Kabini River Lodge

The breathtaking and idyllic locale situated near the tranquil backwaters of the River Kabini presents an ideal setting for a long-awaited and quiet vacation. Nestled within the southern fringes of the Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, the Kabini River Lodge is the perfect getaway for nature lovers. Kabini is elephant country, a haven for the Asian elephants, where they gather by the waters of the River and it is possible to see numerous herds at a time. However, the blaze of the elusive tiger may haunt you as you roam through the verdant jungle here, one needs to be quite lucky to sight a tiger in this wilderness. Once widely known for mass elephant-trapping operations called 'Khedda', Kabini stands as the one of the brightest beacons for wildlife preservation in India today.

Kabini offers an enchanting experience all year round. During March, April and May, when the season is the driest, most of the elephants of the surrounding forests converge at the River Kabini. During the rainy season, i.e., July, August & September, the trees will be at their greenest and thickest at every level of the forest lowering the visibility of the animals. But the freshness of the forest during the wetter months is worth experiencing. During the other months, a fair variety of wildlife including birds and deer can be sighted easily.

Rooms:
The Kabini River Lodge is built in colonial style architecture equipped to accommodate 50 persons at a time. Fourteen spacious, colonial style double rooms with modern amenities, ten twin-bedded cottages in sylvan surroundings and six tented cottages with attached modern bath ensure that your stay here is comfortable. (Please note that there is no air-conditioning or television among the amenities provided in any of the accommodations).

Facilities:
The Viceroy's building houses the Lodge's well-equipped bar apart from the luxurious living areas. There is also a large, charming room exclusively for seminars/conferences or meetings with a multimedia projector and other conferencing facilities.

The Cuisine:
The communal dining area is called the Ghol Ghar overlooking the River Kabini and is the perfect place for guests to mingle with each other and share their experiences of the day. At Kabini River Lodge, your taste buds are pampered with a delicious and piping hot buffet of Indian, Chinese or Continental cuisine. Fresh Tandoori preparations are also offered daily.

Safaris: The exciting safaris in open-top jeeps into the famed Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park is the main wildlife viewing activity here. The jeep provides the first ride into the Park at the crack of dawn followed by a second visit to the park again at 4.30pm.

Boat ride: A boat ride on the River Kabini would definitely be a treat for your eyes as many elephants tend to congregate on the banks during most evenings. Guests can choose between the traditional, circular boat and the regular motorboat for the river cruise. You could be sure to see as many as 150-200 elephants on a summer evening.
In the evening, movies on wildlife are screened in the audio-visual hall.

Wildlife:
It is rare to find a protected area in India where so much wildlife can be sighted at any one time. Sighting of elephants, sambhar, spotted deer (chital), gaur (Indian bison), wild boar, sloth bear, wild dogs (dholes), etc., are sometimes almost assured, while if one is lucky, a tiger or a panther too, could be sighted.

Campfire: On request, the Lodge's staff could start a campfire and barbeque at the Ghol Ghar in the night. 

An ayurveda treatment option is also offered to guests.

A one-night programme is described below.

Day One
12 noon: Check in at noon. Settle down and freshen up
01.30 p.m-2.30 p.m: Treat yourself to a sumptuous lunch at the Gol Ghar
04.00 p.m: Gear up for a ride into the Park with tea/ coffee served at the Gol Ghar
04.30 p.m - 7.00 p.m: The resident 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 the animals that live there.
07.45 p.m: Watch a wildlife movie at the Viceroy's building.
08.30 p.m- 10.30 p.m: Bask in the warmth of the campfire, or dine in the Gol Ghar, exchanging tales of the jungle with the other guests and the 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 a 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.

For a fulfilling experience of the destination, we recommend you stay at Kabini for at least 2 nights

Kabini River Lodge is situated 5 km off the Mysore-Mananthavadi Road.

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.
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.

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.
2) Guests from Ooty may follow Bandipur, Gundlupet, 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.