About Nagarahole Wildlife:
93 kms from Mysooru city is an expanse of lush tropical forest covering an area of 643 sq kms. Nagarahole, once the Maharaja’s reserved forest, is now a National Park and has been lately rechristened as Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister of India. The park derives its name from the river Nagarahole (meaning serpent stream) that winds through the forests in a serpentine fashion. Covering gentle hills bordering Kerala, the park includes swampland, streams, deciduous forest, stands of bamboo, and dense thickets of teak and rosewood trees. Sunlight fitered through the branches of trees gives the place a cathedral-like grandeur .The park has a large elephant and bison population apart from a large variety of other species like sambar, chital, tiger, leopard, barking deer, the tiny mouse deer, giant squirrel, wild boar, langurs and macaques. It also over 250 species of birds like the Malabar pied hornbill, the great black woodpecker, Indian pitta , green imperial pigeon, Babbler, Bee-eater, Bulbul, Lorikeet, Minuet, Parakeet, Peacock and Alexandrine who have made their abode at Nagarahole. Trekking through Nagarhole can be a wonderful experience and the sense of being one with nature is overwhelming. Guided safaris on jeeps are arranged by the forest dept. There are good accommodation options like the forest bungalows and inspection bungalows, however prior booking is advisable. Best time to visit is between October and May.
General Information about Nagarahole Wildlife:
Location: 93 Km From Mysore
State: Karnataka
Capital: Bangalore
Language: Kannada, Malayalam, English
Temperature: Max 30˚C, Min 21˚C (summer), Max 21˚C, Min 11˚C (winter)
Best Season: November to April
How to Reach Nagarahole:
By Air:
The nearest airport to Mysore is Bangalore (139 km). All the domestic airlines in the country operate their flights to Bangalore from all the major cities in the country. Some international airlines too have flights to Bangalore. Bangalore is to have an international airport shortly.
By Rail:
Mysore is connected with a number of trains to Bangalore. The super fast luxury train the Shatabdi Express connects Mysore to Madras. The quickest and most comfortable way to reach Mysore is via Bangalore.
By Road:
Mysore is 139kms to the south west of Bangalore. The state highway that connects these two cities is very well maintained. Travelling from Bangalore to Mysore by road is a pleasant experience and will take about 3hrs. The Karnataka Road Transport Corporation has excellent bus service to Mysore. There are ordinary buses, semi-luxury buses and luxury buses operated by the Government of Karnataka. Every half an hour there is a non-stop bus to Mysore from Bangalore Bus Station. Corporations of other states and private tour operators have buses plying to Mysore as well. All these facilities have made Mysore extremely accessible by road.