After flying to Bangalore followed by a 220 km drive(the last 15 kms being extremely bumpy) from there through Mysore, my son and I reached the Cicada resort in Nagarhole wildlife reserve, on the banks of the Kabini river. One can go wildlife spotting there by either boat or jeep in guided safari groups.or just lay back in the hammock in front of the cottage facing the river with binoculars pointed at the river or the Bandipur reserve on the other bank to look for birds and animals. While this reserve claims to have a dense population of both prey(elephants, moneys, deer, gaurs etc.) and predators(tigers, leopards and wild dogs) we only spotted the first category and a wide variety of birds including various types of herons, cranes, spoonbills, kingfishers etc The water is thick with marsh crocodiles that lay basking near the water in the April sun. The location offers various activity options including boating, kayaking, elephant rides(suspended at the time that I was there) or simply trekking around.
Nagarhole is part of the quartet of wildlife sanctuaries that comprises the Nilgiri reserve stretching across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu; the others being Bandipur, Vaynad and Mudumalai. Tigers here reportedly abound with each holding a territory of 10-12 kms. This is relatively a small territory for a single tiger and attributed to the dense population of prey.
The resort itself boasts well maintained grounds and a good swimming pool. Meals are only buffet style at fixed times with drinks and snacks available at others. Intercoms in the rooms were replaced by men stationed near the cottages with walkie talkies who would call the buggies(primary mode of transport around the resort) or take any other orders including room service. They also rent out bicycles for those inclined to use them. Quality of food leaves plenty of room for improvement other than the excellent south indian fare and superb filter coffee. The service staff deserve full marks for courtesy and personal attention. Its very kid friendly with a Children’s Corner for indoor games, special early meal options and plenty of space for outdoor games besides other structured activity. Of the 3 resorts(others being Jungle Lodges and Water Woods) available at this location this is said to be one of the better ones though a trifle more expensive(Rs.7, 500 per couple per night, Rs.5000 for single stay). However with the quality and variety of facilities as well as the cost being inclusive of all meals.I felt that it was pretty good value for money.
Update to original review: I hear Orange County has started a resort at Kabini too. I’m going to check that out next. Loved their Coorg property.