Number of days: 6
Route: Bangalore ----> Hubli ------> Dandeli Tiger Reserve ----->Sirsi---> Shimoga--->Bhadra Tiger Reserve------> Bangalore
Finally after much debate in a round table conference at around 11 in the night whether to go abroad or further explore India or go with my BMS gang to Lakshadweep I came to a conclusion: It was Uttara Kannada with my family. I had to abide by my father’s rule: two family outings in a year.
After last minute bookings, plannings and packings we made the final push in order to find our national animal in the wild.
Day1: 16/01/2011
Day1: 16/01/2011
Our Innova arrived at 6 am sharp and we hopped into it at 6:30 am all because of my brother who constantly refused to get out of the bed so early. Bid adeiu to my 2 dogs Tussi and Zorro who looked rather disappointing since their daily biscuits had gone for a toss[atleast for 6 days]. Soon we were on NH4 and the tolls at almost 5kms of NH had begun to take a toll of me. I was assigned the job of navigation as well as keeping the driver alert hence i had to fight off Mr Sleep who time and again knocked at my doors. We reached Hubli at noon, had lunch and rest at the hotel and headed out to Unkal lake. It was a beautiful lake with sunset in the background but badly maintained as usual. Next was Nrupatunga Betta a hillock which gave a fascinating view of Hubli town. Looks like a weekend picnic spot for many as there was a huge rush. We retired for the night at the hotel after a quick dinner and shopping.
Day 2: 17/01/2011
After a few snaps in front of Kittur Rani Channamma we headed to our destination Dandeli about a 100 km from Hubli. It is situated on the banks of River Kali famous for its white water rafting.
We had booked our rooms in Jungle lodges Kali adventure resort. We were greeted by Langurs, giant malabar squirrel at the resort. Unfortunately there was just another family in the resort who were not interested in rafting and the resort people needed 5 members for it. Only me and my brother were ready for this thrilling experience hence this was dropped. Instead they offered a coracle ride on the Kali. All 5 with life jackets balanced ourselves on the coracle and set off towards crocodile island.
On the croc island we spotted a hard rock like figure: An immovable baby croc taking its sunbath. Fear than slowly started taking over adventure as we spotted another mammoth croc nearby and we were back after an hours coracle ride. After a sumptuous buffet our next activity was Jeep safari into the Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve. It was an amazing ride as it was an open jeep with fresh oxygen gushing out the CO2 from within us. We reached the gates of the Tiger reserve and the only thing in my mind at that time was Tiger. Dandeli earlier known as Dandakaranya is a huge forest spanning about thousands of sqkm with about 10 Tigers according to latest census.
You cannot buy an experience of spotting a Tiger in the wild. Tigers are shy mammals and are very difficult to spot unlike other members of the CAT family. We roamed the dense thick jungle for almost two hours our heads rotating like owls but we only managed to spot jackals, peacock and jungle fowls. The only satisfying part of this safari was a small trek in the middle of the jungle to a view point which showed a picturesque view of 1/4th of Dandeli forest.
After a stint at the camp fire and a healthy dinner we were fast asleep next only to hear the birds chirp in the morning.
Day 3:18/01/11
After a guided nature walk in the jungles we headed to Supa dam in Ganeshgudi. After a short stay we checked out towards Magod falls. What a magnificent fall more than satisfying to our eyes. My mother took a distant view while we trekked to view the falls in all angles. After a few snaps we were back in our mobile AC room heading towards Sirsi. On the way was Sahasralinga in which rocks on the river was carved out to make 1000 Shiva lingas about 1000 years back. After our respect to Lord Shiva we checked in the hotel and we headed to famous Marikamba temple in Sirsi. What a sight of the Goddess which really got goosebumps on my body.
Day 4: 19/01/11
This was the toughest day of the journey in terms of travelling. We started to Yana known as the trekkers paradise about 50 km from Sirsi. Google maps was of huge help to get there. One thing I really appreciate was roads in Uttara kannada. All roads narrow, wide, main, remote are tarred and very good.
Yana is a natural formation of a monolithic rock which is believed to bein form of a Shiva linga. A great sight which is a proof of Mother Natures unbelievable creations. Below is a Shiva temple in which half linga is dark i.e it is always wet. Next was the adventure into the caves where my fellow traveller who visits frequently tells that during monsoon we can find snakes at will in the caves. We went inside to witness the awe inspiring beauty of the caves. We did manage to find lots of bats in the darkest corner of the caves.
From Yana we then went to Unchalli falls and was surprised to see so much water in the falls especially at this time of the year.This feels like a better one than Magod falls but each one has its own speciality. The trek to the viewpoint of about a km was very tiring especially after the trek in Yana but it was worth it.
It was 2:30 pm and the world famous Jog Falls was 50Km away. The visitors to Unchalli had been to Jog before coming here and advised us not to go as there was no water in Jog. We were disappointed as this time too we would miss it but I made up my mind. Water or not Jog falls is Jog falls .We reached there at 4:30 and saw the magnificent Jog. A thin strip of water was falling amidst the huge crater. I have made up my mind to visit once again when it is in full flow(Raja,Rani,Roarer,Rocket in full strength) and also to go to the Mungaru Male spot.
After Jog we went to Shimoga at around 9pm as this was the best place to stay and also was nearby Bhadra.
Off we go to another Tiger reserve. This time the Bhadra. On the way we found the Bhadra dam which was yet another example of the season in Karnataka. We made our way into Jungle lodges: River Tern Lodge. This is by far the best resort in the whole of Karntaka if you ask me. At the reception we noticed the board which shouted about animal sightings. As i was engrossed in the listing the receptionist told me he was giving us cottages on an island.
My mother was quick to ask him if there was any coracle ride again(after our experiences in Dandeli) to the island but to our relief a bridge was built to that island that means a walking trip. What a view from our cottage: overlooking the backwaters held by the Bhadra dam.
The rafting missed in Dandeli was somewhat fulfilled in water sports in the resort: Kayaking, swimming and trampoline on the calm waters for an hour with my brother and uncle. I and my brother were in one kayak rowing our hearts out. This excitement took us to the middle of the huge backwaters where the guide tells us that the depth is 180ft. We were quick to turn it back even though my brother relied on my swimming skills and life jacket. After this exciting hour we stormed into the buffet as it was already 1:30pm. Almost all seats were occupied majority of them foreigners.
After a few minutes rest we were on course for yet another Tiger spotting within a span of 3 days. The Bhadra wildlife sanctuary said the gates and in we went. Bhadra boasts of 25 tigers, 50 leopards and 300 elephants and I had high hopes. It was again a disappointing safari with only deer spotting. March/April said the driver when we told him about our experiences in Tiger spotting. But he did manage to show Tiger droppings which were 5 days old according to him.
A fantastic view of the Bhadra dam in night, our trek on the bridge to the island where our cottages were from our dining area, water sports were some of the highlights.
Day 6: 21/01/11
Next day morning was a beautiful sunrise and a motor boat ride along the Bhadra. Our hopes of finding a tiger had still not vanished. We saw the River tern bird after which the resort is named with its yellow beak shining in the early morning sunrays. Brahmini Kite, Kingfishers were common sightings.
We were definitely disappointed with not finding the Tiger but there was some light ahead of the dark tunnel. We were informed of the Tyavarekoppa lion/tiger sanctuary in Shimoga. After an hour’s drive we were in caged vans. This sanctuary is based on similar lines as of Bannerghata. We entered it and there it was : His Highness the Tiger. What a view of the big cat which hopeless people have mercilessly killed for short term gains. At that time of excitement sadness crept in to see these majestic creatures enclosed in a small area. With this mixture of feelings we went into next enclosure where King of the jungle was happily enjoying his sleep. A few leopards, jackals, lots of deer are other attractions of this sanctuary.
Finally after our lunch we headed back to Bangalore and as we got nearer we became more familiar with the noise and air of our city.
My dream of finding a Tiger in the wild remains a dream and hope to turn it into reality one day. My trips to Dandeli, Bhadra, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Periyar, Mudumalai, Satyamangalam have failed to convert this into reality but i will never give up until my last breath!!!
See you soon my Wild Tiger, hopefully in Corbett/Ranathambore/Kanha/Siberia.
awesome travelogue... enjoyed reading it... keep some more coming :)
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