The River Tern Lodge is the perfect blend of nature and wildlife with serenity. It is situated at the edge of the Western Ghats of Chikmaglur district in Karnataka, surrounded by the lofty hill ranges of Babubudangiri. The Lodge is located on a hillock, at the edge of the picturesque Bhadra River, near Lakkavalli, adjoining the northern boundaries of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, another area classified as a Tiger Reserve. The soft waves of the backwaters of the river lash the edge periodically, harmonizing the sounds of nature, to put you in a perfect state of bliss. The Lodge gets its name from the congregation of thousands of river terns during their breeding season on a nearby island. It is indeed a spectacular sight to behold! You can get mesmerized by observing their preening, feeding, cackling and many interesting antics. The River Tern Lodge is the ideal spot to get acquainted with nature and its serene beauty.
The River Tern Lodge currently has ten twin-bedded accommodations - five cottages and five log cabins with cozy interiors to ensure that guests have nothing else but pure serenity and privacy. Each room has a veranda overlooking the tranquil waters of the Bhadra Reservoir and not to mention the spectacular view of the sunset over the backwaters. It has been a concious decision to not have television sets in the rooms so that guests may enjoy nature in all its glory.
The Cuisine:
Apart from the comfortable accommodation, the Gol Ghar which is a circular, open-to-all-sides gazebo, is the guests dining area, providing an extraordinary close to nature experience. A delicious spread of South and North Indian dishes, buffet style is served at the Ghol ghar. A choice of both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian is available.
The River Tern Lodge is located near the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and a trip into the reserve should be your agenda. There are water based adventures such as sailing, kayaking, water cycle, water trampoline and joy fishing on offer. A boat ride on the backwaters of the Bhadra Reservoir can also yield great wildlife viewing opportunities.
Other activities include:
• Guided Trekking,
• Island camping,
• Bird watching,
• Mountain biking,
• Rock climbing for children and star gazing.
• Visits to Tyverekoppa Lion and Tiger Safari and to the Sakkrebyle Elephant camp are also options at the River Tern Lodge .
The resort also features wildlife documentaries in the evenings, for those interested. All water activity equipments and instructors are present at the Lodge and adhere to high safety guidelines.
The Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary has been recently adopted under ‘Project Tiger’.
The Tiger Reserve boasts of rich avian life with birds like the Grey junglefowl, Red spurfowl, Painted bush quail, Emerald dove, Southern green imperial pigeon, Great black woodpecker, Malabar parakeet and Hill myna just to name a few.
While among the reptiles, the Marsh crocodiles are usually found in the upstream stretches of the Bhadra River and Monitor lizards are also a common sight. The Smooth Indian otter can usually be sighted at the Bhadra Reservoir.
Other mammals found in the area are elephants, tigers, wild dogs, palm civet, stripe-necked mongoose, sloth bear, large brown flying squirrel, sambar, spotted deer and the wild boar.
Day One
12 noon Check-in
01.30 p.m Lunch
04.00 p.m Safari briefing with Tea/Coffee
04.30 p.m Drive to Bhadra Wildlife Santuary
07.30 p.m Wildlife film show
08.30 p.m Campfire and Barbecue
09.30 p.m Dinner
Day Two
06.00 a.m Wake-up call, tea/coffee
06.30 a.m Guided trekking / Boating
09.30 a.m Breakfast
11.00 a.m Checkout
The water based activities such as sailing, kayaking, water cycle, water trampoline, water sea-saw are subject to weather conditions and are offered at extra cost.