The Anamalai Tiger Reserve covers 958 square kilometres of Western Ghats forest straddling the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, beginning about 50 km south of Coimbatore. It holds tigers, elephants, leopards, gaurs, and an exceptional range of birdlife, and is one of the better places in India to see wild Asian elephants moving through open forest. The road in, from Coimbatore through Pollachi and up into the hills, is itself part of the pleasure, climbing past tea and coffee estates before the forest closes in.
The reserve is among the last strongholds of the Nilgiri tahr, a stocky wild goat unique to the Western Ghats that was hunted nearly to extinction by colonial-era sportsmen. The population here has recovered since protection began, and the animals can sometimes be seen from the forest roads. The reserve also shelters lion-tailed macaques in its evergreen pockets, along with sloth bears, dholes, and a long list of endemic birds that draw serious birdwatchers up from the plains.
Jeep safaris into the Valparai plateau section can be arranged through the forest department or local tour operators. The plateau village of Valparai has good guesthouses and makes a comfortable base for several days, letting you explore the reserve at an unhurried pace rather than rushing a single day trip from the city. The reserve is at its best from October to March; the southwest monsoon from June to September swells the streams and closes some tracks.