A birder's paradise - Dandeli

Dandeli is a picturesque town in the Uttara-Kannada district of the Karnataka region of North Karnataka in the Western Ghats. It is especially famous for its wildlife sanctuary as a bird paradise.

Dandelion forest is a typical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen type with evergreen trees.

Major wildlife species include elephant, tiger, leopard, gaur, flying squirrel, mouse deer, slender loris, etc., while major bird species include robin, magpie, golden-backed woodpecker, hoofed snake eagle and many other birds.

We boarded an overnight KSRTC bus from Mumbai which dropped us at Dharwad around 6 am on Republic Day. Mr. Kamat (local tour operator, restaurant owner) booked us a taxi from Dandeli.

He will pick us up at the drop off point, pick us up during our stay and take us to the collection point at Hubli KSRTC bus stand. We booked a 3-day tent stay at the Kulgi Nature Camp of the Karnataka State Forest Department. It was about 60 km from Dharwad and 12 km from Dandeli. The road to Dandeli was good and easy, but the road to Kulgi was difficult.

Our check-in at Kulgi Nature Camp was at 12:00 PM and as we still had plenty of time, Mr. Kamath suggested that we visit Khalial Fort which is about 20 km from Dandeli. So it was luxurious

I went to the fort after having breakfast at Kamata.

A wonderful living sculpture of village life stands at the entrance waving the national flag.

the blockage

Behind the castle is a large lake, where we could observe some birds, as well as in the castle area.

with many trees.

Seeing all these birds made us hungry and we decided to have a simple yet hearty home cooked meal at Khaneval.

Before going to Dandeli forest office for Dandeli registration.

When we reached the Dandeli forest office, the Republic Day program was over and it was empty.

Apart from the host who helped us check in and gave us the keys to the apartment.

The tent accommodation in the Kulgi Nature Park is very comfortable and has an additional bathroom.

Our next agenda was Bomanliback Waters done by Mr. Kamat. Watching the herds was great

Birds fly from one end of the water to the other at regular intervals. But soon a group of young men jumped into the water and chased the birds away, culminating in an incredible sight.

A popular spot for the sticks was a misty morning at Dandeli's Woodshed.

Let's go back to Kulgi and walk along the marked bird-watching path to avoid disappointment.

In the afternoon, hornbills collect our wooden shelter.

The next morning we booked a jeep safari to the Dandeli forest reserve where the Kavalla caves are located.

These nested caves are formed by volcanic activity and the natural Shivalinga formations are present within stalagmites formed by stagnant water droplets. The road to the caves is very beautiful

Cramped and in most places you have to crawl on all fours. He should carry a flashlight and a guide so that no one gets lost there! Authorization and instructions should be obtained from the forest department of the reserve.

The only living animals we saw in the forest were deer and bison.

The evening was spent exploring the cliffs of Sinther. Deep inside is a 300 foot tall granite monolith.

About 15 km from Kulga is the Dandeli Nature Reserve. The Canary River flows.

Sintheri Rock is a breathtaking sight.

Thousands of pigeons are perched in countless nooks and crannies. We also see hives

It hangs precariously on the rocks.

As our KSRTC bus to Mumbai was late in the evening, we left after checking in the morning.

Owned by Jugal Lodge Resort in Ganeshguri, where they have created a very suitable area for poultry farming. they have

Strategically placed feeders and water bowls, as well as planted trees and plants attract diversity

Birds All you have to do is position yourself in the area and observe / film the variety of bird life with your camera. We spent the whole day there and they also have a restaurant where you can have lunch if you let us know an hour or two in advance.

Dandeli is well connected by road to the surrounding villages. It is located 55 km from Dharwad, 72 km from Hubli and about 115 km from Belgaum. Daily buses from Bangalore to Dandeli are operated by KSRTC and other private operators. The nearest airports are Hubli, Belgaum and Goa. The nearest passenger railway stations are Alnawar, Lond, Dharwad and Hubli.

Mr Kamat in Dandeli can be contacted on 08284-230573 or 09886838950/09916871772 for all travel/accommodation enquiries.

For a view through Dandeli's eyes, check out Nandana Tavanandi's excellent blog at http://bit.ly/AkTTLk.

Share this post