Also known as the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. This is very close [30 min] from Cochins Nedumbassery airport and barely 10min from Kothamangalam where we stayed at the best service Hotel Maria International. I have already posted my review under Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary but then I saw this as Thattekad so I decided to add a bit more. This sanctuary is best known for the highly endangered Ceylon Frogmouth birds and we were lucky to see and photograph a pair resting on a low tree branch.
These are nocturnal birds so they do not fly off in the daytime and the guides always know their perching spots! It is compulsory to engage a guide to enter the forest area, and it is most rewarding to do so. The huge Kerala butterflies are also a delight as are the exotic insects such as the lantern moth, yam fly etc. We also saw a lot of epiphytic orchids and phalaenopsis and pholidota were in full bloom.