Nagarhole National Park Travel Guide

One of India's premier wildlife reserves, the Nagarhole National Parkis located in the districts of Mysore and Kodagu in Karnataka. Its name is derived from two words, Naga which means snakes and Hole which means streams. It is also referred by the name Rajiv Gandhi National park and is a UNESCO world heritage site. This national park is known to be India’s best and is situated in the heart of the Nilgiris range.

How to Reach the National Park

By Air

To reach the national park, one can opt for train, air or road journeys. The nearest national airport to the Nagarhole national park is the Mandakalli Airport about 98 kms away whereas the nearest international airport is situated in Bengaluru around 268 kms away.

By Train

For the one's travelling by trains, the nearest is Mysore railway stations about 96kms from the park. There are regular bus and taxi services operating towards the national park from airports as well as railways stations.

By Road

The nearest bus stand is 30 kms from here after which one can travel by taxis. The nagarhole national park is properly connected to the neighboring major cities and states by well-maintained roads on which taxis and state as well as private buses run.

One can even choose to drive to this place. There are many tour and travel agencies that help the tourists to plan their trip accordingly based on their needs. Their packages are specially curated to cover the needs of the visitors efficiently.

Best Time to Visit Nagarhole

The prime time to visit the Nagarhole national park begins from the month of November and extends till April. During this time, the temperatures are comparatively low varying from 8 to 25 degrees Celsius. Due to the scorching heat of the summers, the animals go around the sanctuary to drink water from the streams flowing through it. It is never really advised to travel to a place where the summers are really hot and dry as it might turn back on one’s health. This is why the best time to visit the national park is also said to be winters.

Getting Around Nagarhole National Park

There are different modes of transport that can be opted for to travel round the national park. The visitors can rent jeeps or safari cars along with a tour guide that would give them a wholesome tour of the sanctuary. Another interesting mode of locomotion through the park is the elephant safari that gives the tourists a mesmerizing experience. This helps the tourists to explore the most intricate details of the sanctuary.

Another adventure one can opt for is the hiking trails which are as exciting as it sounds but is confined to a small area to ensure complete safety of the visitors. So long, the jeeps have proved to be the safest choice of mode of transport and ideally should be chosen. Since the Nagarhole national park is located in a small district and is a national park after all, the authorities close the roads in the evening around 6p.m. This is to prevent any kind of mishap and ensure safe journey of the tourists.

Wildlife in the Nagargole National Park

The Nagarhole National Park homes some of the most exotic variety of animals that can startle anyone who visits the place. The best part about visiting the national park is that one can witness all of it naturally, with the animals and everything else in their natural best.

The rich variety of animals found in this national park is sure to give the wildlife explorers a strong rush of adrenaline. The dense forests, wildlife, streams moving stealthily through the sanctuary have so much to be explored that the visitors might not want to leave the place. The Asiatic Elephant of the national park is very famous.

Some other animals that can be spotted here include deer, flying foxes, panthers, jungle cats, antelopes, sloth bears, tigers, bison, wild boars, hares and Pangolins. The presence of reptiles like, crocodiles, pythons, cobras and different types of lizards make the wildlife reserve richer. These are truly a delight to watch.

Birds in the Nagarhole National Park

Some other residents of the Nagarhole national park include the different types of birds that fill the air with their melodies. These melodies are a blessing to one’s ears as they are soothing and act as refreshment from the regular noise that one hears. The sanctuary being a habitat to the wild animals is usually very quiet. The sound of the birds eases the atmosphere there.

The Nagarhole national park homes around 250 species of birds, all so pretty and different from each other. Some of the birds that can usually be spotted here are the common hawk cuckoo, ospreys, ducks, bulbuls, herons, lorikeet, babbler, ring dove, byth's myna, grey jungle fowl, hawk eagle, woodpeckers, Malabar trogon, serpent eagle and Indian reed.

The wildlife sanctuary was established in the mid 1950’s, with the original forests being the hunting base of the rulers of Mysore. Later, the park’s area was extended and the forests of Mysore were also included in it.

The Nagarhole national park today, extends to 640 square kilometers and is a part of the Mudumalai Sanctuary. The Bandipur, Mudumalai and Wayanad wildlife sanctuaries also lie adjacent to the Nagarhole national park. The national park today has the position of the only remaining and the safest or best protected reserve of our country for some of the endangered species like elephants and tigers.

Nagarhole national park is one such place that should be visited by everyone at least once in their lifetime. It brings one closer to the nature. Hence, the Nagarhole national park or the Rajiv Gandhi National park should definitely be on one's to-do list while visiting Karnataka and they should really make a great use of their time here. It is a once in a lifetime experience and enables one to explore the undiscovered sides of it that they have never even thought of.

Different Area to Visit in Nagarhole National Park

Nagarhole is one of the big parks which stretches a huge area with a lot of river basins and reserves that it is divided into four parts that can be visited depending upon the journey.

Norther Area

This area is the main water source of the park and a lot of hotels can be found here. The major river, Kabini river flows through here, hence, a huge amount of wildlife is concentrated specially mammals are situated here. Since, the region receives heavy rainfall regularly the vegetation around here is dense with some heavy forests. The animals which found here are herbivores as the food available to them is lot.

South East Region

The Southern region is easily a counterpart to the northern region as there are some great sights to watch the birds. In fact, it is the place where most of the predator species resides and occasional sighting of the tigers can be seen.

Center

This area has great deal of water resource as well and some of the prominent animals like elephants and deer's can be found here. There is nice backwater in the region which can be enjoyed for a nice boat ride.

West

The most beautiful valleys and mountains lies on the west region as some of the waterfalls and trees can be found. A lot of tree dwelling, and plant dependent animals can be found in this region.

Travel Tips

Before going there with someone or alone it is important some that some facts need to be kept in mind while going to a national park. There are wild animals of which some are dangerous and can attack the visitors if they feel offended or endangered. Hence, a travel guide needs to be there to help in dealing with such problems. There should be mosquito repellents, flashlights, power banks for safari rides among other necessities that should be taken care of. The most important tip is to listen to the instructions given by safari guide carefully regarding the areas to go for and the areas to stay away from.

Where to Stay in Nagrhole

There are some of the best hotels, Inn, cottages and resorts that are located near the park. These accommodation places provide some of the best food with a great amount of cultural knowledge and the species found in the park. They have some of the best view and decor in the world. The food is usually available in these hotels, however, bookings need to be made some time prior to actual tour.