Jungle Bird - Home Stay in Ernakulam - Ernakulam, India

I thoroughly recommend this place for birding activities in Thattekad, a premier birding site in India. Sudhamma and Girish, the hosts of this homestay, were very hospitable and went out of their way to ensure that we had a pleasant stay and a memorable birding experience. The stay includes 3 meals + afternoon tea. The kitchen is managed by Sandhya and she does a superb job with vegetarian as well as non-veg Indian meals. Sudhamma and Girish are avid birders and there is little that they do not know about the birds of this area. We used their services for 3 half-day tours and we were completely satisfied with what we saw. Though you can see many of the more common birds of the neighborhood from the verandah outside the room (and the roof top), the more exotic ones require forays into the forest. And, there are exotic birds here such as the Black Baza which migrates all the way from China in the winter months. Girish took it upon himself to show us one. The rooms are large and we had everything that we needed for a comfortable stay. If anything is amiss just ask, as we did. They can arrange for local transportation with an auto, if needed.

Girish and his family's hospitality makes you feel you are at home. Authentic Mallu food and with great people. I enjoyed my stay here.

We really enjoyed our stay here. The hosts are really lovely and we enjoyed talking with them. The food was some of the best we had in our whole time in India, it was delicious. The room was clean, neat and tidy. We enjoyed sunset on the rooftop overlooking the water. It was a lovely stay and I would highly recommended this place.

Parfait pour les amateurs d'oiseaux. Situe juste a cote de la reserve, 2 experts passionnes sauront vous guider pour voir le maximum d'oiseaux. On y mange bien, les chambres sont spacieuses et propre. C'est egalement l'occasion de rencontrer d'autres voyageurs passionnes

Jungle Bird Homestay is the place for Birding in Thattekad. The rooms are large and comfortable with all amenities. I was able to spot 25 species of birds from the balcony even during rainy weather. The location is perfect being inside the Sanctuary and walking distance to the trails. The fresh homecooked meals are something to look forward to, being delicious and wholesome with a local flair. Gireesh Chandran is truly an artist when it comes to bird watching, knowing the calls of over 300 species and being able to mimic most of them. There are no bird feeders, he takes you into the wild for an authentic birding experience.

Why can you only give 5 stars, I want to give more! Amazing location, fantastic birding, and delightful hosts who were not in the least fazed by the presence of a blind guest (my wife) but were thoughtful, kind and caring. Sudha and Geerish are top class bird guides who really know their stuff, you will find dozens of species quite easily but they will find you many more. Try for the rooms with the veranda overlooking the lake. Thoroughly recommended!

A nice and comfy homestay within Thattekad bird Sanctuary. The hosts are very nice and one can feel at home in their hospitality. You can avail all the amenities of a good hotel in the rooms including geysers and air-conditioning. The food is great. They serve non- veg.

Our second visit to Jungle Bird. The premier bird watching location in India you are guaranteed many bird sightings when you go bird watching in Thattekad with Gireesh or his mum Sudah. No need to pay to join large organised tour groups staying an hours drive away in expensive "lodges". Just come here and let Sandia cook her amazing food for you after an early morning, or dusk walk, at very reasonable prices, particularly when considering the high levels of experience and consistency of the guides. Very highly recommended.