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Home ❯ Travel ❯ Destinations

Western-ghats

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WESTERN GHATS TOURISM

A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the eight hottest bio-diversity hotspots in the world, the Western Ghats are a mountain range, spread over 1600 km in western India. Stretching north to south along the western edge of the Deccan plateau it is also called the ‘Great Escarpment of India’ and starts from the border of Gujarat and ends at Kanyakumari.

The mountain range extends over Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and contains 39 properties including wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and reserve forests, which have been designated as World Heritage Sites. Several hill stations, cities and lakes, which are popular tourist destinations are part of this range.

The Western Ghats are divided in to several hill ranges, such as the Sahyadris, Nilgiris, Anaimalai hills and Cardamom hills. The Sahyadhri range consists of numerous hill stations like Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani and Amboli ghat. The Nilgiri range is home to famous hill stations like Ooty, Coonoor, Wayanad, Coorg, Idukki and Munnar.

Anaimudi peak (8,842 ft) on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border is the highest peak in the Western Ghats. Other prominent peaks include Mullayanagari (6,317 ft) and Kudremukh (6,110 ft) in Karnataka and Kalsubai (5,427) in Maharashtra among others.

The area of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive and was declared an ecological hotspot in 1988. The mountain range is home to over 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species and 179 amphibian species which are not found elsewhere in the world.

To protect the endangered species and restrict human activities, the government has established many protected areas including two biosphere reserves, 13 national parks and several wildlife sanctuaries. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected area in the Western Ghats. Covering an area of 5500 sq km, this reserve comprises the evergreen forests of Nagarhole, deciduous forests of Bandipur National Park, Nagu in Karnataka and adjoining regions of Wayanad, Mudumalai National Park and Mukurthi National Park in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively.

The Western Ghats are home to several endangered species such as the Malabar large-spotted civet, lion-tailed macaque, which are seen in the Silent Valley national Park and Kudremukh National Park. Other endangered animals are the Asian elephants, which can be spotted in the Nilgiri Bio-sphere reserve. Other popular mammals found in the Western Ghats are tiger, sloth bear, leopard, wild boars, sambar, black panther, Great Indian Hornbill.

Of the 508 species of birds found in the Western Ghats, about 500 can be seen in Karnataka’s Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, which is located at the northern end of the Malabar ranges. Birds like Nilgiri wood-pigeon, white-bellied shortwing and broad-tailed grassbird, grey-breasted laughingthrush and many others are seen in the Western Ghats. About 102 species of fish are found in the water bodies of Western Ghats.

Hill stations like Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Khandala, Munnar, Ponmudi, Wayanad are some of the several tourist hotspots in Western Ghats. Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pampadam Shola National Park, Begur Wildlife Sanctuary, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thattekad, Phansad Bird Sanctuary and Karnala Bird Sanctuary are some of the wildlife reserves located in the Western Ghats.

Kodaikanal, Lovedale, Coonoor, Yercaud, Meghmalai, Valparai, Kumily, Thenmala, Sulthan Bathery, Ranipuram, Mattupetty, Wayanad, Idukki, Vagamon, Nelliyampathy, Vythiri, Ponmudi and Chikmagalur are some of the prominent towns located in the mountain range.


THINGS TO DO IN WESTERN GHATS

All Adventure

Jungle walks

The three hour jungle walks guided by trained professionals is the best way to explore…

Periyar lake cruze

The Periyar lake cruze journey lasts for around 2 hours and is operated by the…

View all things to do in WESTERN GHATS

Articles About WESTERN GHATS

  • Top 7 Most Beautiful Train Routes In India

    On this unique journey, you will come across amazing natural marvels including the majestic, magnificent Western Ghats or the Sahyadri Mountain range which is a…

    Tahir Qureshi May 15, 2022, 3:18 pm IST

  • Do You Know About The Glowing Forest In Maharashtra? A Surreal Beauty To Experience This Season!

    Every thought of trekking in a glowing forest? How, when and where? Read here for details

    Travel Staff July 23, 2022, 3:08 pm IST

  • World Rainforest Day 2022: Leap Into The Wild And Explore Depth Of Indian Rainforests

    Trek into the depths of the tropical rainforests in India and discover the hidden beauty that must be preserved.

    Travel Staff June 22, 2022, 8:34 pm IST

  • Mumbai-Pune Train Travel To Become More Scenic From June 26 With New Vistadome Coach | See Pics

    The Vistadome coaches have large windows on the sides and glass panels on the roof to provide better viewing experience.

    India.com Business Desk June 23, 2021, 11:38 pm IST

  • Want to Know The UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites in India? Read on

    Check out the protected areas that have been included in the World Heritage biodiversity areas list.

    Harsha S December 8, 2014, 5:29 pm IST

  • India's Rainforests: From Assam And Meghalaya to Andaman And Nicobar Islands

    From upper Assam to southern states of Karnataka and Kerala all the way to Andaman and Nicobar islands, these amazing rainforests of India are a…

    Dilip Merala July 7, 2017, 11:42 am IST

  • How to Reach Bhandardara, Maharashtra's Prime Monsoon Destination Near Igatpuri

    Maharashtra is home to some of the finest monsoon destinations of India and Bhandardara near Igatpuri is one of them.

    Dilip Merala July 3, 2017, 11:26 am IST

  • 5 Places in The Western Ghats That Must be Explored During The Monsoon

    Lush carpets of green and a pleasant misty weather envelope the Western Ghats during the monsoons.

    Charu Chowdhary August 30, 2019, 8:01 pm IST

  • Why a Trek to Harischandragad is One of The Most Challenging Ones in India

    Why a Trek to Harischandragad is One of The Most Challenging Ones in India

    Charu Chowdhary December 13, 2018, 3:21 pm IST

  • Want to See King Cobra in Its Natural Habitat? Head to Agumbe

    Want to See King Cobra in Its Natural Habitat? Head to Agumbe

    Charu Chowdhary December 6, 2018, 5:50 pm IST

View all articles about WESTERN GHATS

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Featured Articles on Western Ghats

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Do You Know About The Glowing Forest In Maharashtra? A Surreal Beauty To Experience This Season!

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More on Western Ghats Travel Guide

  • Places to Visit in Western Ghats
  • Things to Do in Western Ghats
  • How to Reach Western Ghats
  • Articles about Western Ghats
  • Photos of Western Ghats
  • Western Ghats Map

Things to Do in western-ghats

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