[smsrini]

Exams over, where do we go for the holidays ?

The past few months have been very busy, for everyone in the family, and a getaway was urgently required. No, I'm not buying the Mahindra Getaway, but am talking of a quick break from the hum drum of life.

It had to be an overnight / weekend break no more than 4-5 hrs of driving time from Bangalore. The unanimous choice was KABINI. Its nearby, great reviews of the place, and Jungle Lodges were able to confirm a booking! YAY!

THE DRIVE:
The drive to Kabini from Bangalore is a straight forward one. Go upto Mysore on SH17 and then onto SH17D towards HDKote.

Mysore-HDKote is a single lane road in very good condition, but a lot of twisties so have to drive carefully.

At HDKote we were told to goto "HAnd Pump Junction" and follow the sign boards of the "The Serai" !! to get to JLR's Kabini River Lodge.

From HDKote upto the entrance of the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, the road is good with some small bad patches. You turn left at the park entrance to enter a 12kms off roader's SS consisting of potholes, no road, cement roads, dirt road, and broken ashphalt..

Not wanting to pass the opportunity, I started to 'sell' the idea of a 4x4 to my better half..

Me: What road, wish we had bought the 4x4 model.. anyway did you know that Landrover, wohi that Tata bought has a "Terrain Response system" that allows you to control the 4x4 operation electronically. Select "Gravel" and bas, the car sets the suspension, and selects 4H, and you just have to steer!

and the 2012 RangeRover Evoque has Magneride... automatic suspension. You wont feel a bump! Landrover has a 4x4 school where they....

Wife: Have you been spending too much time on TBHP again? when I asked you to check for holiday options ? If that Honda JAZZ can do this road, I'm sure your TATA truck can. toh 4x4 kyon chahiye ?

Me:

the rest of the 12 kms were spent listening to 'Tu toh Awayne Awayne Awayne Awayne lut gaya'..



You see these small fields where the paddy ? is harvested and heaped into quaint mounds like these.


The KAbini River Lodge. Originally a Viceroy and later the Maharaja's hunting bunglow.




the waterfront cottage


with a view





After a quick nap and lunch, we were ready for the evening Safari in this.


Ready for action, I shouted... ELEPHANT!!! on seeing this.



The boatman, laughed out loud! domestic saar! Alli Fence nodi.. ( see the fence around it ?? )..

The Orange County and Waterwoods homestay properties.

[smsrini]

The boat safari is a unique experience in Kabini. the 2 hr boat ride has a soothing, calming influence on you.. it could be the vast expanse of water, the unspoilt environment, or the magnificient wildlife you can spot here.





















Spotting the elephants was the highlight of the boat safari.. we could get as close as 20ft of the giant beasts and observe them..

The next day we took a 4 wheel safari into the Rajiv Gandhi National park in the Nagarhole forest range.

[C300]

Good start Srini. Some of the bird snaps have come out really well. Kabini River Lodge looks a very nice place to stay. Can you share the rate details?

[mayankjha1806]

Good pictures, We have never stayed at Kabini River Lodges but passed and stopped there multiple times while going to Bandipur, Masinagudi, and Wayanad, just to enjoy the greenery around the place.

How much did it cost to stay there and how was the food? I remember one of my friend having stayed there but did not ask him these details. A nice weekend getaway from bangalore for sure.

[sudev]

The boat safari is in the evening? What would be best time of the year to do it? Summers would have more viewing of wild life?

[srikanthpotluri]

Hi Srini,

A refreshing start to the day with these amazing pics, can you please post the rates you got? Awaiting for the next days details.

[smsrini]

The rates for all Jungle Lodges properties is available on their website [Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd]-[Wildlife and Adventure Ecotourism Destination]

There are 5 options to stay at Kabini:

- Jungle Lodges
- The Serai
- Orange County
- Waterwoods
- Bison camp - tented accomodation.

Each has its USP. Orange county and the serai are upmarket Luxury options, whereas JLR is excellent value for money.

Food at JLR is pretty good and wholesome. No 5star fare but hot & tasty. Their service works like clockwork, which is something we really appreciated, both in their Bandipur and Kabini properties.

@sudev: Boat and Jeep Safari are operated both in the morning and evening. Yes, the chances of spotting wildlife is almost double during the summer months, as most of the wildlife will congregate near the water..

However, the full reservoir after the monsoons is a sight to take in, the entire area is lush green adding to the experience.

Nagarhole National park is known for Elephants, Gaur, Leopard, Chital, Wildboar, Langur, wild dogs. No big cats here, other the occassional visitor.

more later..

[mallumowgli]

Nice set of photos. So was your leopard luck active this time around too? Eagerly looking forward for more

[John]

Nice photographs. Brought back memories of my last trip. We stayed in the Forest Bungalow in Sunkadakatte and drove around the forest. Spotted elephants, gaur, bear, and lots of chital. The bungalow is a great place to stay. For those who are interested it can be booked through Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mangalore

[sachinj12]

Nice pics of the birds! You visited at the right time. After monsoon is the time to visit reservoirs. What Camera gear?

[smsrini]

Some more birds spotted during the boat safari.










and a family of langurs..




Next morning, we were up and ready by 6:00am for the jeep safari. We assemble at the Gol Ghar, and are allotted to jeeps.

This was our ride for the safari.


While we waited for the other people to gather, we saw one of the most amazing sunrise..



We head into the Rajiv Gandhi National park, and enroute spot this very quaint machan in a field.



As we enter the park, we're greeted by a family of Chital.









A wild boar..


and a pack of wild dogs..



We also spotted the crested serpent eagle. What a majestic bird!




We could not spot the elusive leopard unfortunately, as he decided to visit the other side of the forest, to meet up with his friends...

However we were rewarded with some of the most spectacular scenes nature could offer..

[smsrini]

Now how can a TBHP-ian spot only animals and birds on a wildlife safari ?

An Innova that thinks its a water buffalo


A Gypsy taking some homosapiens for a ride, wondering can I go amphibious ?



Finally, some experiments with Macros, courtesy the photography class I attended in the office a day before going to Kabini..






And finally a parting shot of the Kabini reservoir valley!


Hope you enjoyed the ride, as much as I did, taking you on one!

cheers!

[smsrini]

@sachinj12: I use a Nikon D3100 with 18-55 kit lens and a nikkor 55-300mm zoom..

[kvish]

One place that makes you want to go over and over again! You were very lucky to have Hornbill and wild dog sightings ! Thanks for sharing

[gadadhar]

Good snaps.. No luck with big cats I suppose.. BTW, where could they take the Innova and Gypsy near the water, I am not aware of any spots in Kabini where you can do that (legally)