to walk here in the rains is to step straight into a living terrarium, made entirely by nature
amboli
a paradise for Macro photography in India
UPCOMING PHOTO TOURS
In the dense monsoon forests of the Western Ghats lies Amboli, a landscape where life reveals itself slowly. Beneath dripping moss, inside leaf litter, across wet bark and forest streams, exists an astonishing world most travellers never notice.
This is India's most celebrated macro biodiversity workshop, held at the peak of monsoon when Amboli's forest floor transforms into a living stage. Whether you've never used a macro lens or you've been doing this for years, the forest will challenge and reward you in equal measure.
During peak monsoon nights, forest trails around Amboli come alive with endemic bush frogs, shieldtail snakes, colourful arboreal insects and rain-active reptiles adapted to the moisture-rich forests of the Western Ghats.
JULY 24-26, 2026 | 2N/3D
₹ 25,000
-All Inclusive
AUG 24-26, 2026 | 2N/3D
Early bird: ₹24,500 before 10th Aug 2026
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
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Spend 2 nights and 3 days exploring one of India's richest macro biodiversity hotspots.
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Personalised guidance and one-on-one mentoring in the field.
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Guided day and night trails designed around peak wildlife activity and photographic opportunities.
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Opportunity to photograph bioluminescent fungi and other unique rainforest phenomena, conditions permitting.
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Assistance with camera settings, lens selection, accessories, and workflow throughout the workshop.
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Comfortable accommodation, local transportation, and logistical support included.
Located near the foot of the Sahyadri range in southern India, approximately 690 meters (2,265 ft) above the surface of the earth, Amboli is a small hill station located at the border of the states of Maharashtra and Goa; its location allows the mountainous terrain of the Western Ghats to drop rapidly into the coastal plains of the Konkan. As a result, when moist monsoonal air from the Arabian Sea comes rushing down off the mountainside and crashes against the escarpment, Amboli receives a significant portion of the highest rainfall totals in this region, earning it the title “ Cherrapunji of Maharashtra.” However, it is important to note that while the rain provides water to the area, it also serves as an indicator or signal for many living organisms. With every passing storm, a unique monsoon dependent world emerges from beneath the ground. During this time, frogs will begin their breeding process after being underground for nearly nine months. Additionally, fungi capable of producing bioluminescence (cold light), appear under cover of darkness. Also, snakes that are extremely difficult to locate in the dry seasons can be seen draped across wet leaves. In essence, during monsoon Amboli may be considered the closest example of a natural occurring terrarium. Amboli is part of the Western Ghats, which have been designated as one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots by UNESCO. Of the nearly 325 species that are listed as globally threatened in this region, an unusually high number are found in and around Amboli. The forests surrounding this small hill station contain many species of frog, snake and gecko that cannot be found anywhere else on earth.
As night falls on Amboli's rainforest, the forest begins to reveal a side that few visitors ever witness. And in the rotting logs and damp patches of leaf litter are tiny fungi that emit a soft greenish glow, turning sections of the forest floor into miniature constellations. Known as bioluminescent fungi, these organisms produce their own light through a natural chemical process that scientists believe may help attract insects for spore dispersal.
Amboli's forests are full of such fleeting discoveries. Some species emerge only for a few rain-soaked weeks each year, while others remain perfectly still for hours, perfectly camouflaged against moss-covered bark and forest debris until your eyes slowly begin to distinguish shape from texture. The rainforest rewards patience, revealing its secrets only to those willing to slow down and observe.
Witnessing these glowing fungi in the wild is a remarkable experience in itself, but photographing them presents an entirely different challenge. Working in near total darkness requires patience, careful composition, and a solid understanding of long-exposure techniques to capture a subject often no larger than a coin.
Pratik has spent years mastering this particular challenge, photographing these remarkable organisms and will guide you through every stage of the process, helping you transform a fleeting natural phenomenon into a memorable image.
Night trails are conducted safely with guide accompaniment. Participants are briefed on forest safety, leech protection, and ethical photography practice before entering.
THE PLAN : ITINERARY
DAY 1
Arrival & First Field Visit
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Reach the hotel between 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. If required, a cab can be arranged from Sawantwadi or Goa airport at an additional cost.
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Drive to Amboli (approximately 2–3 hours).
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Check in at the hotel and settle in.
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Enjoy high tea followed by an introductory session covering macro photography basics, fieldcraft, and safety guidelines.
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Head out for your first guided night trail into Amboli's rainforest in search of its incredible monsoon wildlife.
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Return to the accommodation by 9:00 PM and retire for the night.
DAY 2
A Day Full of Macro Exploration
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Breakfast at the hotel followed by a daytime field session focusing on insects, reptiles, amphibians, fungi,
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and other rainforest life (subject to weather conditions).
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Afternoon, post lunch break to rest, review images, or prepare gear for the evening session.
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Evening and night field session (5:30 PM – 9:00 PM) exploring different habitats.
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Group discussion and image review session.
DAY 3
Final Field Session & Departure
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Early morning jungle trail for a final opportunity & practising the craft you have learned.
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Return for breakfast.
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Check out by 10:30 AM.
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Transfer to Sawantwadi Railway Station or Goa Airport
TRIP ENDS.
CAMERA + MACRO LENS
Any DSLR or mirrorless. 100mm macro recommended.
HEAD TORCH
A regular headlamp for trails. Keep a second handheld torch as backup.
FLASH + DIFFUSER
Ring flash or twin-flash recommended. A DIY diffuser is fine.
LEECH SOCKS + RAIN GEAR
Non-negotiable in July. Gumboots or trail shoes with grip.
TRIPOD
Essential for night photography and bioluminescent fungi sessions.
PERSONAL MEDICAL KIT
Basic first aid, any personal medication, and a valid photo ID.
NOTE: This workshop is centred on photography, observation and technique rather than ticking off a species list. The biodiversity mentioned below gives an idea of what these forests hold, but Mother Nature has her own plans, and no sighting can ever be guaranteed. With experienced local guides at each location, we do everything we can to make the most of every opportunity the forest offers.
Amphibians
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Malabar Gliding Frog
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Amboli Bush Frog
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Amboli Tiger Toad
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Narrow-mouthed Frog
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Burrowing Frog
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Wrinkled Frog (incl. eggs & tadpoles)
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Fungoid Frog
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Caecilians (Gymnophiona spp.)
Reptiles
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Malabar Pit Viper
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Northern Vine Snake (Ahaetulla spp.)
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Shieldtail Snakes (Uropeltidae)
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Wolf Snake (Lycodon travancoricus)
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Giri's Gecko
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White-banded Ground Gecko
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Amboli Day Gecko
Flora & Other Animals
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Bioluminescent Fungi (Mycena spp.)
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Arboreal Tree Crabs (Ghatiana spp.)
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Diverse monsoon insects
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Endemic spiders & arachnids
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Land crabs
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Rare monsoon flora in bloom
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Diverse bracket, gill & cup fungi
✓ 2 nights accommodation, twin-sharing
✓ All meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
✓ Special local wildlife guide fees
✓ Photography workshop & mentorship
✓ All internal transfers within Amboli
✓ Forest entry tickets (if applicable)
✓ Post-workshop resource guide
YOUR GUIDE IN THE FIELD
Pratik Pradhan is an internationally recognised nature and wildlife photographer who has spent over twenty years exploring and documenting India's wild spaces. From remote mountain landscapes to rainforest ecosystems like Amboli, his work is driven by patience, observation, and compassion for the natural world.
Having returned to Amboli across multiple seasons and through countless hours in its rain-soaked forests, he has developed an intimate knowledge of its habitats, seasonal wildlife activity, and the best opportunities for macro photography.
With small group sizes, participants receive hands-on guidance in the field throughout the workshop, constructive feedback, and insights drawn from years in the field behind the camera.
These are not just subjects; they are characters with evolutionary histories stretching back millions of years, endemic to the Ghats, invisible to anyone who doesn't know where to look.
RHACOPHORUS MALABARIUS
Malabar Gliding Frog
Perhaps the most iconic photograph of Amboli. With vivid red webbing between its toes, this frog uses its feet as parachutes, gliding up to 10 metres between trees. During the monsoon, pairs breed in foam nests suspended over pools. Photographing them in amplexus, a pair entwined above their reflection in a rain-filled stream, is a moment that defines macro photography in India.
TRIMERESURUS MALABARICUS
Malabar Pit Viper
One of the highlights of photographing wildlife in Amboli is encountering the Malabar Pit Viper. Often seen coiled quietly on a branch after rain, these snakes can be surprisingly easy to overlook despite being right in front of you. The heat-sensing pit organs between the eye and nostril make it one of evolution's most elegant designs. Finding one is not difficult in Amboli during July; getting a clean shot requires everything Pratik will teach you.
PSEUDOPHILAUTUS AMBOLI
Amboli Bush Frog
This Frog was described to science only in 2008 and is found in a remarkably limited range of the southern Sahyadris. As dusk falls, its distinctive chirping call can often be heard from grasses and low vegetation. Barely the size of a thumbnail, this tiny frog presents a rewarding challenge for photographers looking to capture the hidden life of the rainforest.
RHACOPHORUS MALABARIUS (JUVENILE)
Gliding Frog
Freshly metamorphosed Malabar Gliding Frogs are among the most visually compelling macro subjects in the Ghats. Barely larger than a thumbnail, translucent-skinned, with fully developed red webbing already present, they represent a brief life stage of just a few weeks. To find and photograph one at this stage requires knowing exactly where the foam nests are, when they hatch, and where the tiny froglets land.
GHATIANA SPP.
Arboreal Tree Crabs
One of the most unexpected subjects in Amboli's macro world. Arboreal freshwater crabs of the genus Ghatiana are found clinging to mossy trees and rock faces in the monsoon forest, far from water, living in the humidity trapped in bark crevices. Bright orange-red against dark moss, they make for visually extraordinary photographs. These crabs are among the most recently described species of the Western Ghats.
MYCENA CHLOROPHOS & ALLIED SPECIES
Bioluminescent Fungi
Approximately 100 species of fungi worldwide are known to bioluminesce. Several occur in Amboli's monsoon forests. Fruiting on decaying wood in the darkest parts of the forest, they produce a faint green-white glow visible only when your eyes have fully adjusted to the dark. No flash. No torch. Just you, a tripod, a long exposure, and something that looks like it shouldn't exist in this world.
Frequently asked questions
