Bandipur National Park, an 874-sq.-km forested reserve in the southern Indian state of Karnataka is known for its largest population of tigers. Once the private hunting ground of the Maharajas of Mysore, the park also harbors Indian elephants, spotted deer, gaurs (bison), antelopes and numerous other native species. The 14th-century Himavad Gopalaswamy Temple offers views from the park’s highest peak.
How to reach:
Bandipur can be sorted out by two main spots. Bangalore being the biggest spoil since it has the International/National airports people can come down to Bangalore City and then take personal cabs to reach Bandipur. If you have booked with any of the resorts, it’s also okay to take any bus that leads to ‘Ooty’ and get down at the entrance and ask the concerned resort to pick you.
The nearest roadway to reach is from Mysore.
Where to stay:
Bandipur like I said above has a variety of options to explore when it comes to stay. From government guesthouses to luxury resorts. Bandipur in and around has plenty of Stays that can accommodate you at any given time.
But, remember Bandipur has a time restraint so you have to reach the spot before 6 in the morning and get out by 6 since the entire place is shut down for the safety of animals during the night.
Safari Timings:
Morning 6 -9 am
Evening 4 -6 pm
Best time to visit:
The best season to visit is surely the summer simply cause of the fact you have more sightings of animals as they tend to cross the roads to reach the many water holes. So any time from Feb to June is a good time.
Expenses:
Instead of expense is what I would state simply because now the Government to avoid large in-flocks of people has increased fairs on tourist visits and also camera permission. So, it’s best you visit the website Bandipur website or trip advisor to get the recently updated fares.
My experience:
I went to Bandipur in April, the showers had just about clicked in and the torched Bandipur forest was regaining its green life in the depth of her heart. We were welcomed by dances and dances of the magnificent Indian peacock who did all he could to grace us with their presence colorfully lifting its god weaved beauty to the eyes that weren’t rendered to accept such a marvel. The sights and sounds deep within the forest was the best music one should have heard about. I also happened to witness the capture of a leopard that was terrorizing at a nearby village, which was brought in to Bandipur for a check and release. Adding to the extreme amount of flourishing wildlife in and around Bandipur these days after the glorious move by the courts to curb the mad traffic during the night time Bandipur has always been a place I visited and over the years I have seen it fall ill and lose its charm but this time around I saw some promise of keeping the looks of it to the way it is and saw a lot more life in it than the rest of the time. Giving off the peak season of visitors it still charms some exotic shows that only a small number of cameras and memories capture compared to the many who come. I was glad to see that some of the fences where the farmlands are about didn’t really have the electric madness running as I saw deer and leopards jump in and about them just at the dusk. Glad no more killing of these poor creatures for our selfish encroachment into this crested home.
Peacocks, monitor lizard, sambar, leopard, and elephants looked like a surprise compared to not finding anything on a visit to Bandipur at times. It has got home if we all fight for it and support it and not treat it as our holiday package. We could see more wildlife and this could be a park that will be looked upon as a model in other states for their improvement in wildlife. Hope this is a green sign for the times ahead.
Originally published at ghumakkadbandi.com on July 17, 2018.