Written by: raghu
Nagarhole
Once a private hunting ground of the Maharaja of Mysore, Nagarhole was given the distinction of a National Park in 1975. It was recently renamed as ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Park’. The captivating 643 sq. km park stretches across a series of hills and valleys north of the Kabini River and is the home to a variety of birds and animals, thereby making it one of the best wildlife parks in India. The setting of the far-off blue foggy Brahmagiri Mountains, the ripple of rivers and streams, sound of the jungle, and the chirping of the birdlife makes Nagarhole an excellent place to visit.
WEATHER
Nagarhole National Park has three seasons, each with moderate climate.
| Summer: | March to May (Maximum temperature of 33°C) |
| Monsoon : | June to September (1300mm – 1800 mm average rainfall) |
| Winter : | November to February (Minimum temperature of 14° C) |
Best Time to Visit
Nagarhole can be visited through the whole of winter and the earlier half of summers. November to February is the best time to visit.
GETTING THERE / ROUTE INFORMATION
Distances from major nearby cities:
- Bangalore-236 kilometers
- Mysore-80 kilometers
| By Road: | Nagarhole is well connected by road with cities like Bangalore and Mysore. |
| By Air: | The nearest airport to Nagarhole is Bangalore (about 236 kilometers) which is connected to all the major cities of India. |
| By Rail: | Nearest railhead is Mysore Juction which is about 80 kilometers away. Nanjangud which is 55 kilometers from Nagarhole also has some trains coming to it, but they are very less in number. |
PICTURES OF NAGARHOLE
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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
Wildlife
One of the best attractions is wildlife watching. You can either take this safari by Jeeps or take the popular elephant safari. In some relatively less danger areas, hiking is also permitted. The coracle ride in the lake is another attraction.
Bird watching
Feast your eyes on the riot of colors of the feathered species and enjoy the natural songs as the birds twitter, play and go about their daily jungle activities. There are about 250 species of birds to watch out.
Places Nearby
| Kabini | (1 km) | One of the most well known wildlife’s in India, Kabini offers fabulous sightings of huge herds of Elephants. |
| Bandipur National Park | (100 km) | This dry scour- humid deciduous forest provides another great option for wildlife safari. |
| Mysore | (96km) | It is very popular tourist destination that can be visited from Nagarhole. |
| Madikere | (93 km) | This place is famous for its coffee and orange plantations |
VITAL TOURIST INFORMATION
Accommodation
Government run forest rest houses, cottages and private lodges are the options available for accommodation in Nagarhole. The Kabini River Lodge, Jungle Inn, The King’s Sanctuary and forest department cottages are some of the most popular ones.
Contact for assistance in Nogarhole
The Assistant Conservator of Forests: 0821- 211559
Contacts in case of contingency
| Hospitals | Chandrakala Hospital (Mysore): (0821) 2517809B.M. Hospital (Mysore): (0821) 2511771
Holdsworth Memorial Hospital (Mysore): (0821) 2420102 |
| Police | LakshmiPuram (Mysore): (0821) 2418120Kuvempunagar (Mysore): (0821) 2418324
Mandi Mohalla (Mysore): (0821) 2418113 |
Is there somebody who can get me contacts of clubs you conduct dirt biking in the forest?
The nearest, easiest air approach to Nagarhole for any person travelling from n.india is calicut in kerala. the road distacne from calicut to nagarhole is 180 km. The route from calicut to nagarhole is breathtaking ! pristine nature – green paradise – scenic beauty !
I would violently object anybody taking the bangalore route to nagarhole – its pain in the wrong place ! Once you reach bangalore airport what awaits you is Tracffic jam , polution and maddning crowd of people with that sorry pissed off look carved all over their face. Last but not the least – people waiting to pounce on each other with road rage….[;(][;(][;(][;(][;(][;(]
Not to mention the fact if you are so unlucky to reach bangalore airport at peak hours, you are bound to miss all you schedules- not mention the comfort of a wonderfull holiday you have been long planing.