The Western Ghats are one of those intimidating natural WHSs to visit. With 39 locations scattered across a huge area of India, it's difficult enough to determine the geographical location of each location, let along whether it is accessible to visitors. After earlier considering Eravikulam National Park near the popular tourist spot of Munnar in Kerala, but then ruling it out as it's closed in January and February due to calving season, we decided to go with Silent Valley National Park, based on Nan's review.

There's actually a decent amount of information about Silent Valley NP online, thanks to its website and various reviews. However, when we tried to make a booking for a safari by email, we were told to call up! Of course it's a landline phone number that's not on WhatsApp, so a phone call was required. We also received no response when trying to book a driver through our Coimbatore Hotel - a common occurrence in southern India. 

Luckily, despite our misgivings, everything worked out. We visited as a day trip from Coimbatore, about 2 hours each way (even less early in the morning), only booking our 6am pick-up when we arrived at our hotel about 8pm the night before. We were told our safari departed at 8am, although it looked like some safaris departed later, and I'm not sure a booking was essential. Foreigners are pushed onto the safari jeep option, which is not too much more expensive for multiple people (2954 rupees for 2 people, versus 2 x 932 rupees) - but if you're single the mini bus is a lot cheaper.

We enjoyed the safari more than expected. Our jeep was very new and the dreaded bumpy road is now a pair of concrete tracks most of the way - the only bumpy sections were 1km in the centre and the short potholed road between the information/booking centre and the park gate. We regularly stopped along the way to view animals and the forest. After 90 minutes, we reached the end of the road, where we ascended the very tall (but quite sturdy) viewing tower for glimpses of pristine forest and took a short walk through the forest. The animal highlights were a Malabar Giant Squirrel, multiple Nilgiri Langurs, a brightly-coloured White-Bellied Woodpecker and week old elephant poo. We returned about 12:30pm. 

Note that despite the multiple signs for Silent Valley National Park, the national park only properly starts at the end of the road, near the viewing tower. There is a 20km buffer zone around the park, which according to the UNESCO maps is called the Attapardi Reserved Forest, which is another location in the core zone for the WHS - yes, you definitely enter the core zone! I also loved the sign at the info centre: "We go to forests not merely to see wild animals, such journey should be for imbibing the wild and free feeling of wilderness".