Amboli

See: There are several trails that nature enthusiasts can take to explore the biodiversity of the region. The most popular is a walk along Chaukul Road, where you can explore a variety of habitats, from evergreen forest to scrub to lateritic plateaus. During the monsoon, the plateaus are a haven for breeding frogs including the Amboli Tiger Toad. You’ll often see hundreds of them balled together in a mating frenzy. The small streams resonate with the call of Wrinkled Frogs at night. The area is also productive for birding. The open areas yield regular sightings of the Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Yellow-browed Bulbul and Malabar Grey Hornbill.

The forest park, a mix of human-altered and natural landscape, is another popular destination. Here, you can sight the Malabar Gliding Frog, Malabar Pit Viper, Bicolored Frog, and Green Vine Snake. From the second gate, you can go all the way to Parikshit Point, and explore relatively undisturbed forest. If you’re lucky, you could encounter rarely-seen caecilians (a form of legless amphibian) here.

There are other trails to Mahadevgadh point, the Malay stream, the Hiranyakeshi temple, all of which are productive spots to spot wildlife. Sightings of different species vary with the season. In August, look out for the Northern Dancing Frog that displays its amazing foot-flagging behaviour, reminiscent of a dance, during its breeding season. Butterflies such as the majestic Southern Birdwing, India’s largest butterfly and the beautiful Blue Mormon, Maharashtra’s state butterfly, are also regular sights here.

Shop: Locally produced lacquerware and Ganjifa cards make for good mementos to take back home.

Eat: The region in and around Amboli is a good place to enjoy some of the best Malvani seafood. Bhalekar Khanaval at Sawantwadi and Atithi Bambu at Tarkarli are among the famous eateries here.

• Keep an eye out for herpetofauna on the roads when driving in Amboli. Unfortunately, in peak season, too many snakes and frogs end up as roadkill. 
• Visitors need to be prepared for extremely heavy rains; this is among the wettest places in India.
• If you intend on venturing into the forests here, know there will be leeches and ticks.
• Night trails are the best way to come across reptiles and amphibians, since this is when they are most active.
• Avoid handling any of the wild animals you come across; leave that to the trained local guides. Animals such as pit vipers are venomous, and best viewed from a distance.
• Do not litter when you’re out and about in the field; pack plastics and other trash in a separate bag to dispose later.
• If you can, avoid festivals and long weekends, as Amboli can become very crowded at these times.
• It is always a good idea to register your group’s details before embarking on a trail. The forest department office is located close to the entry of the road to Mahadevgadh point.