BANGALORE: A room swarming with people, a cluttered dance floor with Bollywood numbers playing in the background. Sounds familiar? Then why spend a stereotypical New Year in the city when you can explore the natural beauty that Karnataka has to offer. The journey to Bandipur National Park begins on the picturesque Mysore-Ooty highway. Lined with villages, farms and plain vast barren lands the beauty is breath taking. Located about 232.6 kms from Bangalore the journey spans out to roughly five to six hours. Before entering the reserve, the last town you cross is Gundlupet. A small rustic town straight out of the pages of a novel, Gudlupet is a nice stop-over for some chai. Since this is the last town before the reserve, you might want to withdraw cash from the ATM.As soon as you enter the forest reserve, the phone loses network. With no material distractions you are totally lost in what the reserve has to offer. Beautiful lush green tropical forests with tall trees based by thick shrubbery stretches for miles in which you can find the largest member of the cat family. A winding road takes you to the heart of Bandipur where you cross a police check post en route to the resort. If you reach before noon you can catch the evening safari, which is between 3pm and 6 pm. But if you are late then you have no choice but to retire in your rooms and unwind. All roads coming into the reserve close at 7 pm. The essence of nature remains in the wooden-log cabins of the various resorts around that offers a taste of the rustic forest life.Many wildlife resorts in Bandipur offer some sort of entertainment in the evening from watching a documentary on wildlife, a bonfire to just dawdle beside a swimming pool. As the dusk paints the forest in sepia tones, the reserve puts on a mysterious mask and, sitting besides a bonfire amidst the jungle, with a guitar and a drink makes the experience an unforgettable one.The wild life safari remains one of the major attractions amongst tourists. But if you are a little adventurous, you can go for the morning trek. Accompanied by a professional environmentalist, tourists are taken into the jungle reserve on foot. At five in the morning, the jungle is bathed in a subtle glow. Fresh air caresses your hair and your mind is free of thoughts. The sky is stroked in various shades of blue with a hint of pink. As you start on the walk, the first thing you encounter are the bucolic villages. During the two hour trek, you are taken into the forests reserve. The Safari: Bandipur offers a wide range of wildlife. It is home to wild animals like the elephant, tiger, panther, sambar, wild boar, jackal, squirrel, gaur, barking deer and the langur. There are government jeeps and buses that offer the safari. Depending on your budget you can choose either a 45 minutes bus safari or a two hour jeep safari. The safari takes you into the heart of the forest on a narrow, dusty path. The sun penetrates through the dense trees and makes artistic shadow patterns on the ground. Most tourists only come to spot the big cat. Its a matter of pure luck to spot a tiger but other animals like deers, bisons, barking deers, elephants and an array of exotic birds are commonly seen. As the sun sets, the forest looks bewitching. The sky is soaked in pastel orange and breathing in the fresh evening air, the experience is divine.
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