Wildlife Travel in India
Generally, the dry season between October and May is the best time to visit wildlife parks and natural areas in India. This is sometimes necessitated by the fact that many of the parks (especially central and north Indian) are closed for tourism is the peak rainy season between June and September. April and May are typically uncomfortably hot, especially for travel in the plains, but forested and mountainous natural areas are an excellent getaway from the heat.
South India's climate is moderate compared to much of mainland India and we recommend travel throughout the year in the region. Summers are hot and humid, but rarely extreme, it is also the best time to observe congregations of mammals near water-bodies in the foothill forests of the Western Ghats.
The wildlife rich mountains of the Western Ghats receives most of its
annual rainfall (exceeding 9000 mm/annum in some locations), between June and September.
The rains are a challenge to getting around in wildlife rich areas of the mountains, where
slush and leeches are constant companions, but bring with it abundances of certain animal groups
(amphibians and fossorial snakes).
The dry, cooler season between October and
March, is an excellent time to explore the biota of the Western Ghats, as it is for travel throughout
India (barring the high himalayas). This is also the season when migratory wetland birds, arrive in great numbers to inhabit coastal wetlands and freshwater ecosystems in several hotspots around India. The period between July and March is a good time to visit natural areas in the
plains and lower hills of interior peninsular India, often less sheltered from the summer heat than
the forested Western Ghats, but also more accessible in the rainy season.
Comfort zones
Accommodation can vary from very basic (only a leaky roof over your head in some locations!) to luxurious (in a limited number of locations). Some itineraries can also necessitate good to excellent physical condition, especially for long walks in mountainous, uneven terrain.
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