The Amazing Nagarhole Safari minus the Expensive Stay!!!!
The Amazing Nagarhole Safari minus the Expensive Stay (at Kabini)!!!!
Nagarhole Kabini – the Best in South India
One of the best places to do a Safari in South India without a doubt is the Nagarhole Kabini. With its 3-hr Safari it rates as the best in South India and which probably guarantees the best Sightings too. Very conveniently located in the central part of South is easily accessible from almost all parts of South India and is 230 kms South of Bangalore and approx. 75 kms from Mysore. As people say, “Kabini Never Disappoints you”
Pinches your Pocket real bad
Trouble with this is that you can avail of this amazing Safari only if you a guest in one of the associated resorts over there (@ Kabini) and the costs are way too expensive for a common man – costs starts from Rs.16,000 for two people per night (USD $240) (inclusive of all taxes, all meals and all safaris) and can go up to Rs.45,000 [The rates you see sometimes on travel portals come without the cost of meals and taxes and Safari and when you add all these, you will have an uneasy feeling 🙂 ]
But there is a Good Alternate!!
But let’s not feel that disappointed at all as we have an alternative and believe it or not it is very close to the feeling of what you get at Kabini and at a price probably 1/3rd or less and that too in Nagarhole forest itself!!
You can stay in homestays or any inexpensive places near Hunsur Karnataka or near Kutta in Coorg and take this Safari. This is a 3.5 hr Safari with almost 1.5 hr on the roads and remaining 2-hrs deep inside the forest.
FAQ for you:
Where exactly the Safari starts?
It starts near Hunsur by the entrance gate to Nagarhole (northern part while Kabini is in the southern part) and that location is called Veeranahosahalli, Karnataka and can be searched by that name on Google Maps (or geeky guys like us can use this Lat/Lng info which is [12.170584, 76.197681]) and is approx 20 kms from Hunsur Town.
It also picks up people from the Naagrhole Office Reception area which is inside the forest and approx 15kms from the Kutta side of the Nagarhole which suits travelers staying at the Kutta/Coorg Side.
Where do I buy the tickets for the same?
There is no ticket counter as such, you have to prebook with JLR by calling this number 9449274766 (Complete details are mentioned in the WildTrails India App – Android & iOS) or try your luck at the gate, the vehicle reaches there at around 6am and by around 3pm in the afternoon and then again you could try your luck at the Nagarhole center at about 7am in the morning and about 4pm in the afternoon.
Can you describe the Safari Circuit for us?
Basically the safari is a 3-3.5-Hr however approx. 1hr to 1.5hr is spent on the Roads (which can be done in your own vehicle too but you get good sightings here too) and 2 hours deep inside the forest, The pace is slow and they do stop if they spot animals.
There are two circuits starting and ending at the Nagarhole center. One goes to the left hand side of the road and the other to the right hand side. The one on the right has been having more sighting as there are some waterholes frequented by tigers and leopards on that side but the one on left is not bad either.
Both circuits have varied terrain mostly high or valleys with grasslands. Even though there is an option for a jeep, we do not recommend one in this terrain as the lower sitting position will reduce visibility considerably. The canter works best for sighting as well as for photography (Please see the some of the photos taken at this location – attached below)
By 9am/5pm they drive back to the center and then by 10am/6pm they get to the gate on Hunsur side at the Veeranahosahalli Gate.
If you are coming from Kutta side, you can join the vehicle at the center better to let them know you are coming way ahead of time.
Can I rent a jeep if I want to instead of a Canter Safari?
Yes there is an option but only one group gets the jeep and max 4 people but you need to pay for 4 people even if your team is less than four.
But we do not recommend the jeep for this terrain and they have a old mahindra there which by itself is not a great sitting position. If they had the tata ones (like we see in say Kabini) it would have been better as the sitting position is way better in those.
What is the cost of the Safari?
The cost is RS.1200 per head. For both canter and jeep and slightly higher for foreign nationals and slightly less for kids under 12.
All these details including what resorts that are nearby to stay and how to contact, book, all nearby services and attractions and lor more on, are on our app WildTrails of India – Android – iOS
Any other questions or concerns you have, please do drop us an email anytime or drop an message on our facebook page and we will reply to each and every message and within a few minutes during working hours and within a few hours during non-working hours and holidays.
Some of the Sightings at this part of Nagarhole:
All images depicted here, courtesy to our friends at http://ifoto.photos, are taken at Nagarhole in the Coorg part of Nagarhole
Further Reading:
Mobile App to Download:
————————————–
WildTrails of India – “One Stop Destination for all Indian Wildlife Enthusiasts“
PS: Please be a responsible wildlife tourist; No littering, No sounds, No feeding, no getting down from the safari jeep (when on safari), No phone calls. Remember that we are visiting their home and when we are there, let’s follow their rules.
[The WildTrails of India is the best way to get all the details about Indian wildlife sanctuaries (best travel times, safari details, animal sightings, forest accommodations pairing, wildlife related activities, prices, etc). Learn more about WildTrails of India here. ios App is here. Android is here, and Web is on the way. Please do like us on our facebook page here. Thanks]
————————————–
With 4 years of Sightings data + Extensive expert tracker network in jungles, our customers had the best wildlife experiences.
Buy Wildlife Fashion Accessories
Exclusive Online Store for wildlife products
Packages
Packages Loading...
Recent Posts
