Tiger, the national animal of India, gathers a lot of interest in almost every zoo across the country (and possibly the world). Not surprising, considering that one gets to be really close to these majestic yet wild animals. What if we were to tell you that there is something that is better than watching these big cats at the Zoo; i.e. a safari through one of the handful tiger reserves in India. The opportunity to watch these majestic animals in their natural habitat is one hell of an experience that is almost impossible to be put into words.
For those of you in Bengaluru, all you need is 1 weekend (and not even the long weekend). Head over to the Bandipur National Park to get a “chance” to view these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. We say “chance” because, as with all safaris, sighting tigers is purely a matter of luck. Since these animals are in their natural habitat, their movement and positions, cannot be predicted and the guides would have to rely on certain cues such as the last seen location along with where they might find food.
Getting There
Bandipur is situated about 220 kms from Bengaluru (Add or remove a few KMs depending on where in Bengaluru) and is en-route to Ooty. The highway condition is generally good, but chances of encountering traffic is relatively high (as on 2018 and 2019). We had planned to start by 6:30 but managed to started only by 8:00 AM.
Pro-Tip: Start early in the morning (at around 5:00 AM) to avoid the Mysore Road traffic. Not so much about saving time but more of avoiding the pain of driving in heavy traffic on the Highway
There are quite a few options along with Mysore Highway for breakfast. Depending on when you start, you may plan your breakfast accordingly. We stopped at Kamat Lokaruchi, which is about 50 odd KMs from Bengaluru, for our breakfast. A great restaurant which serves some yummy food but be ready to wait for a while since this place is generally crowded.
Once done with the breakfast, we were back on the highway and on our way to Bandipur. We reached Bandipur well in advance for afternoon safari, which was scheduled for 03:30 PM. We had our lunch in the canteen in the Bandipur National Park itself. Do not expect a lavish full course meal but the food does get the job done. You will find a lot of monkey in this area. So be careful when you step out of the car and keep the windows rolled up!
Where to Stay
This is a tricky one as you have multiple options. You could choose to stay in the Karnataka side of the forest or the Tamil Nadu side of the forest. We chose to stay in Masinagudi at the “Misty Wood Resorts & Restaurant”. (Read our TripAdvisor review here). There are a total of 6 rooms in this property and they offers some fantastic views
The Safaris
Safari Booking
Bandipur National park offers you the option of booking your safari online, saving you the hassle of standing in the queue (Which tends to be quite long, unless you reach quite early). We booked both the safari’s online and thankfully got the seats right up front in the canter (bus) for the afternoon safari. Our Sunday morning safari was in Gypsy which we had for ourselves.
Pro-Tip: Remember, there is a separate counter for online bookings. So, do not stand in the long line that you generally see at the reception
Day 1 (Saturday – Afternoon Safari)
Having collected our tickets, we were getting our camera ready and for the canter (bus) to fill up. The Safari started a few minutes late (about 5 mins) and it taken you quite deep into the forest with hope of sighting one of the big cats! We weren’t lucky enough to spot any tigers on this ride, but we did manage to see some beautiful peacocks, spotted deer, bison, elephants and monitor lizards. Spotted deer are possibly the most visible ones and you’ll definitely see a number of them while driving on the highway itself.
Day 2 (Sunday – Morning Safari)
Since our stay was in Masinagudi, we had to start quite early in order to reach Bandipur in time. However, remember that the forest check-post in Masinagudi opens only at 06:00 AM since this in within the Core Forest area. Our safari was at 6:30 AM and hence we had no issue. However, if the timings change to 5:30 AM, staying at Masinagudi might not be a viable option.
The process of collecting the tickets and having a vehicle assigned was pretty much the same. Since this was going to be a Gypsy/Jeep safari, we would have the entire vehicle to ourselves which in turn meant that we had a lot of flexibility of stopping in areas of our choice with the hope of sighting tigers. And this safari started off in style! The first animal that we spotted was a tiger!
at 500mm, 1/400 sec, f/5.6 and ISO 800
We also spotted a couple of Bison, Elephants, Deer and Peacocks. It appears that the Bison and Deer were accustomed to their photos being clicked. They were posing like professionals.
Shot at 500mm, 1/2000, f/5.6 and ISO 800
Additionally, our driver also took us deep into the thick forest in our search for more animals. This ride into the forest was amazingly peaceful with no vehicular noise, no mobile reception and just nature & animals all around you. We drove around for about 1 and half hours and were back in the parking lot.
Back at the reception, there was a lot of buzz around the tiger sighting since, only 3 groups managed to spot tigers that day and we were lucky enough to be one of them.
Imp Note: As with all safaris, there are no roads (obviously) and hence, the ride tends to get very bumpy.
After the safari, we headed back to our hotel to have our breakfast and to check-out. Our next stop was going be the Shivanasamudra falls.
Shivanasamudra Falls
The Shivanasamudra Falls, situated about 130 kms equally from both Masinagudi and Bengaluru, is on the Kaveri River after the river has wound its way through the rocks and ravines of the Deccan Plateau and drops off to form waterfalls. This a trip that can easily be managed on the way back to Bengaluru from Bandipur/Masinagudi.
The Shivanasamudra falls comprises of Gaganachukki and Bharachukki falls. The Bharachukki Falls is far more spread out and voluminous and Google Maps in general leads here. There is a nominal entry fee (INR 20 if I remember correctly) and there is a vast parking area for your vehicle. There is also a viewing podium that is constructed for safe and easy viewing of the falls. The location does make for some panoramic shots!
Do not attempt to enter the water at the waterfalls. Many lives have been lost here due to such a misadventure.
By the time we were done, we were starting to get really hungry. For those you who love fruits, there are fresh and juicy Papayas being sold on the road. We bought a couple of them to satisfy our hunger, found a Dhaba on the highway for our lunch and were back home in Bengaluru by around 7:00 PM. Remember, Sunday evenings can get real crowed really quick on Mysore road. So, try to reach early to avoid the jam.
Best Time to Visit
If you’re planning to visit Bandipur alone, then it can be visited any time of the year with all the seasons bringing out a different side of the forest. However, if you wish to visit the Shivanasamudra falls as well, then monsoons or just after monsoon season would be the ideal time to view the falls in full flow. So, plan well and enjoy better!
Additional Note
If you’re OK with taking an additional day off (Or for an extended weekend), try out the Mudumalai safari. You can opt for 2 safaris in Mudumalai as well.
Cheers!
The RE Travelers!