There apparently is this beautiful resort called River Tern Lodge(RTL) nestled inside the jungle on the banks of the Bhadra reservoir perfectly picturesque, set on an island and, Google turned up some pictures of the cottages, that looked impressive. This was all we knew when we left for the place and never did we imagine, I'd keep uttering 'I love this place', 'This is Paradise', etc.. about 100 times a day.
All the wildlife lovers in Karnataka must have heard of the Jungle Lodges run by the government. This was one such resort on the banks of the Bhadra river backwaters, next to the Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, which is the 25th tiger reserve in India. They've the itinerary well-planned out, starting with the Jeep Safari, a documentary screening about the place, campfire, four meals a day, Nature Walk, Boat Safari and water sports.
It's about 2.5 km from a village called Lakkavalli and we took the train to the Birur Junction, from where RTL had arranged a cab for us on extra charge. The temperatures soared and we were sweating copiously by the time we reached the room, after climbing down and up the islands, because we had requested for the room that was on the other island close to the waters, so that we got to walk a lot. But, the moment we entered the room, it was a moment of total awe at the view it offered! We spotted Fish Eagles, Drongos and Bee-Eaters near our balcony.
We took the Jeep Safari on day 1 and had a very knowledgeable guide, who spotted a lotta animals and birds and gave out a lotta facts about them. There was this huge stretch of grassland at the edge of the forest, where water recedes only during summer and it was such a joy watching huge herds of spotted deer - large and small, galloping around and peacocks just grazing and dancing away.
The water sports were really fun and despite getting my ankle sprained on the Water Trampoline, I was swimming happily with my mind probably swimming wanderingly elsewhere out of the world that I noticed the pain only much later. We took both the Safaris again over the next day and ended the trip totally content and delighted from the out-of-the-world experience. The staff here were very friendly and courteous and always ready to help and full of enquiries if the sprain was healing.
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| The mystic charm, as if it's a floating island you behold |
All the wildlife lovers in Karnataka must have heard of the Jungle Lodges run by the government. This was one such resort on the banks of the Bhadra river backwaters, next to the Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, which is the 25th tiger reserve in India. They've the itinerary well-planned out, starting with the Jeep Safari, a documentary screening about the place, campfire, four meals a day, Nature Walk, Boat Safari and water sports.
It's about 2.5 km from a village called Lakkavalli and we took the train to the Birur Junction, from where RTL had arranged a cab for us on extra charge. The temperatures soared and we were sweating copiously by the time we reached the room, after climbing down and up the islands, because we had requested for the room that was on the other island close to the waters, so that we got to walk a lot. But, the moment we entered the room, it was a moment of total awe at the view it offered! We spotted Fish Eagles, Drongos and Bee-Eaters near our balcony.
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| View from the Balcony |
We had a lot of time to take in the luxury we were surrounded with and get ready for the lunch and gosh - hot it was terribly, and people were chilling with buttermilk, beer, etc., but the food was out of the world, especially the fish, which was brought in fresh from the dam everyday. We saw people out on coracles everyday, probably that was why. I love and enjoy good food and the taste lingers along with the memories of every trip and this was one such trip, where the food never disappointed all the three days that we were there. Everyday, I'd be enquired by the staff about the food and would reply, 'It's amazing! Especially the fish!'.
The best part of the evening was the wind that blows from the west, that makes the backwaters roar like a sea and we had the best time just standing on the rope bridge that connects the two islands listening to the sounds and watching the winds trying to sweep us away. This goes on till early night, but after dinner, we found the winds to have disappeared and the water surface just still. There was also a documentary screening which was full of information about how the wildlife sanctuary came to be and all the hardships people had to go through, in conserving the natural treasures of the region.
Day 2 began with the Boat Safari, which made me go mute and transfixed at the beauty that was unfolding in the misty water body, as the sun was slowly rising and the birds growing more and more restless. It was quite a long ride and we got to see diverse birds and animals, though my dream of watching an elephant herd play along the banks, like encountered a few years ago, went futile. But the best part was suddenly being surrounded amid water on all sides, by hundreds of River Terns and their sounds, which covered the boat in a River-Tern-Tornado. The River Terns are birds from the north that migrate here during summer for breeding. It was a magical ride and emotionally quite overwhelming.
The water sports were really fun and despite getting my ankle sprained on the Water Trampoline, I was swimming happily with my mind probably swimming wanderingly elsewhere out of the world that I noticed the pain only much later. We took both the Safaris again over the next day and ended the trip totally content and delighted from the out-of-the-world experience. The staff here were very friendly and courteous and always ready to help and full of enquiries if the sprain was healing.
We got to spot a herd of wild boars, Indian Gaurs, monitor lizards, Malabar pied hornbill and a few other species. Once during the Jeep Safari, we encountered a single Tusker who looked at us with surprise, then seemed to be contemplating whether or not to chase down our jeep, as we drove backwards. He then seemed to make up his mind to simply have his dose of water and walked sideways from the path as we watched, with out hearts beating loud.
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| Pics Courtesy : Vivek |
Its a must-visit for people who wish to escape the enclosures of consumerism and the materialistic world to a place close to Nature, where life is much slower and indulgent.
