[DriverLess]

Awesome travelogue!

I love JLR properties. Currently I restrict myself to ones I can safely reach in my sadan.
For bird lovers, I would also recommend River Tern lodge - https://www.junglelodges.com/resort/river-tern-lodge/ and this is a bit upscale within JLR standards.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Buzzard_storme

From BLR, I used to take this route (which is often broken) through
Bankapura toll - Mundgod - Kalaghatgi - Haliyal - Barchi pass - Ganeshgudi that is apt for the Thar's and Jimny's. Not sure if in the last couple of years this stretch has been asphalted.

Yes that road is a well known road for going towards Karwar side. However, that is quite narrow in stretches, and overall takes a lot of time. On the other hand, with the new bypass now operational near Hubli (since last 2 years), joining NH48 coming from Bangalore directly to Karwar road bypassing Gabbur Toll Plaza, that has become the fastest route to join Karwar road and reach Kalaghatgi. I have been taking that road for last couple of year in all my trips towards Karwar, and this time too I took that road. On this road, one beats Google Maps' time estimate by some margin, and therefore, Google Maps' suggestions to take the shortcuts via Mundgod or other shortcut via Tadas make no sense any more. I have taken all those shortcuts in the past but will not suggest those any more. Just use the new bypass around Hubli and that is the fastest!

Btw, the flycatcher is the Tickell's Blue flycatcher.

Thank you for correcting me there. Yes I got that name wrong. Thanks.

Originally Posted by DriverLess

I love JLR properties. Currently I restrict myself to ones I can safely reach in my sadan.

Actually almost all JLR properties can be reached in a sedan. I have taken my BMW 320d to many JLR properties, and had no issues. Even at OMH, I could have taken BMW and it would have reached there without issues. Only in the peak monsoons is where the last stretch would be a problem.

For bird lovers, I would also recommend River Tern lodge - https://www.junglelodges.com/resort/river-tern-lodge/ and this is a bit upscale within JLR standards.

True. That is a very nice place. We have been there multiple times. That is our usual place to stay in and around Bhadra area. However, this time, as I mentioned, I wanted to visit a place which I had not visited so far. And that is why I chose OMH. Birding was an afterthought. Primary plan was to drive to a new place.

[Stryker]

Excellent photographs, as usual, Dr.AD! Been a while since I visited OMH, your travelogue has rekindled that desire. And given that you have mentioned that only the last 600M was a mud track, I will take my BMW and not have second thoughts!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Excellent photographs, as usual, Dr.AD! Been a while since I visited OMH, your travelogue has rekindled that desire. And given that you have mentioned that only the last 600M was a mud track, I will take my BMW and not have second thoughts!

Thanks.

Yes, you can surely take your BMW there as long as you go there in dry season before the rains start. Once the rains start and the dirt track becomes a mud and slush track, that is when a BMW will struggle there badly. But no problem in dry months. As I mentioned, the other vehicles which had arrived there were sedans and hatchbacks, and they had no problem reaching there.

In dry weather, I have taken my 320d to many places much worse than this. For example, when I drove to "Dhole's Den" (a fantastic property in Bandipur forest), I had to drive on such dirt track for more than 1.5km, with lot of stones and rocks jutting out too. And when I drove to Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary in January 2023, in the early morning hours (before sunrise), I had to drive on similar track for again some 1.5km or so. And there are many other examples.

Compared to all those drives, OMH is much easier to reach in a BMW in dry season.

[vinya_jag]

Light or no light, expert bird photographer or not, I just loved those photos. Watothem sing is one thing, capturing them, listing them, knowing them is another. Thanks for sharing with us

[Sportigo]

Nice writeup, thoroughly enjoyed reading it on a saturday morning breakfast of mine. I loved the photographs of the birds, just excellent. The forest roads are so alluring, makes me want to take out my car.

[megazoid]

Crisp shots and a lovely place in general. Lovely section to drive too as you pointed out even though birding is nomally the primary agenda for many folks. That "Thar hates tar" cant apply to the new Thars is clearly seen in the long journeys that can be easily undertaken in this high clearance BOF 4x4.

Refreshing read!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

Light or no light, expert bird photographer or not, I just loved those photos.

Originally Posted by Sportigo

Nice writeup, thoroughly enjoyed reading it on a saturday morning breakfast of mine. I loved the photographs of the birds, just excellent.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Crisp shots and a lovely place in general.

Thank you very much to all of you!

Originally Posted by megazoid

That "Thar hates tar" cant apply to the new Thars is clearly seen in the long journeys that can be easily undertaken in this high clearance BOF 4x4.

Very true. It does take some getting used to to driving Thar on long highway drives. The trade-offs, as I mentioned already, are clearly there - not being able to do sedan kind of speeds on highways, and not a very quiet and flat highway ride. But once you accept those as a matter of fact, there are lot of other benefits in return. For example, I do not have to worry about those surprise potholes on a smooth highway that can destroy a tyre of a sedan, or those nasty speedbreakers that always come up randomly even on good highways, or any unknown village road or a dirt track or a water logged section that I might have to face somewhere down the road. I know that Thar will be able to handle whatever comes along the way later, and with that peace of mind, even the relatively slow speed highway journeys are very relaxing and fun in a different way.

Originally Posted by ramnath_77

Fantastic trip report with some lovely shots as usual Doc.
OMH is one of those perfect places to hone your photography skills.

Thank you very much! This means a lot to me, coming from a photographer of your skill and expertise! I love your wildlife photographs and have been following your threads!

Whats more - the food, the staff and its location are simply too good to make it a regular place to visit

Agree 100% with you on your description of OMH. I am sure to be back there, just to enjoy the place, the food and the location. Any birding on top of that is like an icing on the cake. But the place is beautiful regardless.

[ramnath_77]

Fantastic trip report with some lovely shots as usual Doc.
OMH is one of those perfect places to hone your photography skills.
Whats more - the food, the staff and its location are simply too good to make it a regular place to visit