and enjoy the quietness of tea estates. First 2 nights were in a wooden chalet at Sirukundram managed by Briar group, next 2 nights were in the bungalow at Rotti Kadai, managed by Murugappa group under Sinna Dorai brand.

Sambar deer

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

In the 3 full days we stayed at Valparai, we had 2 good birding sessions. Mostly because it was drizzling a lot and we also chose to just chill out and not go out of our way to do our walks. The first one was accidental. We were relaxing after our breakfast at Sirukundram when our main host knocked on our chalet to let us know he had spotted the Great Hornbill! This would be a lifer for us, so we quickly scrambled out with binoculars and camera following him past their kitchen at the backside of the bungalow to the front area. And lo and behold through the branches and perched majestically on eucalyptus trees were 2 Great Hornbills! Even at about 100 mtrs far they looked huge. Once I had my fill of observing it, I went back to get my 600mm lens. The birds were still happily perched in the same place. Our host then guided us out of the property to a trail in the tea estate from where we got better views and could spot 5 in the flock which is kind of a record even for them. The trail itself was fantastic with a small copse where we spotted a pair of Blue-bearded bee-eaters, Nilgiri flycatcher, among others. Another highlight was a large flock, upwards of 100, of Hill mynahs murmuring from tree to tree which was lovely to watch.

Great Hornbills

Emerald Dove

The 2nd bird outing was from Rotti Kadai in an organized paid bird walk that started from their Moulmein property. The area around the bungalow itself was amazing or maybe we just got lucky but within 10 mins of us getting out of the car, we spotted the Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Gray Wagtail, Little Spiderhunter, Malabar Flameback, among others. We then drove out about a kilometer and birded from the road for another kilometer or so. The spotting was sparse here but the walk was very enjoyable. We did spot the Great Hornbill again... far far away on the hill and the Stripe-necked mongoose foraging. On way back, we got our heart full of Emerald dove foraging on their driveway and then a pair of Velvet-fronted Nuthatches hopping around the branches.

Lion-tailed Macaque

We did some walks in few other recommended places with limited sightings probably because of the dull rainy weather or we just were not lucky. On mammals, we spotted Indian Gaur all over the Rotti Kadai estates, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Sambar Deer, Jungle (Western ghats) palm squirrel, Indian (Malabar) Giant squirrel.

Indian Gaurs

Overall, we enjoyed this location very much. We hardly spent any time in the city. Just drove through it few times. It looked crowded. The tea estates, bungalow surroundings, and birding places were quiet and relaxing. Lets just say tranquil! One can easily spend a few hours just watching and walking around in nature trails within estates or near them. For nature lovers, a visit to Annamalai Nature information center is a must with this wonderful exhibits. There is also a path along side it for some bird watching.

Check out the photo album from the trip.


Ebird check lists with bird images.


Vellode Bird Sanctuary
Puthu Thotam Estate
Sirikundram Bungalow area
Moulmein Estate bird walk
Thenmalai Fragment