At the foothills of the Nilgiris, along the Mysore-Ooty highway, lies India’s best elephant sanctuary. Administered separately, the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (in Tamil Nadu) and the Bandipur National Park (in Karnataka) are the components of a single spectacular ecological continuum that also includes Nagarhole (in Karnataka) and Wayanad (in Kerala) wildlife sanctuaries. Bandipur and Mudumalai are located in the lower reaches of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
In 1931, Bandipur was established as a hunting reserve by the Maharaja of Mysore. It was expanded to 874sq km in 1973, when the Bandipur National Park was constituted. Poaching of elephants for ivory has been a major problem here.
A vital elephant corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve has also been destroyed because of development projects. The Mudumalai Sanctuary was set up in 1940, which gives it the distinction of being the first sanctuary in south India. It initially covered a stretch of 60sq km, which was expanded to encompass 295sq km by 1956 and thereafter, to its present size of 321sq km.
Bandipur National Park
The Mysore-Ooty road leads to the entry point of Bandipur National Park. Its headquarters and range office (Tel: 08229-236043/ 44) are located nearby. The complex has an excellent interpretation centre.
Just outside the park boundary, in Melukamanahalli village, lies the Bandipur Safari Lodge, run by Jungle Lodges of Karnataka Tourism. About 4km from the range office, in Mangla village, is Windflower Tusker Trails Resort. Both the resorts have licences to operate private jeep safaris. To the northwest of the Bandipur Safari Lodge is Gopalaswamy Betta, the highest peak of the Nilgiris in Bandipur, atop which is the Venugopalaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The spectacular Moyar gorge acts as the southern boundary between Mudumalai and Bandipur national parks. Mini-bus safaris and elephant safaris begin from the range office. Trekking and hiking have been dis-continued in Bandipur.
Entry Indians ₹ 200; Foreigners ₹ 1,000 Timings 6.30–9.00am; 4.00–5.30pm Video camera ₹ 300
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary The Reception Range Forest Office at Theppakadu (Tel: 0423-2526235) is the entry point to Mudumalai. There is also an information centre here. Trekking is not permitted in Mudumalai, nor does the forest department offer any jeep safaris. Private vehicles are also prohibited from entering the park, so the forest department arranges mini-bus safaris inside, which can be booked at the Theppakadu Reception Range Office. Several forest rest houses are scattered across the park. Tour operators in nearby Masinagudi town can arrange birdwatching trips and treks in the reserve forest.
Photography Still ₹ 25; Video ₹ 150
Things to See & Do
Interpretation Centre
Located at the entrance of the Bandipur Reserve, the interpretation centre provides information to visitors on the wildlife of this region. Mudumalai also boasts of a well-planned information centre, which is located very close to the forest office in Theppakadu.
Jungle Safaris
Rides into the parks on especially laid-out dirt roads called ‘game roads’ offer excellent views of wildlife. At Bandipur, only two operators can conduct private jeep safaris – Wind-flower Tusker Trails and Jungle Lodges. Both are located near the national park.
◆ Bandipur mini-bus safari ₹ 100 per head (45 minutes) Timings 6.30– 9:00am; 3:30–5:30pm Mudumalai mini-bus safari ₹ 35 per head Timings 6.00–9.00am; 2.00–6.00pm
Elephant Rides
Short jungle rides (20 minutes) on elephant back are available at Bandipur in the morning and evening. These have been discontinued at Mudumalai. Nevertheless, do make a visit to the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai. It is one of the largest elephant camps in south India.
Moyar Gorge
On the Bandipur side, the Moyar gorge or ‘Mysore ditch’ can only be reached by jeep safari or trekking, but on the Mudumalai side, even bus safaris (upon request) can take you to the gorge. At Mudumalai, a watchtower offers spectacular views of the gorge and Moyar falls.
Sigur Plateau
Situated in Tamil Nadu, close to the Madumalai National Park, is the Sigur Plateau, which harbours scrub and bamboo forests.
With the Nilgiris looming right above this plateau, there are some incredible views to be had at the Bison Valley Viewpoint on the Mysore-Ooty road and the Moyar Falls in Mudumalai. There are plenty of accommodation options here – many resorts are located in and around Masinagudi town. Jeeps can be hired from Masinagudi (7km from Theppakadu and 26km from Bandi-pur) for ₹ 5,000–6,000 per day.
Masinagudi tour operators such as Jungle Retreat and Nature Safari Tours and Treks offer customised packages (both for Mudumalai and Bandipur) for trips around the reserve forest. These include transport and the services of a naturalist. You can also contact agents such as Aires Travel and Tours in Mysore and Aloha Travels in Coimbatore.
Where to Stay & Eat
As hundreds of tourists visit both Bandipur and Mudumalai all year round, there is a wide range of stay options here suitable for all budgets. Tea, biscuit and vadas are quite easily available around both the national parks. For proper meals, the hotels you put up at are the most convenient options.
In Bandipur
The forest department has nine cottages here (Tel: 08229-236043; Tariff: ₹ 1,000 for two), four dorms (₹ 75 per bed) and one VIP guesthouse (Tariff: ₹ 1,000–1,600). Contact the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife), Bengaluru for reservations.
Amongst private hotels, there is Windflower Tusker Trails (Bengaluru Tel: 08229-236055/ 95, Cell: 09901446666; Tariff: ₹ 9,400–14,700), which has tastefully designed cottages. Bandipur Safari Lodge (Tel: 233001; Tariff: ₹ 6,932–7,538 per person), run by Karnataka Tourism’s Jungle Lodges, has well-furnished rooms. MC Resort (Tel: 233044/ 45; Tariff: ₹ 6,035–8,450, with meals) in Melkamanahalli village, adjacent to the sanctuary, is another option.
In Mudumalai
The Forest Department lodges have the best location. The Theppa-kadu Log House (Tariff: ₹ 2,409–3,726) near the Moyar river has two double-bedded and one four-bedded suite. Sylvan Lodge (Tariff: ₹ 1,540), also by the Moyar river, just 4km from Theppakadu, has four double-bedrooms. These two are the best options here. All the lodges here offer meals and hot water.
At Abhayaranyan, 3km from Theppkadu, is another Forest Rest House (Tel: 0423-2444098; Tariff: ₹ 2,409), which has two rooms with attached baths. The Forest Rest House Annexe has two rooms and costs ₹ 1,540 a night.
Nearby, in Kargudi, is Peacock Dormitory, run by the forest department. It has three dorms (two dorms with 20 beds each and one with 10 beds). One has to pay ₹ 215 per bed per night here.
The Cuckoo Forest Rest House has one room and costs ₹ 180 a night. There are a couple more dorm options in Theppakadu. Bookings for all these can be made at the wildlife warden’s office in Ooty.
There are many private resorts around Masinagudi, about 12km from Mudumalai. Options here include Jungle Retreat (Cell: 09787321170; Tariff: ₹ 8,036–21,200) in Bokkapuram, 11km from the park. It has deluxe and regular cottages, a villa with four beds, two treehouses and a swimming pool.
Jungle Hut (Tel: 2526240; Tariff: ₹ 6,600–9,000, with meals) also offers similar services. The Monarch Safari Park (Tel: 2526250/ 343; Tariff: ₹ 3,500–4,500) has a restaurant. The Bamboo Banks Farm (Tel: 2526211; Tariff: ₹ 7,000, with meals) offers safaris and accepts credit cards.
Mountania Rest House (Tel: 2526267/ 337; Tariff: ₹ 500–2,000) and Green Park Resort (Tel: 252-6351/ 486; Tariff: ₹ 2,000–3,000), which offers treks in Madumalai, are other convenient options.
Getting There
Air For Bandipur: Bengaluru airport (220km/ 5hrs). Taxi fare for a drop to Bandipur ranges from ₹ 10–14 per km (depending on the choice of vehicle) For Mudumalai: Coimbatore Airport (152km/ 3.5hrs). Taxi fare to Mudumalai is ₹ 10–14 per km
Rail Nearest railhead: Nanjangud (65km/ 1.5hrs). Taxi fare ₹ 10–14 per km; a major railhead is Mysore (80km/ 2hrs). Taxi from here is ₹ 10–14 per km Road Bandipur and Mudumalai (12km apart) are located on the Mysore-Ooty highway. The forest rest houses and offices are by the side of the highway. To reach these places, just hop onto one of the buses plying on this highway and ask them to stop at Bandipur/ Theppakadu (Mudumalai). Most resorts have their guests picked up from these two places if informed in advance about the approximate arrival time Bus State transport bus services are available from Bengaluru, Mysore, Ooty and Coimbatore to these parks. KSTDC luxury buses are available from both Bengaluru and Mysore. Bus services are frequent; moreover, centralised bookings can be done through any of the KSRTC counters in Karnataka or even via the internet (ksrtc.org)
Fast Facts
When to go April–January is a good time to visit, but the best animal sigh-tings are from September–December. The parks are sometimes closed from February–April on account of heavy forest fires
Go there for Tigers, elephants, gaur
Wildlife/ Forest Dept offices
Conservator of Forests Bandipur
Tel: 08229-236043/ 44
Reception Range Office
Theppakadu, Mudumalai
Tel: 0423-2526235
Wildlife Warden, Mount Stuart Hill
Udhgamandalam, Ooty – 643001
Tel: 2444098
forests.tn.nic.in
CCF (Wildlife)
Aranya Bhavan, 18th Cross
Malleswaram, Bengaluru
Tel: 080-23341993
STD codes Bandipur 08229,
Mudumalai 0423
States Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Location On the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, along the Mysore-Ooty Highway; within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Distance 220km S of Bengaluru, 80km N of Ooty, 164km NW of Coimbatore; Mudumalai is 12km S of Bandipur
Route from Bengaluru to Bandipur SH17 to Mysore via Maddur; NH212 to Gundlupet via Nanjangud and Begur; state highway to Bandipur Route from Bandipur to Mudumalai Tamil Nadu State Highway to Mudumalai Route from Coimbatore to Mudumalai Ooty Highway to Gudalur; Mysore Highway to Theppakadu, Mudumalai’s main forest base.
Inputs from Soumya Prasad