How to Get there

- Air : The nearest airport is at Bangalore which is 220 km from Bandipur.
- Rail : The nearest railhead is Nanjangud, 55 kms away followed by the Mysore station at a distance of 80 kms. One can easily hire a taxi or catch a bus or train from Mysore or Ooty.
- Road : The Bandipur National Park is 220 kms from Bangalore; 80 kms from Mysore and 80 kms from Ooty. The Gundulpet town is 20 kms away from Bandipur and is the nearest road head in Bandipur. The national park is well connected through road with every big or small town.

Location of Bandipur National Park on Google Maps:

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Route between Bangalore and Bandipur National Park on Google Maps:

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Bandipur National Park is a beautiful forest reserve located in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Bandipur National Park is one of India’s best known sanctuaries located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka at the confluence of the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills. The reserve is part of the famous Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Nagarhole National Park to the northwest, and the Mudumalai National Park of Tamil Nadu and the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala.
It is situated south of the Kabini river at the foothills of the Western Ghats.The rivers of Kabini, Nagur and Moyar flow through the reserve. The region is well endowed in terms of vegetation and flora that ranges from deciduous and evergreen forest covers to open grassy woodlands. The river also acts as a boundary between the Park and the Madumulai Sanctuary. Bandipur is one of the finest and most accessible habitats of the Asiatic elephant.
Bandipur National Park of Karnataka enjoys a pleasant climate and has diverse geographical features. These features have helped it support a wide variety of flora and fauna. Bandipur has a sizeable population of wildlife – elephant, spotted deer and sambar, gaur and flying squirrel, four horned antelope, Nilgiri langur and sloth bear. Amongst the reserve’s most prominent animals are its 1,900-odd elephants.

Things to see in Bandipur National Park

- Elephant Safari : Tourists can also avail open vans with guides. Though jeep safaris are convenient and time effective, but the joy of riding in the jungle like a king can only be enjoyed on the back of an elephant. The elephant safari in Bandipur National park is much sought after.
- Flora : The scrubby jungles towards the eastern limits of the Bandipur National Park consist of stunted trees, intermixed with bushes and open grassy belts. There is a bit-by-bit shift in the vegetation, from open dry deciduous jungles to tropical mixed deciduous jungles. The Kabini, Nagu, Mule-hole and Moyar rivers criss-cross the entire park providing irrigation for the thick vegetation that include trees like Teak, Honne, Tadasalu, Mathi, Nandi, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Bamboo, Nelli, Kooli, Kadu Tega, Dindalu, Bende and Randia.
- Fauna : Some prominent denizens of the park include Leopards, Elephants, Gaurs, Sambar, Chital, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Black Napped Hare, Sloth Beer, Wild dog, Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Indian Giant Red Squirrel, 4 Horned Antelope, Porcupines, Slender Loris, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Small Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Common Otter, Wild Boar, Jackal, Mongoose, Flying Squirrels, Pangolin, Giant Fruit Bats and Striped Hyenas. Commonly sighted reptiles include Marsh Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Rock Pythons, Russel’s Vipers, Cobras, Rat Snakes, Wolf Snakes, Vine Snakes, Common Kraits, Green Keelbacks, Bamboo Pit Vipers, Turtles and Flying Lizards.
- Avian Population : Peafowl and the game birds like the grey jungle fowl, red spur fowl etc. are the most common avians found in the national park. Among the woodland birds are the hawk eagle, serpent eagle, the collared scops owl, the yellow-legged green pigeon, parakeets, woodpeckers and barbets, hornbills, drongos, scarlet minivets, and diverse warblers.

Places to stay in bandipur National Park

- Jungle Lodges Bandipur Safari Lodge , Melukamanahalli (Mysore – Ooty Road), Gundlupet Taluk, Chamarajanagar Dist., Karnataka – 571111, India.
- MC Resort, Melkamanahalli, Near Bandipur NP, Karnataka – 571126, India.
- Cicada, Survey-19/2,20/21, Kanniyanpura Village, Mangala Post, Gundlupet Taluk, Karnataka, India.
- Tusker Trails, Mangala Village, Gundlupet Taluk, Karnataka – 571111, India.
- Bush Betta Wildlife Resort, Mangala Village, Gundlupet Taluk, Karnataka, India.

How to reach there

You can take a flight from metro cities of India to Mysore or Bangalore, which are two nearest airports from Nagarhole. You can also reach Mysore and Bangalore by a train.
More details:
- From Bangalore : Bangalore-Ramnagara-Mandya-Srirangapatna-Take a right to Hunsur after Srirangapatna-Hunsur Town-Take the first left after Bus Stand. The sign board will guide you from there to your friendly resort. (19 Kms from Hunsur Town).
- From Mysore : Mysore – Mysore Hunsur Road – Hunsur Town – Take the first left after Bus Stand. Our sign board will guide you from there to your friendly resort. (19 Kms from Hunsur Town).
- From Ooty/Coonor : Coonor-Ooty-Bandipur-Gundelpet-Nanjangud-Mysore-Follow the route from Mysore.
- From Cochin : Cochin-Trichur-Calicut-Wayanad-Mananthavadi-Kutta-Nagarhole-Take the Nagarholoe-Murkkal-Hunsur Road and cross the forest to reach the resort. (The park is closed for traffic from 1800 Hrs to 0600 Hrs). Alternatively from Wayanad Go to Sultan Battery-Muthanga-Gundelpet-Nanjangud-Mysore-Follow the route from Mysore.
- From Coorg (Madikere) : Madekere-Madikere-Hunsur road- Hunsur town- Take the first right before Bus Stand. Our sign board will guide you from there to your friendly resort. (19 Kms from Hunsur Town).

Location of Nagarhole National Park on Google Maps:

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It is a tiny hamlet located in the middle of a large conjoining forest range in southwest India known as Nilgiri Biosphere. There are many designated wildlife parks within the Nilgiri Biosphere. Nagarhole National Park is one of them. The Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka shares its boundaries with the famous Bandipur National Park in Karanataka, which together form a part of the Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and the Wayanad Reserve in Kerala.
Nagarhole National park derives its name from the combination of two Kannada words-’Nagar,’ meaning snake, and ‘hole,’ meaning streams. The original forest was once an exclusive hunting ground for the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysore.The park has been recently renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister of India.
The largest river draining the area in the south is the Kabini, which was dammed in 1974. Other important rivers include Lakshmana, Teentha and Nagarhole. There are several perennial and seasonal streams and tanks, all of which drain into the four major rivers.

Nagarhole National Park is counted among India’s best wildlife parks. It has a large elephant and bison population. It also hosts a variety of animal species along with approximately 250 species of birds. Nagarhole is best visited at the height of the dry season, when its muddy river banks and grassy swamps, or hadlus, offer better chances of sighting its flora & fauna.

Safaris in the Nagarhole National Park

Jeeps can be rented to take a drive through the park. To have a more intricate view of the park, you can opt to go for an elephant ride. Tou can go for trekking also but it is restricted to a small area.

Flora in the Nagarhole National Park

It is home to a large number of open grassy swamps. Plantations of teak, Rosewood, Bamboo, Sandal, Silver Oak Trees and Species of Eucalyptus are the main flora found in Nagarhole national park. The moist and deciduous forest of the park constitutes several tree species including teak, eucalyptus, rose wood, sandal and oak trees that provides food and shelter to a large number of birds and animals.

Fauna in the Nagarhole National Park

The forest is home to animals like the four-horned antelope, sloth bear, jungle cat, civet, spotted deer, elephant, wild dog, flying fox, tiger, panther, gaur (Indian bison), sambhar, wild boar, black-naped hare, bonnet macaque, and pangolin.
Nagarhole is one of the finest habitats for the Royal Bengal Tiger and some experts also believe that it is the best place in India to see the leopard. Leopard sightings are reported on a fairly regular basis.
The herbivores include spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, four-horned antelope, gaur, wild boar and elephant.

Birds in the Nagarhole National Park

There are more than 250 species of birds in the Nagarhole National Park. Bird population ranges from blue-bearded bee-eater, scarlet minivet and Malabar whistling thrush to the more common ospreys, herons and ducks.

Reptiles in the Nagarhole National Park

Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary of India houses a number of reptiles, including Rock Python, Marsh Crocodile, Monitor Lizard, etc. Aquatic and terrestrial tortoise, frogs, toads, tree frogs and countless insects are also found here.

Places to stay in Nagarhole National Park

State-owned forest resthouses, private lodges and cottages are among the accommodation options in Nagarhole.
- Kings Sanctuary: A Luxury Wildlife Resort on the periphery of the Nagarhole National Park near Mysore, Kings Sanctuary is spread over 33 acres of land with its own private lake in the middle. It offers luxury cottage accommodation with all modern amenities.
- Bheemeshwari Fishing and Nature Camps: The camp overlooks the Cauvery River and consists of just eight luxurious ethnic log-huts on stilts, which blend beautifully with the jungle behind.
- Kabini River Lodge: Built in colonial style architecture; Kabini River Lodge offers a host of facilities, which include a well-equipped bar, a large, charming room for seminars, meetings with multimedia projector and other conferencing facilities. The lodge also has a dining area called the Ghol Ghar, which overlooks River Kabini.
- Cicada Kabini: Cicada is located in a village called Karapura, 220 km away from Bangalore, near the Rajiv Gandhi National Park and is adjacent to the Kabini River Lodge property.
- Water Woods: A wildlife resort easily accessible from Bangalore, Water Woods is owned and run by a family who love wildlife.
- Orange County, Kabini: Orange County is situated in the heart land of the Kadukuruba tribe of Nagarhole forest and surrounded on three sides by the Kabini river, Orange County, Kabini is built in authentic Kuruba village style.
- The Jungle Inn: The Jungle Inn is situated at Veeranahosahalli which is right at the main entrance to Nagarhole National Park. Jungle Inn is 200 km from Bangalore, 68 km from Mysore and 20 km from Hunsur which is the nearest town.

Bypass Rider wrote (link) about a trip to Mysore:

One thing to note in Mysore is that, during weekends the palace is lit with lights in the evening from 7PM to 8PM. It’s a magnificent sight to see. Since it was a Saturday when we went there, we decided to view the lit palace. A short ride in an auto-rickshaw brought us to the entrance of the palace. We spent an hour in the lit-palace posing for photographs. At 8PM sharp, the lights went out and it was total darkness all around. It took a minute t re-adjust to the darkness around and then we headed out to of the palace.

Debasish wrote about a trip to Mysore:

Mysore ,the name now changed to Mysuru,is 130 KM away from Bangalore.
We started early in the morning from Bangalore. We hired a taxi for the trip and headed towards Mysore on NH-17, the Bangalore-Mysore Highway. The scenic beauty on both sides of NH-17 was awesome. On the way to Mysore, we stopped at Srirangapatana for about 1 hour. Sringapatana or Sringapattanam as locally called, was the summer capital of Tipu sultan.
The Mysore palace is a architectural master piece of Mysore city.The palace houses a treasure of superb carvings and artistic works from all over the world. The palace is a three storeyed building with a series of square arched towers crowned by domes. A gold-plated dome 145 from the ground covers the open courtyard in the center. The dramatic entrance way of the place takes you through the the ‘Gombe Thotti’ (the Doll’s Pavilion) that exhibits classic European and Indian sculpture and ceremonial articles. The main entrance to the center of the palace is through the Elephant Gate, ornamented with floral designs and sporting a double-headed eagle as the royal symbol of Mysore.

Mysore on Google Maps:

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Ghumakkar.com wrote about this ..

The main attraction of this place is this magnificent statue, which measures about 57 feet in height, and is said to be the largest statue Asia sculpted out of a monolith. It is carved out of one single stone, standing as a symbol of renunciation, calm and peaceful. To get a closer look of this statue one has to climb about 700 steps, cut out in the rocks, to reach atop the hill. The steps are not steepy, and they are provided with handrails on both sides, which makes the climbing easier. The aged people and those who cannot climb the steps can take the help of palanguin to be carried up and down, for a reasonable charge.

Situated in the southwestern part of Karnataka near Mysore and Mangalore, Coorg is located on the Western Ghats. Dotted with beautiful coffee and green tea plantations (covering the view as far as one can see in some places), alluring nature trails and splendid waterfalls, it’s a place good enough to be visited again and again. Nestling at a height, the climate in Coorg throughout the year is perfect. In recent years, the advent of sports and leisure activities such as trekking, river rafting, and angling have added to the charm of Coorg.

Coorg / Medikeri on Google Maps

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Coorg experiences a moderate climate, where winters are cool and pleasant having a temperature of about 10-20 degree Celsius. In the normally colder months of December through February the minimum temperature may go down to 9 degree Celsius. Summers are only slightly warm at 25-35 degrees Celsius. In the monsoons the rainfall is really heavy. Coorg is literally a place that you can go the year round.
Easily one of the most attractive regions in India, Coorg or Kodagu is an enchanting expanse of natural tourist spot that nestles amid the hills and valleys of the picturesque Western Ghats.
Popularly referred as the Scotland of India, Coorg is a dream destination for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. The misty wooded mountains and valleys, huge cardamom jungles and numerous coffee plantations located in Coorg cast an everlasting spell on your mind, making people come back again and again to this beautiful place. The warm hospitality of the people of Coorg would make your stay truly memorable.

History of Coorg:
Prior to the annexation of Coorg by the British in 1834, Coorg had been ruled by Lingayat Rajas since 1600. A prince of Ikkeri family in Shimoga district, assumed the role of a Lingayat priest and established himself at Haleri, to the north of Madikeri, the capital of Coorg. Over a period of time, he assumed the throne of Coorg and his heirs ruled Coorg for the next two centuries.
Coorg has a fascinating history and one of the interesting aspects of its colorful past was the fact that Queen Victoria of England was the godmother of a Coorg princess! The British finally annexed Coorg in 1834 by removing the last ruler, Chikka Veerarajendra, the last Raja of Coorg. He was taken by the British to Vellore in Tamil Nadu, and then to Varanasi in 1835. Eventually the king, with two of his wives and his favorite daughter Gowramma sailed to England in 1852 where he died in London in 1859. Queen Victoria was the godmother of princess Gowramma, being present during Gowramma’s baptism by the Archbishop of Canterbury on June 30, 1852, and the princess was given the name Victoria Gowramma.
So much for royal history ! With its misty mountains and dense forests, Coorg seemed like a little corner of England to the British (actually, it must have also reminded them of Scotland). They left behind a legacy, in the form of coffee plantation. The well laid coffee plantations in Coorg account for almost half of Karnataka’s coffee production. And Karnataka continues to be India’s largest producer of coffee. Other reminders of the colonial past are the spacious estate bungalows, many of which still have British names and the meandering roads that wind through the district.

Places around to see:

Madikeri Fort: Built in the 19th century, the majestic Madhekiri fort is located in the heart of the quaint hill station Madikeri (also the district headquarters). This historic Fort houses a chapel, a temple, a prison and a small museum. The fort affords a panoramic views of Madhikeri town that is stunning and worth a visit.

Omkareshwara Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Omkareshwara temple was built by Lingaraja in 1820 AD. The architecture of the temple reveals a beautiful amalgamation of Islamic and Gothic architecture. It is said that the temple was built by Lingarajendra to save himself from the spirit of a Brahmin, whom he had killed for his personal reasons. He brought a Shivalinga from Kashi and consecrated it here and named it Omkareshwara.
Some of the interesting items in the temple that are worth noticing are: The gold leaf inscription atop, accessed through a narrow flight of interesting steps that were used by the king to survey his Kingdom, the fishes in the pond which leap in symphony to gobble food offered to them, etc. The annual ‘Teppothasava’ or “Boat Festival” is a memorable event.

Abbey Falls: The roaring Abbey falls (about 10 kms from Madikeri) are surrounded by the lush green coffee plantations and is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Coorg. From a distance, the silent forest comes alive with the sweet chirping of birds and the gurgling of the Abbey falls, with the volume getting louder as you get closer. It is easily accessible by road, with an added advantage; the main road leads upto it through picturesque coffee gardens. The best time to visit Abbey falls is around November when the falls are overflowing after monsoons.

Raja’s Seat: Enjoy the unexplored beauty of Coorg from the favorite spot of the kings. Raja’s seat offers spectacular views of the misty hills, green paddy fields and serpentine rivers. These hill ranges, clad in green, rising high seem to play with silken clouds of myriad hues, and this is the that you get from Raja’s Seat, literally meaning the “Seat of the king.” It is here that the kings of Madikeri enjoyed nature and unforgettable sunsets.

Cauvery: Lifeline of the south, Cauvery bubbles up from Talacauvery and reaches ground level at Bhagamandala, 39 kms to the west of Medikeri. One of the seven major rivers of India, Cauvery is the ‘ Dakshina Ganga’ or ‘ Ganga of the south’.

Bhagamandala: It is a shrine of Bhagandeshwara. It is here the Cauvery merges in joyous and divine form with the rivers Kannike and Sujyothi to form a ‘Triveni Sangama’. The Bhangandeshwara Temple built in Kerala style on the bank of the Sangama.

Nagarahole National Park: One of the well-maintained game sanctuaries in the country is located closeby, 100kms from Madikeri, 64 kms from Virajpet & 94 kms from Mysore via Hunsur & Murkal. Nagarhole National Park was set up in the year 1955 and covers an area of 575 sq km. Main attractions of the park are tigers. The density of tigers in the park is quite impressive. The best time to visit the park is early winters when the climate is very pleasant.
It has many animals forming part of the overall wildlife, with Gaur, Chital, Sambhar & Barking Deer, Sloth Bear, Langur, Crocodile and over a hundred species of birds and the elusive cats – the Leop is home to herds of Elephant, ard and the Tiger.

Nalkunadu Palace: Built in 1792 AD by Dodda Veerarajendra, this beautiful palace is close to Tadiyendamol. To get here, you have to travel 32 kms from Madikeri through Napoklu and Kakkabbe. Buses too, are available.

Iruppu Falls: 48 kms from Virajpet on the banks of the pristine Lakshmanatirtha River, which seems to descend in joyous leaps, to salute the Shiva Temple believed to have been consecrated by Lord Rama himself. A wonderful getaway spot, on the way to Kutta from Gonikoppal.

Nisargadhama- Harangi: An island surrounded by the Cauvery river, Nisargadhama is a picturesque picnic sport that offers elephant rides, deer prancing about and boat rides. There are well equipped, thatched cottages, 3 kms from Kushalnagar.

Talakaveri / Talacauvery: River Kaveri which is one of the 7 sacred rivers of Sapta Sindhus of the Hindu scriptures, originated at a place that is called Talakaveri (head of Cauvery) in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level. This place is marked by a tirtha kundike or Brahma kundike (small spring/pond) from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring, but flows underground again to emerge a short distance away. It is about 48 kms from Madikeri.
There is a shrine near the kundike and a big tank in front of it where devotees baths before offering prayers. There are 2 temples, a Shiva temple and with a rare and ancient Shiva Linga, and another temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This temple has a holy Ashwantha tree where, according to legend, the Trimurtis – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh gave darshan to sage Agastya.

Dubare: This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Kaveri, on the Kushalnagar – Siddapur road. Elephants are captured here with the help of tamed elephants and local tribals – the Kurbas – and is held captive for upto 6 months in large teak wood cages.
The tamed elephants attend to various jobs during the day and in the evenings they come down to the river to bathe and to be scrubbed clean by their mahouts. Afterwards the mahout obliges eager tourists for free elephant rides within the camp. In the evenings, all the elephants are offered a special treat of ladoos made of ragi and jaggery, each no smaller than a cannon ball!

Valanoor: Valanoor, 30 kms.from Mercara, is part of the back waters of river Cauvery and is one of the most beautiful Angling sites in Karnataka. Types of fish include Golden-Masheer, Maral and Mapp. Licence / permit can be arranged by local tourist agents.

Bhagamandala: When the river Cauvery flows downhill, it is joined by two more tributaries – Kanake and Sujyoti. The spot where all three converte (the Cauvery, the Kanika and the Sujyothi) is called Bhagamandala. The temple here, built in Kerala style, has smaller shrines dedicated to various gods. It is about 40 kms from Madikeri.
The nearby Buddhist refugee camps at Bylakuppe offer prayerful silence in expansive halls with beautiful 40 feet high idols of the Buddha and Padmasambhava, his disciple.

Besides these places, if you have good walking shoes, then you are in for some luck; because Coorg is a trekker’s paradise. One can enjoy trekking up and down the hills, through coffee and pepper plantations, alongside the graceful Cauvery and myriad little streams. Coorg has many verdant trekking routes in the midst of forests and hills, and it’s best to go in the months from October to February. Some of the known trails are in the hills of Brahmagiri, where you could trek your way to the Irrupa Falls. You could also consider trekking to Pushpagiri, the second higest peak of Kodagu and Tadiandamol (the highest peak).

Besides trekking, you can practice few swings on the green top golf course; Avid golffers can tee off at the 9-hole course of Virajpet, or you can just sit by the river and try your luck in angling. Around Coorg, there are many Buddhist circuits as well that will keep you interested for long.

Adventure sports in Coorg: Madikeri in Coorg is a popular destination for white water river rafting. Experience the thrill of feeling the spray in your face as you plunge through the rapids of a rushing river, on a white water river rafting tour

White Water Rafting: There are few good camps around Coorg that offer rafting down the Cauvery river. For some fast paced action, visit the Upper Barapole River to the south of Coorg in Brahmagiri. The best time for rafting is from mid-June to mid-September.

Where to stay (Hotels and Bungalows):

Hotel Coorg International, Madikeri.
Hotel Rajdarshan, Madikeri.
Orange Country Resort, Siddapura.
Hotel Chitra, Madikeri.
Capital Village, Madikeri.
Alath-Cad Holiday Home
Maurya Valley View
Hill Town Hotel
East End Hotel
Golden Mist Plantation and Resorts
Club Mahindra Kodagu Valley
Kannika International
Polaycad Bungalow
Honey Valley Estate
Veerabhoomi Resorts
Bethel Home Stay
Kadkani River Resort
Shanti Estate
Honey Pot Homes
Rainforest Retreat
Jade Hills
Ramcad Estate
Hotel Crystal Court

How to get to Coorg:

By Air: There are regular flights to Bangalore from Delhi and other cities. From Bangalore, you can take a bus. The other option is to take a flight to Mangalore. It is at a distance of 136 km from Coorg. From Mangalore, you can take a bus or you can hire a taxi. The drive is approx 3 hrs.

By Rail: Mysore (114 kms) is the nearest railway station to Coorg. It has well connected rail services to all-important destinations in India. Since Mysore and Mangalore are around the same distance away, you can choose either of them to travel to Coorg.

By Road: A good network of roads connect Coorg from Mysore (120 kms), Bangalore (260 kms) and Mangalore (136 kms)

Additional articles / sites:

Coorgtourism (link)
Coorgyatra (link)
Coorg Map (link)
Bike trip in quite some detail (link)
Small blog on travel to Coorg (link)
Trip to Medikeri (with some photos)
Pavitra’s trip to Medikeri (link)

Photos from Fickr
View from Medikeri, King’s cottage