Kabini River Lodge
Kabini, Karnataka.
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Nestled in the southern fringes of the Nagarhole National Park , the Kabini River Lodge is a perfect getaway for nature lovers. The breathtaking locale with the tranquil backwaters of the River Kabini presents an ideal setting for a long-awaited vacation. Once the hunting lodge of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore, Kabini River Lodge is today rated by the British Tatler's Travel Guide as one of the top 5 wildlife resorts in the world. Kabini is pure elephant country as one can see numerous herds at a time. However, the blaze of the elusive tiger always haunts you as you roam through the verdant jungle here. Once widely known for the mass elephant-trapping operations called 'Khedda', Kabini stands as the one of the brightest beacons for wildlife preservation in India today. |
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Kabini River Lodge has a colonial style architecture equipped to accommodate 50 persons at a time. Fourteen spacious, colonial style double rooms with modern amenities, six twin-bedded cottages in sylvan surroundings and five tented cottages with attached modern bath ensure that your stay here is in comfort. (But there is no A/c, or T.V. in any of the accommodation). All these in a well maintained 54-acre campus, surrounded on three sides by the bend of the River Kabini, giving it a paradise like look. |
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Apart from the luxurious living areas, the Viceroy's building houses our well-equipped bar. There is also a large, charming room exclusively for seminars, meetings with multimedia projector and other conferencing facilities. Our communal dining area called the Ghol Ghar (circular, open-to-sides gazebo) overlooks River Kabini and is the perfect place for guests to share their experiences of the day with each other. |
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Food is an integral part of every holiday. At Kabini River Lodge, we pamper your taste buds with delicious and piping hot buffet of Indian, Chinese or Continental cuisine. Fresh Tandoori preparations are offered daily. |
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The main wildlife viewing activity here is the exciting safaris on open-top jeeps into the famed Nagarhole National Park . Our first ride into the Park is at the crack of dawn and we visit the park again at 4.30pm . A boat ride on the River Kabini would sure be a treat to your eyes, as many elephants tend to congregate on the banks in the evenings. You could be sure to see as many as 150-200 elephants on a summer evening. Guests can choose between the traditional, circular boat (made of bamboo and buffalo hide) and the regular motorboat for the river cruise. Elephant rides lasting about 45 minutes are also part of our package at Kabini. In the evening, movies on wildlife are shown in our audio-visual hall. We could also start a campfire and barbeque at the Ghol Ghar in the night. |
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Wildlife |
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Perhaps nowhere else in India can one see so much wildlife. Sighting of elephants, sambhar, spotted deer, gaur, wild boar, sloth bear, wild dogs, etc., are almost assured, while if one is lucky, a tiger or a panther too, could be sighted. Our clients are permitted to shoot, not with guns but with camera and video. The sighting of wildlife in their eco-system creates awareness and respect among the humans towards other life forms. |
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Kabini offers an enchanting experience all through the year. However, during March, April and May, when the season is the driest, most of the elephants of the surrounding forests converge at Kabini, to take advantage of the back waters of river Kabini, and to feed on the grass growing on the dried out surface. This is when you can view the largest congregation of Asiatic wild elephants, anywhere in the world. During the rainy season, i.e., July, August & September, the trees will be at their greenest best, with fewer animals visible. During the other months, a fair number of a variety of wildlife including birds can be sighted. |
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HERON |
SUNRISE AT KABINI |
WHITE EYE |
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Location
Kabini River Lodge is situated 5 km off the Mysore-Mananthavadi Road . To help you plan your trip we present the following options.
Options from Bangalore To Kabini:
1. If you are travelling by your own car, all you have to do is reach Mysore and them follow the detailed route sketches. Incidentally, your driver can stay free of cost at our comfortable dormitory.
2. You can hire a taxi for the to and fro journey, including a night's halt at Kabini. This will cost around Rs.3,500/- by ordinary Ambassador car. For more than a night's halt, the taxi fare will be Rs.1,250/- extra per day. You may contact Sathya Sai (Tel: 6641140) or Clipper (Tel: 5592023) for taxi service.
3. Another alternative is to take a train ride of 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Bangalore City to Mysore , and from there proceed by car/bus to Kabini. Express trains leave Bangalore at 06.30, 07.15, 10.55, 14.25, 11.20, 14.10, 16.20 & 18.05 hrs. No prior reservations are required.
Mysore to Kabini :
1) If you have arrived by train, you can ask for a taxi to meet you at the station for your onward journey to Kabini. Skyway (Tel: 0821-426642) & Seagul (Tel: 0821-539732) are reliable taxi operations in Mysore. They charge around Rs.1250/- for a one-way drop.
2) Guests from Ooty may follow Bandipur, Gundulpet, Begur, Nugu dam & Hand Post Circle for a shorter route that is quite bumpy, or come via Mysore, which is a better road.
3) Guests from Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta , Hyderabad, Madras etc., may enter via Bangalore .
4) Guests from Trivandrum, Cochin & Calicut can come via Mananthavadi, along the Mysore Mananthavadi road.
5) Guests from Mangalore & Madikeri could come via Hunsur, H.D. Kote and Hand Post Circle . |
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A night's stay is divided into Day 1 & Day 2. For a fulfilling experience of the destination, we recommend you stay at Kabini for at least 2 nights. However, a one-night programme is described below.
Day One
12:00 pm Check in at noon . Settle down and freshen up.
1:30-2:30 pm Treat yourself to a sumptuous lunch at the Gol Ghar.
4:00pm Gear up for a ride into the Park with tea/ coffee served at the Gol Ghar.
4:30-7:00 pm Our naturalists take you on a wildlife jeep safari into the Nagarhole National Park, showing & sharing with you their experiences and information about the jungle and all the animals that live there.
7:45 p.m. Watch a wildlife movie as you gulp beer at the Viceroy's building.
8:30-10:00 p.m. Bask in the warmth of the campfire, while you dine in the Gol Ghar, exchanging tales of the jungle with the other guests and our staff.
Day Two
6.00-6.30a.m. Wake up to a hot early morning cup of tea/coffee.
7.00-09.30 a.m. Cruise through the serene backwaters of the Kabini River on a motor boat viewing sleepy crocodiles and chirpy birds, intent on their morning catch. View a variety of wildlife, especially the elephants, coming to the river for bath or a drink.
Alternatively, you can go on a jeep safari to sight the animals, and have a ride on the elephant in the jungle, which means you can have the boat ride the evening before.
10.00 a.m. Your stay at Kabini is not over yet. A hearty brunch is what awaits you after your sojourn in the wild.
11.00 a.m. As you bid adieu to Kabini, the memories of your stay here will linger on, till the time you return again. |
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Package 2010 |
Valid From 16th September 2009 to 15th June 2010 Cottage Rs.5000/-
Room Rs.4250/-
Tented Cottage Rs.3500/- Non-Residents & Foreigners
Cottage USD 160
Room USD 160
Tented Cottage USD 160 Package Includes : Stay, Lunch, Dinner & Breakfast, Jeep safari into Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, Coracle Ride, Elephant Ride (Subject to availability), Forest Entry Fees, Camera Fees & Taxes. |
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Tele : +91-11-41612107, 26823836. Mobile: 9810112772, 9910003772. |
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