Western Ghats

Western Ghats or the Sahyādri range starts near the border of Gujarat and runs approximately 1,500 km Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka,Tamil Nadu and Kerala, ending at Kanyakumari in the south. It is an UNESCO approved World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world and over 5000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species. This range separates the Deccan Plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea.At least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats.

Silent Valley National Park

This world famous Heritage site spreads over around 240 square kilometers in area and is in Nilgiri Hills, Palakkad District, Kerala. The park enjoys the unique status of an undisturbed tracts of Mountain Rain Forest in India. It is the core of the Nilgiri International Boisphere Reserve (1,460Sq KMs). Silent Valley is home to the largest population of Lion tailed Macaque an endangered species pf monkeys. Endangered bird species like Ceylon Frogmouth and Hornbill are found in this virgin forests. Several rare species of crickets and grasshoppers have been recorded here. There are nearly 730 identified species of insects in the park. To add to its greatness, this area has about a 1000 species of flowering plants,

108 species of orchids, 100 types of ferns. A visit to Silent Valley will really enrich ones life.

Wayanad

Wayanad a favorite hot spot of tourists in the Malabar Region of Kerala, is part of the majestic Western Ghats, and is situated at an altitude ranging from 700 to 2100 m. History says that organised human life existed in these parts, at least nine centuries before Christ. Several evidences on the hills of Wayanad proves the existence of the New Stone Age Civilisations in and around it.Two caves of Ampukuthimala located between Ambalavayal and Sulthan Battery have rare carvings and pictorial writings on their walls , tells us about the past and glorious civilisation existed there. The must visit locations include the Pookode Lake, Chembra Peak (7000 ft), Banasura park( 6800 Ft) and Brahmagiri (5500 ft) .The Kabini River, one of the three East flowing rivers in Kerala is an important tributary of river Kaveri. River Kabini and its three tributaries satisfies the water requirements of entire Wynad district. The Banasura Dam is built on one of the tributaries of famous Kabini.

A tourists iterinery will be incomplete without a visit to a location in the Western Ghats especially locations like Wayanad and Munnar.