Into the wild for 3 days - BRT, KGudi, Bandipur, Kabini, Dammankatte

Backpack with all the equipments, charged batteries and cellphones, spare memory cards and a few clothes, ready for a vacation to the wild.

6th September 2015

Started at 4.00 AM from Sunday i.e, 6th September towards Mysore. Took Kanakapura road suspecting traffic in Mysore Road.

We drove at a very moderate speed enjoying the nature around. The morning dawn was soothing and adding more cool with the background melodious song playing. 

We stopped to have the breakfast in Kollegala in a small canteen, and a tea from a nearby bakery and started off heading towards KGudi.

Here are some of the pics.

Break

Green fields

Entering BRT

Took off to the road, very silent and slow, so that we could spot some wildlife. Started heading towards KGudi, half way we took a turn to visit Bili Giri Ranganath Swamy Temple, as we had come so far, thought of visiting. 

After having the darshan in BRT, it was around 11.30 AM. So headed towards Bandipur via KGudi, which as well is a reserved forest. So, we are alert and trying our luck to find some wild animals.

Here are some of the pics we found on the go.

Finally, we reached Gundulpet at around 2 PM, as told earlier, we were very slow. In Shabari Udupi restaurant, sumptuous meal gobbling soon as we would miss first safari in Bandipur at 3PM otherwise.

Reached Bandipur before 3 PM, checked in the rooms there, took the tickets. What a relief ! 

We often do this, we go to back to back safari, went two safari's the very first day in twilight.

Safari is entirely based on luck, and I wish to tell we are the lucky guys. So was expecting some rare carnivorous animals to sight. Lets see...

Here are some of the pics

After the safari, knowing that the vehicle which left after had sighted the tiger. Before leaving, our driver had different plans, suspecting that the tiger would appear from the other way so we took that route. But Couldn't find much. :( 

Ok, time to tickle our taste buds, huh :P

Drove in the evening after safari to relish the street food at Gundulpet. Would recommend anyone.. Wow, so YUMMY.... Don't indulge in simply eating those tasty foodie, need to come back before 9PM before Bandipur Gate is sealed.

We came back by 8.45 PM, discussing about what happened to our lucks, we couldn't sight any such interesting animals. :(

No dejection, there always next time, so consoling ourselves on this went to bed so that we can grab the tickets for next day safari at 6 AM.

7th September 2015

Lot of enthusiasm, strong desire to sight the tiger, we got into the safari. We have good rapport with the staff, so they took us where there is a possibility of sighting a tiger. But these areas fall in the actual buffer zone not in the core forest regions.

Remember, my last blog where we had sighted the tiger, the same one has being followed now. So we took off, closely looking into the tiger. But we could only see the fresh pug marks.

But we saw some wild animals, here are some the pics

But we never left behind our desire, we caught the next safari. We started again looking closely, fortunately, there was the sighting of tiger to a bunch of guys of last safari. Our driver now knows the right location of the Tiger. By the time we go there was huge line already :) . There were around 3 buses, Safari Jeeps and a documentary gypsy, awaiting the tiger to appear from the bushes. We waited patiently for 5-10 minutes. Enough, we decided, will roam around and come back. After coming back the same scene, still people are waiting. So, we thought again we will be disappointed. Taking a last chance, our driver told, lets look at it one last time, we came this time, there were no buses, we didn't find. As we were about to take the turn, there was that majestic, king of jungle, sitting and relaxing. We took the turn, he started walking again into the bush. Our Driver drove the other side, and surprising it appeared from there. We are very busy in shooting from our DSLR, like firing rounds after rounds from a automatic gun. :)

It sat just some meters away, as if fed up and wanted to give us some shots. These are best shots I had ever got. People are surprised to hear we always sight tiger in Bandipur.

Also, there is an interesting story about how we found the tiger this time. Let me narrate you.

On the day we camped in Bandipur, the tiger which is named as Prince, was looking desperately for a a kill, and wandering tirelessly for that. The officials could easily spot the tiger as it would be looking for its prey instead of resting in camouflage.

Here are some of the best shots.

Later, we thought of visiting some other places as there would be no safari after 9.30 AM. Ok, Did I tell you that the safari timings is from 6 AM to 9 AM in the morning and 3 PM to 6 PM in the evening.

So, just to while time, we thought of visiting the Himavat Gopala Swamy Temple, which can translated as the Hima in kannada (meaning such as ice, dew, mist, snow) Gopalaswamy another name for Lord Krishna, so in total Lord Krishna on Snow. I am not exaggerating, If you visit this place, you could actually fell the clouds, the coolness would reach deep into the soul.

Here are some of the snaps

Again, we drove very slow enjoying the nature around, it was around 1.30 PM we realised we need to get the safari tickets for afternoon, again we drove to Gundulpet to the Udupi Restaurant to have our meal. We rushed back to Bandipur at 2.30 PM to get the tickets in first row.

Again, we had a sighting of Tiger Prince, it was looking to kill a Indian Gaur, it was separated from its herd, looked restless. We saw the tiger again in a close proximity out of the bush. But somehow the Indian Gaur survived this time. We could see the fear. There was a alert call from the animals around, deers, Indian gaurs were all alert and vigilant. We waited it to come back. But in vain we couldn't find out after it disappeared in the bushes after our safari vehicle approached.

Here are some of the pics.

That's how we spent the second half of the day. There is a saying "If the objective is achieved at the very young age you lose the reason for living". Similarly, we sighted the Tiger, the very second day, and were content.

Has delicious street food in Gundulpet and started discussing about the day's event.

That night, there popped up new desires, like how about sighting a Leopard, Black Panther or a Sloth Bear tomorrow. Finally, we got back our goal to continue the trip :)

8th September 2015

Got up early to get the tickets again, we went for two safari's back to back, we missed the leopard in few minutes where another vehicle has sighted it, but by the time we came there it wasn't there, same was the case with Sloth Bear.

Here are some snaps

We thought of going to Nagarhole through Sultan Bateri via Metikuppe. But we missed the road and took the other road through Dammankatte-HD Kote- Metikuppe-Moorkallu- Nagarhole. It was a round about, but it's fine we got to know that even Dammankatte has a Safari.

By the time we reached Nagarhole it was around 5 PM, we took a home stay near by. Fill some stomach filling and dozed off.

9th September 2015

We had heard, there is always very sighting happening in Metikuppe road. So, we tried our luck in the morning instead of depending on any Safari.

We found some elephants, Indian Gaur, Barking dear, Malabar Squirrel etc. But nothing great to excited.

Here are some of the pics of the morning drive.

At around 11AM we left the homestay to Dammankatte for the safari. Safari was to start at 4PM. We had high expectation in this safari because there was a black panther in this region.

We had some nice sighting here, but nothing great again. Here are some of the pics.

After all these, we thought whether to head to Kabini or back to Bangalore.  We decided to head towards Bangalore. Had delicious street food and chats in Mysore, reached Bangalore around 11 PM.

Our Cycling Trials - Thurahalli Forest

Myself had Rockrider 5.0. Recently upgraded to Rockrider 340. Started to go on weekend cycling, office commute etc.

Here are the trails.

Thurahalli forest

Level 0 with a bit of off roading. It was fun cycling in the forest, quiet and narrow paths. We started in the morning around 6.30 AM from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, reached Thurahalli around 7.15 - 7.30 AM. Here are the glimpse of the same

This shows the trail at the starting point

A very nice place little hiking

It was green all around

Found a peacock, there are other birds as well

 After all these we came back by around 10 AM back. It was around 10-12 Kms of ride from Rajarajeshwari Nagar. I think its a good trail for starters and there are no traffic in this route.

Happy Cycling !
  

Our journey to Kukke Subramanya

Just wanted to pin down my experience of visiting Kukke Subramanya, as this was a bit different and more traditional. I always used to go to Kumara Parvatha for the trek, descent the other day have sumptuous breakfast in a restaurant (Since 1960 :)), visit the deity and back to Bangalore. This would be the normal routine. But this time it was no trekking, just visit the places religiously and preformed the rituals.

So most of the travel enthusiasts would like to have such ritualistic experience, I am hereby pinning this down.

Normally, you could book a KSRTC coach according to your preference AC/NON AC.  We booked at around 9.15 PM. Boarded the bus near Basaveshwarnagar Bangalore (Saradha Colony) at 8.15 PM. You could even board near Navrang Theater as well at 9.20 PM.

This was just before the Shiradi Ghat was open. Our driver heard someone telling him that the Shiradi was open, so he took that route unfortunately.

We were just 30 Kms away from the Kukke, where at the end of the ghat the road was blocked.

We encountered the block at 2.30 AM till 6 AM we tried to clear the block which was a heap of mud that was put across.

But we failed, then we started walking across a near by village to get another bus to Kukke. Being a photographer I enjoyed the morning scenery with absolute awe.

Here are glimpse of that

Took a lift from a pick up truck

Later we waited for the bus, boarded a local bus at around 7 AM and reached Kukke.

We made a lodge just to freshen up. Got on with the shorts and went to take a dip in Kumara Dhara for the first time. This natural river is not part of any tributaries and comes through the Kumara Parvatha being one of the tallest mountains in Western Ghats. So this river, Kumara Dhara is very good to heal some of the health problems. Had a quick dip with some quick snaps.

Later came back to room by a Auto with a minimal fee. Freshened up and got ready to have a darshan of the deity.

We were fortunate not to have any rush and crowd inside the sanctum by 10.15 AM. We went to Adi Subramanya temple from there which is walkable, this the temple where the Naga Devathas bless the devotees. You can witness the Nag Devatha If you are fortunate.

Then had breakfast in a restaurant located in the temple street, did some shopping, got my tickets booked for return journey at 2.30 PM.

Wondering I could have booked a bit earlier ? Come on, how could I miss the tasty and disciplined lunch served at the temple.

The lunch starts at 12 PM, we joined and finished lunch at 1.15 PM as there was not much crowd.

Then went back to the lodge, packed things up. As this is a monsoon season it was pouring cats and dogs.

Some how boarded the bus at 2.15 PM, started the journey back to Bangalore with such a scenery is breathtaking. Here are the few snaps on the way back.