Welcome to Hornbill Camp! Prepare for the Ultimate Eco-Adventure and enjoy your stay as naturally as it gets! Let your stay  at this camp be one with nature as you discover the joys of birding in a lowland tropical forest. With over 275 species in such a small area, most of them endemics, Thattekkad offers a rare view into the world of birding in Kerala. The Hornbill Camp has been specifically planned to make you get the most out of your short stay here at Thattekkad.  This is the ideal place to sight the maximum numbers of birds in such a small  geographic area. The camp is so located, to perfectly blend in the jngle, so you can enjoy your own private jungle and the spectacular view of the river Periyar. Along its banks, birds  flock in their thousands and the cool ambience is the ultimate prize for the birder. This is the ideal place to be one with nature and observe nature in all its pristine glory as well as the birds in their magnificence. We recommend that you plan your trips during the months of October to March.

Among the specialties of this camp is the comfortable beds, en-suite attached European style closet, shower and running water. The food is  excellent, prepared with home-grown spices. It would indeed be the ultimate experience to watch the rain forest from your private verandah on the banks of  the gently flowing river Periyar !  

For all visitors to our camp, we arrange kayaking expeditions trips to discover the majesty of the thick  forests across the river, short walks in the plantations that surround the camp and village visits for those interested in the culture and lifestyles of the region. Our food is ethnic and cooked in fresh spices grown in the region.

The  Hornbill Camp has well appointed Cottage Tents set amidst the forests of Thattekkad. The tents are spacious & set up taking  into account a high level of luxury  & utility of modern living. En-suite toilet & insect proofing are some of the innovations of the tents at Hornbill camp. There is no regular  electric supply in the camp, but more than makes up with the spectacular ambience of the setting. Emergency  lanterns provide a modicum of lights at nights. The river Periyar meanders through right in front of the camp. The night is a chorus of the sounds of the tropical forest. Each  luxury cottage tent has its own private bathroom and an exclusive sit-out. 

The climate is pleasant throughout the year - October to February being the best months. The monsoons, however, are quiet heavy at Thattekkad during the months of June to August and hence the camp will remain closed for this duration.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, also known as the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in honour of the pre-eminent birder of all times in India, is located two hour’s drive from the port city of Kochi, near Kothamanagalam in Ernakulam district, on the northern bank of the Periyar river. The sanctuary was notified in 1983 based on a recommendation made by Dr. Salim Ali many years previously. He described Thattekkad in the 1930's as the richest bird habitat in peninsular India, comparable only with the Eastern Himalayas.  Much of the forest has now been converted to agricultural and plantation areas, but the surviving areas certainly give glimpses of the rich bird diversity of the once widespread lowland forests of Kerala. A trip through this sanctuary would certainly be a bonanza for any birder with its over 270 species in a relatively small area of 25 sq kms area. This is also home to most of the endemics of the Western Ghats. One should sight the Whitebellied Treepie, Rufous Babbler, Crimsonbacked Sunbird, White Bellied Blue Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill besides owls like the Mottled Wood Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Oriental scopes owl, Brown Fish Owl, Oriental Scopes Owl and Spotbellied Eagle Owl. You should also be able to sight the Red Spurfowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Indian Pitta, Black-throated Munia and the Grey headed fishing eagle.

Latitude : 76 deg 40' - 76 deg 45' N
Longitude : 10 deg 7' - 11 deg E
Altitude : 35- 523 m (Njayapilli peak)
Area  : 25.16 sq. km
Rainfall : 2500 mm annually
Forest type : Tropical semi-evergreen and tropical deciduous
Mammals : Elephant, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Porcupine