It has been a year since Trek Tamil Nadu started its guided treks. I still remember last Deepavali, when Vinod and I were at Kalikesam to escape the noise of crackers, we saw the guides getting ready to welcome trekkers who had booked their slots online. We were excited to see local trekkers showing interest in exploring trails in Kanniyakumari district. But unfortunately, no one turned up, and the guides were quite disappointed. At that time, I couldn’t join any treks because of our little one. I told Vinod, “If only they had started this a few years earlier, we would have gone on all the trails they mentioned.”
Fast forward to one year later — Trek Tamil Nadu was celebrating its first anniversary. I met the guides again at the Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary and was happy to hear that they now have regular trekkers on three routes inside the sanctuary. We were asked to accompany the guides on all the routes and teach them about birds, butterflies, wildflowers, and other small wildlife. It was an exciting opportunity, and we decided to start with the Balamore trek.
Because of the weather and our KNF work, the plan got postponed several times. Finally, at the end of October, after days of heavy rain, the weather cleared, and we began our trek around 7 a.m. with our guide, Rajesh. Rajesh, an enthusiastic young guide, was eager to learn about the smaller wildlife we pointed out. He also shared his own experiences with trekkers from different parts of Tamil Nadu.
Right at the start of the trail, we came across a fig tree full of fruits, attracting a feast of birds — Grey-headed Pigeon, Malabar Barbet, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Racket-tailed Drongo, and Bronze Drongo. After the rains, the Shampoo Ginger plants were glowing bright red along the path. Rajesh mentioned that he often shows trekkers how the “shampoo” oozes out of the cone when squeezed.
This trail is also famous among butterfly enthusiasts, and it didn’t disappoint. We saw Malabar Rose, Tailed Jay, Tamil Yeoman, Tamil Lacewing, Commander, and Clipper butterflies along the way. Near the stream, Blue-banded Pierrot and Tailless Line Blue butterflies were mud-puddling. A beautiful Red Pierrot fluttered around its host plant, Kalanchoe pinnata. Vinod explained to Rajesh how the caterpillar of this butterfly lives inside the leaf, making it hard to spot from outside.
The vegetation at first was mostly bamboo, then gradually changed to taller trees like Bombax ceiba and Terminalia bellirica, followed again by bamboo patches. We saw many invasive plants such as African Snakeweed, Lantana camara, and American mint, but here and there a few native plants were making a comeback. Near the stream, we also spotted Arenga wightii palms.
All along the way, we observed tiny creatures — treehoppers, clown grasshoppers, spiders, praying mantises, stick insects — perched on leaves or moving through the grass. I even saw a cute “cat-faced” caterpillar and a fat silk moth caterpillar crossing the path.
I kept checking the wet rocks for wildflowers, and near the end of the trail, we finally found some — Sonerila, Henckelia, and Twisted Arum. That spot looked untouched by invasives or human activity, and I imagined that the whole trail must have looked like this many years ago. Later, we learned that Henckelia missionis (Kanniyakumari Stone Flower) is found only in a few parts of this sanctuary.
We had our breakfast at the end of the trail, near an estate, though I would have preferred to sit beside a stream. Soon, dark clouds began to gather, and we started our return walk. Since Vinod regularly treks and I do so only occasionally, I was slower than the others. That turned out to be lucky — because I noticed a beautiful Doll Orchid, a single plant in bloom, which we had missed earlier. After taking several photos, we continued walking.
The forest was peaceful, broken only by the calls of a Nilgiri Langur or Grey Junglefowl. Then, sadly, we came across a dead Forest Green Lizard on the road. It had eggs spilled beside it — a heartbreaking sight. Seeing roadkills even on these quiet forest roads makes one wonder how many small, helpless creatures die unnoticed on busy highways.
As we neared the end, a light drizzle began. I felt happy to have finally done this trek with Trek Tamil Nadu and Vinod. Back at the junction, we treated ourselves to a large glass of cool sarbath — the perfect way to end a beautiful day in the forest.