Tour Intensity
Activity
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Kabini Wilderness Trail:
Weekend tour exploring the wildlife at Kabini Enjoy a weekend in the Indian wilderness, straight from the pages of Mowgli’s Jungle Book. The Kabini wilderness getaway can be a bike or drive tour from Bengaluru into the beautiful Nagarhole National Park popular for its leopard and elephant sightings. You will be riding/ driving off the highways and along quaint villages, witnessing locals go about their day on the farm or break for some locally harvested tender coconut or fresh sugarcane juice to fuel up that ride. After an early start from Bengaluru, we drive into our the scenic Hunting Lodge of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore in Kabini for lunch.
On this trail you will be hoping into a jeep or boat for 2 jungle safaris with ample scope to spot some rare wildlife, there have been instances of spotting elephants, langur monkeys, elusive giant squirrels and a wide variety of birds. Rich biodiversity, quaint village roads, forest trails, good food and an opportunity to learn about the Indian wildernss makes Kabini an exciting weekend getaway destination. Your tour is a mix of cycling (or local cultural insights for those who wish to drive), jungle safaris, local interactions and authentic local food.
Who can do this tour?
This trail is recommended for anone keen on exploring the Indian wilderness, learn about the flora and fauna and if lucky spot a big cat or a wild elepahnt. For those who wish to bike, we can dial up or dial down the distance cycled from 30 kms each day to about 70 kms. Most of the trail will be on contruside roads leading us towards the forest. As ever, you can rely on the Unventured support team and vehicle if you choose to ride any part of the distance.
NOTE: Forest regulations in India prohibits cycling and walking through wildlife reserves, in the interest of animal and human safety. All cycling on this tour will be outside the boundaries fo the national parks.
The Kabini Wilderness weekend getaway is ideal for anyone intrested in exploring the wild side of Karnataka. Famed for its elephants and leopards, Kabini wildernss is one of the most densly populated forests in Southern India. Whether you choose to bike or drive to the forests, your experience of driving through the countryside will be a mix of cultural insight and local way of life, with many conversations with your tour leader finlling you in many aspects of life in India and specifically around Bangalore. You’ll also get a deeper insight into Karnataka’s wildlife conservation efforts and also tales of trophy hunting during the rule of the British. This trail is also a delight for wildlife photographers who are keen to take the time and go shutter happy. Digital SLR camera rentals are also available on request at an additional cost.
We start the day early at 6:00 AM and we will drive out the distance to get out of the city limits and begin our ride. We will trail through the countryside and stop over for breakfast at a local joint en route. Post breakfast we will ride on until the forest reserve and drive in to our accommodation. Post a late lunch we rest up a short while and head out for the evening safari. The safari usually lasts about 3 hours post which you can retire to watch conservation videos or rest up until dinner time. Overnight at the Jungle Lodges, Kabini.
Drive Distance: 120 Kms Ride Distance: 40-50 Kms Accommodation Type: Resort
Highlights:
Cycling through villages
Staying in an old hunting lodge that beonged to the kings of Mysore
Jungle Safari with a chance to spot elephants, gaur, deer, and the elusive cats.
We start the day early to watch the jungle wake up the the chirps and tweets of endemic birdlife. Post our safari, we return back for a hearty breakfast. Post breakfast we will check out and drive the distance out of the forest and begin our ride till we hit the highway. Lunch enroute and we drive back into Bengaluru. Expect a late evening return to Bengaluru keeping to traffic snarls.
Drive Distance: 180 Kms Ride Distance: 20 – 30 Kms
Highlights:
Early morning safari into the jungle
Easy ride along the countryside
Short stop over in Mysore
The Unventured Experience
Our “Kabini Wilderness Getaway” is a 2 day weekend cycling tour crafted to appease the traveller and the nature lover in you. You’ll discover the famed Nagarhole National Park popular for its elephant and leopard sightings and the once hunting ground for the Maharajah’s of Mysore. The trails will take you through winding roads, our journey starts on a Saturday morning and ends on the late evening of Sunday. If you wish to customise we can leave on the evening of Friday and add more ride time on Saturday. from Bangalore and we return early on Monday Morning. You will travel on our customised vehicle on a drive to Munnar. This fun leisure trail, covers 100+ kilometres on bikes over 2 days. For those of you looking at a moderate to easy trail, we cover about 60 kilometres in two days.
Difficulty Level: Moderately challenging due the weather and seasonality
Cycling Support: Your tour will be supported with cycles; these are 27 speed American made, well maintained mountain bikes of good quality. You will also have a well-trained mechanic accompanying you, and a full repair kit with essential spares. We will also be carrying a back-up cycle along the expedition; just so that you do not miss out on the riding experience should his or her bike have a serious breakdown.
Accommodation: Jungle lodge by the edge of the forest, clean rooms or luxury tents with hygenic bathrooms and tasty local food.
Transport: Riders will be supported by a vehicle that can accommodate riders and cycles comfortably with backpacks/weekender duffle bags. The vehicle will also have refreshments, drinking water and hydration in form of juices.
Another (business, for me) trip to Bangalore means another weekend to fill with great Unventured experiences!
This time out Guru took me to the Rajiv Gandhi National Park for a couple of safaris. Of course some cycling was involved along the way – this is the Unventured team who puts together the itinerary, after all, and I love to add some activity to any adventure. Guru and team were very accommodating in building out the itinerary – I got the right amount of cycling for me (which was about 30km each day) through some great countryside, bookending the trip highlight which was the two jeep safari tours offered by the Kabini River Lodge.
The one night stay at the Lodge was good – good food, clean lodging and nice bar. But of course the reason to stay there is the jeep safaris. We saw two leopards, tons of different birds, mongoose, lots of monkeys and deer, and my personal favorite a close encounter with an elephant.
Guru’s extensive wilderness knowledge came to the fore, both during the biking parts as he pointed out the many birds we saw along the way, and during the safari as a perfect complement to the park naturalists on the tour.
Thanks Unventured peeps!