As the ennui builds, we get snappy. Although we are fortunate to live outside the city, and surround ourselves with a wonderful garden (entirely thanks to the tireless efforts of Dee), we feel the need to head out into the countryside after a few months, mostly to recharge our batteries.
Karnataka is a great state for city slickers looking for some greening and wildlife. With over 8 National Parks and Sanctuaries within driving distance, and the excellently managed Jungle Lodges & Resorts chain of forest resorts, there's a lot to do and see at reasonable prices. This is eco-tourism at its best, with each resort having a light footprint,experienced naturalists at hand, and great homestyle food, their 12+ locations can't be beat.
Last year, we discovered the relatively close hideout of K.Gudi amidst the Biligiri Ranganna Hills (B.R Hills), about 70 km from Mysore. The K. Gudi (Kyathadevara Gudi) Wilderness Camp is extremely non-commercialized, with no other private resorts at hand. The drive up from Mysore takes one past the temple town of Nanjangud. The forest is mostly dry deciduous, with some moist pockets.
The BR Hills are juxtaposed at the confluence of the Eastern and Western Ghats in South India,serving as a corridor for animal crossings before and after the monsoons. They are connected with the Satyamangalam forest range in Tamil Nadu, long the haunt of forest brigand Veerappan. The sanctuary was formed in 1974, and the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore's forest lodge has been converted into the K.Gudi Wilderness Camp.
Although we had stayed in a tented cottage on our last visit, this time, the central cottage was available. We were given a large, high-ceilinged room at the top of the stairs. There were reports of strange apparitions in the hallway at night, but we didn't spot anything strange. Perhaps anything otherworldly was driven away by the sonorous snores of our neighbor in the next room.
The package includes two safaris into the forest, one of which is at 4:30 PM and lasts a wee bit past sunset. The open jeeps make visibility a cinch. Narayan, the resident naturalist is well-versed in the ways of the forest, and we always try to get into his jeep.
We came across this bird on a plant as we entered the forest.
Watering holes dot the forest and we came across two different herds of elephants having a bath. (Check my Flickr set out for more pictures of the herds.)
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The elephants rub themselves with earth after their bath.
Here's a video, also available in 720p HD and taken with my new Panasonic Lumix FZ-28, a topic for another article).
While on our safari, we came across this strange tree, that Narayan told us was called a Strangler Fig, a parasitic tree that grows to suck the juices out of its host tree, finally killing it and taking root itself.
Here's another odd tree, looks like monkeys melded into the tree.
One of the other jeeps chanced on a leopard, and inevitably we all descended upon the spot, to no avail, and the noise likely scaring away any other wildlife that might have been nearby.
The night sets in fast, and when the tired safari-goers return to the lodge, they are greeted with warm tea, a wildlife movie and biscuits, as dinner is prepared in the Gol Ghar, with a fireplace beside.
Close by, is a tribal village, and the Soliga tribe can be visited, although they are mostly regular dudes by now. Numerous temples to Lord Ranganatha dot the area, who is supposed to stride across the forests in two-foot-sized leather sandals, which are progressively worn out, and replaced by the tribals every two years.
In the morning, there are two options. You can accompany Narayan on a trek through the nearby hills or take another safari. Last time, I had opted for the trek, and heard a tiger's cough a few metres away, and come across a beautiful lichen.
This time, we chose the 6 AM safari. While one might not see too many animals at this time, the forest is serene and cool.
We came across a few birds, including this serpent eagle.
