The Western Ghats are a chain of hills extending more than 1,600km along the west coast of India, separating Goa from the state of Karnataka. With deciduous and tropical rainforests, montane forests, grasslands and scrub forests, the region has one of the richest collection of flora and fauna on earth and has been designated as one of the world’s 18 bio-diversity hotspots.
There are over 1,800 species of plants, 330 species of butterflies, 100 species of frogs and over 10 species of bats - including the very rare wroughton’s free-tailed bat, the Indian flying fox, the false vampire bat, the short-nosed fruit bat and the painted bat.
Just a 2-hour drive from Goa, the Western Ghats are well worth a visit for all nature lovers and for those looking for a bit of a contrast from beach life.