Bandipur National Park: South India’s Weekend National Park

Bandipur National Park is located in the lush environs of the scenic lands between the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris, the Bandipur National Park is a green’s delight and is one of India’s most prominent national parks. Declared a national park in 1974, Bandipur National Park is one of the nine original tiger reserves that were declared under Project Tiger. The vegetation of the Bandipur is largely evergreen or deciduous.

Bandipur National Park is home to many valuable hardwoods such as rosewood and teak. Though Bandipur National Park is most known for tigers and Asiatic elephants, it is also home to numerous other fine wildlife animals such as bonner macaques, Nilgiri langurs, dholes, smooth-coated otters, common palm civets, stripe-necked mongooses, jungle cat tigers, wild boars, chitals, gaurs, Indian palm squirrels, grizzled Indian squirrels, liontail macaques, golden jackals, sloth bears, Indian grey mongooses, striped hyaenas, rusty-spotted cats, ratels Indian spotted chevrotains, sambars, Nilgiri tahrs, Indian porcupines, Hanuman langurs, Bengal foxes, Eurasian otters, small Indian civets, ruddy mongooses, leopard cats, leopards, Indian muntjacs, four-horned antelopes, Indian pangolins, Indian hare, red giant flying squirrels, Indian giant squirrels, etc.

Places to visit in Bandipur National Park

The Bandipur National Park is strategically located in the scenic state of Karnataka. This national park is located close to many tourist attractions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu including the regions’ other wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife reserves and wildlife parks. Today, the Bandipur National Park is part of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and straddles Madumulai Sanctuary.

The Moyar River, which is the lifeline of the Bandipur National Park, acts as the boundary between Madumulai Sanctuary and Bandipur National Park. The highest peak of the park is Gopalswamy Betta, which rises to an altitude of 1454 meters. From here, one can get excellent panoramas of the entire region. Ooty, a charming hill station that is also known as the Queen of the Nilgiris, is also located nearby.

Bandipur National Park- Travel tips, languages spoken, cuisine

• Languages: Malayalam and English are widely spoken in the region surrounding the Bandipur National Park, and as such communication should not be a problem. Hindi, however, is somewhat less prevalent.
• Cuisine: Cuisine, however, would largely be Indian food, South Indian food including idli's, dosa's can be expected.
• Wildlife photography and camping are highly recommended.

Many tour operators in India offer package wildlife tours and wildlife safaris for Bandipur National Park

Best time to visit Bandipur National Park

• The best time to visit Bandipur National Park is between the months of March and June, and September and November. The monsoons in the region are quite heavy and tourists are advised to take precaution.
• Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the forest is at its full bloom during the rains, which on average amount to a rather good 1200 mm.
• Also, owing to its close proximity to major urban centres such as Mysore and Bengaluru, this wildlife tourism destination has emerged as a quick and convenient getaway for many urban souls.
• As a result, the Bandipur National Park is often very crowded during the weekends and other public holidays. True nature lovers are advised to avoid the park during the weekends. During peak seasons, it is advised that one make bookings months in advance.

Best way to reach Bandipur National Park

• By Air: Mysore, located 80 odd kms away is the airport nearest to the Bandipur National Park. Mysore is one of India’s most prominent international airports, and as such flight connectivity is very good.
• By Rail: Nanjungud, located 55 kms away, is the nearest railhead. However, Mysore is deemed more convenient as it offers better connectivity.
• By Road: The Bandipur National Park is well connected to all the important cities in the region.

Accommodation

Hotels, inspection bungalows, private cottages, etc. are available to suit all budgets. The Bandipur National Park abounds in family holiday resorts and wildlife resorts. One can obtain excellent discounts on accommodation via package Bandipur National Park tours.