Bandipur Safari Lodge

The Bandipur Safari Lodge is located halfway down the Mysore-Ooty road and is situated adjacent to the world-renowned Bandipur National Park.

The Bandipur National Park is one of 27 tiger reserves in India, a protected area that is part of a scheme, called Project Tiger, launched in 1973 by the Government of India, to save the tiger and its habitat. The national park lies nestled between the foothills of the Nilgiri Hill Range of the Western Ghats and the mountain breeze blowing down the vales of the picturesque Nilgiris (or the Blue Hills) sets the perfect backdrop for a wildlife safari. The Bandipur National Park was formed by extending the Venugopal Wildlife Park, set up in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajas. It also forms a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is one of the last refuges for the endangered Asian elephant and many other species of animals that are not found anywhere else in the world.

The Bandipur Safari Lodge is built in a contemporary architectural style with a maximum capacity of housing 44 persons at a time. There are twenty-two well-furnished, elegant rooms with modern amenities and spacious baths to calm your senses. (Please not that there is no air-conditioning or television among the amenities of the accommodation). The campus is dotted with medicinal and ornamental plants and the panoramic view of the surrounding hillocks brings out the naturalist in anyone.

Cuisine:
The Lodge specializes in serving a delectable buffet of South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisine. They offer guests both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The exclusive banquet area called the Gol Ghar (circular, open-to sides marquee) is a specialty of Jungle Lodges and offers a platform for interaction with other guests.

Facilities:
Jungle Lodges and Resorts provide open-top jeeps to take you on a safari into the Tiger Reserve every evening. To enjoy the wilder side of life, you can sit around the campfire area and unwind yourself around the barbeque to a guitar humming in the background. There is also a restaurant and bar facility provided for day visitors and highway commuters.

The major attraction of the Safari Lodge is its wildlife odysseys into the Bandipur National Park. For those who want an arduous workout, there is no greater challenge than hiking up the heights of Gopalswamy Betta or trudging down the slopes of the Moyar Gorge. Bird watching, wildlife viewing and photography can have no better opportunity than a walk through this treasure trove of natural features.

Bandipur opens before you a plethora of wildlife, which fascinates your imagination and educates you and your children about the need for biodiversity conservation. The Bandipur forests with its deciduous habitat is the ideal spot for viewing animals like elephant, gaur, wild boar, sambhar, spotted deer or wild dogs and there is always the bonus of sighting the elusive predators like the tiger or a leopard. 

Bird-watchers will not go back disappointed as the forest provides them with the opportunity to spot birds such as Peafowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Partridge, Quail, Paradise Fly-Catcher, Hornbill, Woodpecker, Thrush, Crested Hawk Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Drongo, Cuckoo, Oriole, Minivet, Wagtail, Myna, Blue Jay, Kingfisher etc.

2 days/ 1night Itinerary
Day 1:

• Check in at 12 noon. 
• Freshen up and have the sumptuous lunch spread for you at the Ghol Ghar. 
• After a relaxed tea/ coffee, leave for a jeep safari into the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Get together with other guests at the Ghol Ghar and share your evening experiences around a camp fire. 
• Retire after dinner

Day 2:

• Early next morning after a cup of coffee/ tea, be lead by a trained naturalist into the Tiger Reserve on a nature walk. 
• Get back to the Lodge in time for freshening up and breakfast.
• Check-out at 11 am. 

By Air: The nearest airport is Mysore (80 km). Very limited flights land there presently.

By Road: Motorable roads connect Bandipur to Bangalore 220 km via Mysore, which is 80 km away. It is 170 km away from Coimbatore and 80 km from Ooty.