Conservation Site No. 1- Cotigaon Wildlife, Goa
South of Goa is a house of not just pretty beaches but also rich Wildlife. The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary is one such place with its own Butterfly Garden, Museum, Library, Cottages and a rescue centre. Its a dense Forest Tall trees, Many species of Inserts and Snakes and some very Rare birds like Slender Loris, Flying Squirrel, Four Horned Antelope, Heart spotted woodpecker, etc. I also found Viper snakes camouflaged perfectly in a green bush. They also have a night safari to spot the nocturnal birds. There are total of 8 Nature Trails in the sanctuary and multiple waterholes for spotting. There is 25 feet high Watchtower from where you can see the birds and flying Squirrel too if you are lucky.
How To Reach- You can either take a flight or train to Goa. Coatigao is about 40 Kms south of Madgaon Station in Goa. It takes 1 hour journey to reach the entry of the sanctuary. Its recommended to hire a car for the whole duration of stay.
How Many Days- 2 Nights in the Wildlife Conservation hub is good to explore the whole stretch
Where To Stay- You can either stay inside the sanctuary in the cottages or outside the sanctuary near Palolem Beach.
This World Environment Day, lets talk about a series of Best Conservation hubs of India.... Wildlife and Environmental conservation is one of the best professions yet the least recognised one. These guys work day and Night with the Nature so that our feature generation get to see the Animals alive and not just in books as extinct species.
Conservation Site No. 2- Gir National Park, Gujurat
Gir National Park is the home of Asiatic Lions. It is a huge deciduous forest which is fully protected as a National Park. There are planned Safaris that take you through the various Gates in a systematic manner. Only a few cars are released everyday and hence a pre booking is necessary. Safari booking is done for 5-6 people per Jeep. You can also spot Leopards and Antelopes along with many migratory birds
How to Reach- You can take a train or an overnight bus till Rajkot and hire a cab till Gir. Gir is around 4-5 Hours away from Rajkot.
How Many Days- 3-4 days stay is good for Gir. There is a Wildlife Jeep Safari, a small National Park Bus Tour, And many natural trails for a walk in the wild or bird watching. November to March are ideal months to visit.
Where To Stay- Many hotels and resorts are available in the Area. If you are looking for peace and luxury then Club Mahindra Gir is highly recommended. They offer Swiss Tent experience too.
Conservation Site No. 3 - Jim Corbett National Park, Uttrakhand
This dense forested area in Uttrakhand houses Royal Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Wild Elephants and hundreds of birds. Its a huge National park with 5-6 different Gates for Safari along with a Core region where no one is allowed. You can choose from a bus Safari, Jeep Safari or an elephant safari at different times through the day in the hope to spot tigers in atleast one safari.
How To Reach- Jim Corbett is centrally located. It can be reached by road from Delhi, Dehradun or Nainital. However private vehicles are prohibited in the reserve.
How Many Days- A 2 Night 3 Day trip is good for Corbett. You can club it with Nanital or Binsar for a longer vacation
Where To Stay- There are limited stay options at Jim Corbett like Den Corbett Resort, Safari Park Resort, Club Mahindra Jim Corbett, etc.
Conservation Site No 4 - Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Maharashtra
Karnala is beautiful trail that leads to a peaceful fort a short distance away from Mumbai. Karnala Bird Sanctuary is near Panvel on the old Mumbai - Pune Highway. The sanctuary is divided into two parts, the first is the trail that leads to the Karnala Fort and the second is on the other side of the road which is a dense forest. Both parts are home to beautiful and rare birds as well as wildlife. Make sure you go with a good camera and a lot of patience to spot these birds and run after them to get a good shot.
On slightly rarer occasions, spotting of jackals, deer, jungle cats and leopards have been reported.
How To Reach- Drive from Mumbai is around 1.5 Hours to 2 Hours. There is no public transport that can take you there.
How Many Days - A one day trip is good but it is recommended to go early in the morning or late afternoon to spot birds
Where To Stay- Stay is not required as such but there are small guests houses around if you like to do an overnight trip and wake up early in the morning for bird photography.
Conservation Site No 5- Kaas Plateau, Maharashtra
Kaas is a beautiful Hill top near Satara that blooms up every year in the month of September-October. Its has more than 25 species of flowers and many butterflies that visit these flowers. The whole plateau is an array of colors with miniature flowers spread like a bedsheet in patches. This place is protected conservation site and only a restricted number of people are allowed access at a given point of time. You need to park your vehicle at the entrace and register at the the main centre. They then take you in the private bus to the allocated gate. There are 4 gates to different sections and all have the same set of flowers blooming.
Kaas is also home to the Karvi flower, these pink beauties bloom once in eight years and are a stunning sight to see!
How To Reach - From Mumbai you need to drive down to Kaas Pathar. It is very close to Satara and takes about 7 hours to reach.
How Many Days- One day trip is good for Kaas but it is an overnight journey from Mumbai. Reaching Kaas early morning and enjoying the sunrise is advisable.
Where to Stay- If you want to make it a full weekend trip, you can stay overnight in Satara or Mahabaleshwar or Panchgani and drive from there to Kaas Lake. It's just one hour drive from Mahabaleshwar.
Conservation Site No 6- Tungareshwar National Park
Another National Park just at the outskirts of Mumbai. It is one hour drive away from Dahisar towards Virar. Its a beautiful national park with many small watch towers and pretty trails. The trail leads to a water stream which is the perfect spot to spot some really good birds. We were lucky to spot some 6-7 different birds here. The park also has a rich wildlife and Reptiles like lizards and snakes. Visiting in the early hours of the day is highly recommended.
How To Reach- From Mumbai u can either drive your own vehicle or hire Ola Uber for few hours and visit this place. Its within Virar so technically no Outstation booking required.
How Many Days- Half a day trip is good to visit here. Either early in the morning or later in the afternoon
Where To Stay - There is no accommodation in the national park. You can either stay near fountain hotel or the various highway resorts like Goldern Tulip, Suvi Palace, etc.
