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Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary Reviews

Bangalore India
Adventurers' Paradise- Dandeli
Jan 10, 2009 12:15 PM 18470 Views

The two days, 3rd n 4th Jan, 2009, have become one of the most enjoyed and the most adventurous days of my life so far. Wanting to invite 2009 with a huge bang and in a special way, we, a group of 8 like-minded and adventurous friends have planned a getaway from Bangalore. Out of the 4 to 5 options available, we've chosen Dandeli after a session of critical brain storming for 6 days.


Till the time we experienced the aventure in reality, all of us were very much apprehensive about the place, the accomodation, the food etc. But Dandeli has turned out to be a surprise to all of us. All the 5 adventures that we've undergone proved to be the best of their kind and thrilling enough to rejuvenate the senses and sensitize us of the presence of adrenaline and epinephrin rush in us.


Item-wise Review:


Reaching there: We took a train from Bangalore to Dharwad and take an RTC bus from there to Dandeli. From Dandeli bus stand, we hired a cab to the Stanley's Farmhouse


Stanley's Farm House: This is a real surprise. In the midst of a thick forest, the farmhouse management had made sure that we're not short of any amenity or facility. They made sure that evreything is available to us. Mr. Imam, Mr. D'Souza, Mr. Mohammed et al have been the best hosts.


The Sunflower farm beside the farmhouse is very beautiful and has give a picturesque status to the surroundings.


Food:The chefs at the farmhouse have been at their best in providing the best cuisine to us through out our stay. Only con about the food is that a paid lunch at the farmhouse would cost you Rs. 125/-, which is on a higher side.


River Crossing:This is the first adventure that we have taken up. We have been asked to crawl along the stretch of the river canal.


Pros: Thoda Thrilling, Thoda Adventurous


Cons: A very slow flowing river. Would have been better if there's been a better flow; Drunken and impatient Trainer; Adventure lasts for a very short period of time and at the end of it you'll surely feel it's a mere waste of bucks.


Trekking:This second adventure of ours is nothing but walking thru a thick forest for almost a strtch of 5-6 KM.


Pros: Very thrilling for first couple of kilometres; good fresh-water streams; greeney all aound, which we don't get to see in city life; bird watch


Cons: No sight of animals, not even sounds; you'll get bored after a couple of KM.


Camp Fire: During the cold weather of Jan., camp fire definitely gives you warmth. You get to meet a lot of like-minded enthusiasts and adventurists around the camp fire. A sip of Bacardi with a marlboro in hand will definitely add to the thrill.


A night in the Tent:This is one of thefirst-of-it's-kind experiences we've experienced. A sophisticated and wll maintained tent with a matress, pillow and a quilt is definitely enjoyable.


Rappeling:Descending a 70 ft high cliff using a rope, harness and other gear.


Pros: Thrilling enough; Paisa vasool; nice surroundings


Cons: Drunk and mpatient trainer again; should have been a bit higher cliff


White-water Rafting: The final adventure that we have undergone. Consists of rafting in a dinghy for a strecth of about 9.5 KM in the Kali river


Pros: Violent river adds a lot to the thrill; swimming in the water with sight of crocodiles at a distance adds to the fear factor; best trainers(In our case, Shankar) and direction; 9 awesome rapids through out the sail; boosts the adrenaline in you; greenery all around; complete matlab complete paisa vasool.


Cons:No Compliants or cons; it's definitely the best adventure and you'll really enjoy it.


bangalore India
Hornbill resort, Dandeli, Karnataka
Nov 15, 2008 07:32 PM 16580 Views

Hornbill resorts - Dandeli, opted for this place seeing some great reviews on the net. Managed to book a tent house(was interested in the tree house - which is the highlight of this place) despite calling 3-4 weeks earlier. We were a group of 4 guys who took off by the Friday night train to Hubli to take a 3 day break from the routine Bangalore life. This place is around 103Km from Hubli, but takes over 3hrs on the horrible roads. After a long tiring drive we reached our tent house which were in good shape, well maintained with western styled attached bathrooms. Freshened up and we were immediately off for white water rafting.This was surely the highlight of the trip.Dandeli has some interesting places which we did catch up in the next two days. This being a review about the resort, I'll suggest you read about dandeli from other websites. About this resort,


1) Ideal for families, honeymoon couples or somebody not very adventurous. Very very commercial. This is surely not for people who like to be close to nature and be rugged.


2) Extremely remote with no proper connectivity, horrible roads. Suggest you hire a cab for your entire stay/trip from Hubli or Londa(if available). Don't take your car(jeeps and SUVs might be OK) here. If you happen to take your car, probably along with your trip expenditures, you might end up with a huge car servicing bills.


3) The staff are extremely courteous, responsive and helpful.


4) The resort charges 1250Rs for a rafting tour, while a neighbouring resort charges 999Rs only.


5) Buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner served here is extremely tasty, especially the deserts.


6) The facilities available inside the resort are good, they have a cool natural swimming place too.


7) The resort charges extreme high for arranging cabs and the managers exploit you knowing that you have no choice. 750rs for one way 27Km drop to Londa, 1650 for 35km return tour to syntheri rocks, 2500 for a one-way drop to Hubli, these were some rates quoted to us and which we had to finally end up paying as we had no choice.


8) This place seems to enjoy full occupation, meaning you might end up with another 20-30 people along with you, at least we were.


Overall: Good for families, great food, can be really costly, highly commercial. Surely NOT value for money.


Adventure In Dandeli.
Jul 21, 2008 10:45 AM 14892 Views

It's a splendid morning today!


Start Up is what I have done today, writing my thoughts which arise out as a new person to enter here.


I have been a travel enthusiast not from the beginning but turning to be one now a days.I have come across many blogs and write ups people have expressed it in their own way.This created a vigor in me and here i am writing.


Short description about my self?


Yup


Let me introduce myself. I am Satyanarayan, popular as Satya among all


The friends who know me. I hail from the beautiful place called Dandeli in the northern Karnataka.I did my schooling there and then moved on to Bangalore for future prospects.


I


Value friendship a lot and I has given me things I had never thought


Of. I believe in building new relationship and also maintiain the


Existing ones.Creativity is what I fall for and love drawing,


Sketching, and paint on the computers.


Some of my thoughts are


In wikipedia as well but needs to work on it and also beautify.


Professionally I am a Graphic designer, Urge is into protecting Nature


And educate the unknown about the good and the ill effects.


Dandeli


Is a place which is now making a place for itself on the tourism map.


Its a wondeful place on earth which is undisturbed. Dandeli is a


Wildlife sanctuary and a home to plenty of birds, animals and flora and


Fauna. There are plenty of endangered species like Tigers, Black


Panthers etc.


There are plenty of activities undertaken for the tourist namely white water rafting, Canoying, jacuzzi, Ab sailing, Jungle safari, Trekking into the deep woods, etc.


You can find an otion of staying either in a tent or in a ecolodge.


The rapidisation in tourism has mushroomed across the place with plenty


Of resorts. There are Nature camps managed by the Government of


Karnataka and are really good to have a Stay.


Places of Interests :Syntheri


Rock, Ulvi , Kugi Nature Camp, Anshi nature Camp, Maulangi, Ganeshgudi,


Which are close by. And apart from these you can opt for the nearby


Destinations like Tibetian colony in Mundgod, Devbagh Resort, Castle


Rock, Gokarna, Jog falls, Banavasi, etc.


Goa is also a closeby destination you can even opt for


Distance


Well Connected through roads Dandeli is 530 Kms from Mumbai, 500 Kms from Bangalore, 130kms from Margao, 70 Kms from Hubli, 110 kms from Karwar And Belgaum. Closest rail head is Dharwar 50kms, Londa 40kms Alnavar 30kms.


Closest Airport is Belgaum, Hubli and Goa.


YOUR RATING ON

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary
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Dandeli by road
May 14, 2008 06:37 PM 14365 Views

We started by car on 11thMarch 2008 at around 6 in the morning from Hyderabad for Dharwad. The route was Hyderabad-Homnabad (160 Km on NH-9), from Homnabad we took NH-208 passing through Gulbarga- Jevergi- Devar Hippargi- Bijapur- Kalhur- Bagalkot- Nargund and from there to Dharwad. The road was in a very bad shape from Nargund to Dharwad, full of potholes otherwise from Hyderabad to Nargund the newly laid NH-208 is excellent.


We visited the Gol Gumbaz, at Bijapur, which is the second largest dome in the world; the kings of Adil Sahi Dynasty which ruled the place for over two centuries constructed this imposing structure.


This monument should have been called ‘Gol Gumbad’ instead of ‘Gol Gumbaz’ as there is no such word as ‘Gumbaz’ in Urdu, Persian, or Arabic languages. To the best of my knowledge, Persian was the court language of that period. Sadly, like all other historical buildings, this memorial is also being vandalized by unscrupulous elements. Graffiti is scribbled all over the place, and the plaster is also coming off the walls. This mausoleum needs to be preserved or else an invaluable historical heritage will soon loose its beauty.


After completing the job in Dharwad, on the 12th, we decided to visit Dandeli wild life sanctuary, so after lunch at about 2 pm we started for Dandeli, which is about 60 Km from Dharwad, and from there the wild life sanctuary is another 10 km from Dandeli town. By the time we reached Dandeli it was past 5 in the evening and was getting dark therefore we had to drop the idea of going to the Sanctuary, instead we stayed in the 'Jungle Lodges and Resorts' in the town overlooking Kali River. The first thing, which struck us, was the terrible condition of the road from Dharwad to Dandeli. It took almost three hours to drive 60 Km, The road is uniformly bad with huge potholes. The authorities should first make the tourist spots easily accessible, then only suggest the tourists to visit them. To drive on such roads one needs a 4x4 SUV. Ours being a Chevrolet Optra Sedan, which has a  low ground clearance similar to other cars in this class, scrapes through the uneven roads all the times if one is not very careful while driving. No doubt, the roads are in a very bad shape but the drive through the dense forests right up to Dandeli town and beyond is a visual treat. One should try to take this joy ride as often as one can as there is nothing quite as beautiful as the scenery, which unfolds as one drives  on.


However, once you are there, perhaps after 3 hours of arduous journey you feel great to think that such pristine places also do exist so close to civilization. 'Kali' river with its rapids made this small town popular otherwise there is nothing other than a paper mill here. The river flows through the Dandeli town. It is amazing to see that the Kali River actually looks black as the name suggests. There are large deposits of Manganese mettle in the bottom of the river, which makes the river water look black although it is clear and colorless and even tastes good. We were informed that this is the only place in South India in which River Rafting is possible.


We stayed at 'Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd' Dandeli, (Tel:08284-31585). The manager Pravin Shankar is polite and very helpful. There is another very interesting man called Arjun, who takes you on a boat ride. This exotic round boat is called 'Tokra'. This man Arjun is a great entertainer and knows a lot about jungle and wild life. He showed us the ‘Tadpoles’ which were to become frogs after they mature. He also showed us the presence of a crocodile while we were on the ‘tokra’ boat with him. There were a stream of bubbles breaking the surface and according to Arjun the crocodile was present some ten feet below the surface of water. He also told us that there are at least two hundred crocodiles in a stretch about half a kilometer of Kali River abutting the Jungle lodges and Resorts. Fortunately, they never attacked humans so far.


Kali River is also a bird watchers paradise. As I am, also a bird enthusiast, I could identify at least ten different bird species with the help of the guide Arjun who himself is very knowledgeable, knows a lot about birds, like an ornithologist. He also took us on a watchtower, which he constructed with wooden logs on top of a tree in the dense forest overlooking the Kali River to see wild life. This hidden watchtower is in fact a platform on the treetop from where one can see wild life without disturbing birds and animals in the wild and offers a panoramic view the river and its surrounding jungle.


I strongly recommend the lovers of nature to visit this place.


Bangalore India
Tree House magic @ Hornbill Resort
Apr 15, 2008 02:21 PM 17441 Views

In Short:Went on a weekend getaway to Dandeli Wildlife Sancturay. We chose Hornbill River resort after some good RnD done thru net/sources, sites etc, thanks to Mouthshut for plethora of reviews. Hornbill Resort has the best & amazing accomodation options available including the "Tree House", "Rock house" and plethora of other fun filled & adventurous activities.


How to Go: Its 480+ kms from Bangalore.


Bus: Take a KSRTC Rajahamsa(ksrtc.in) Bus(thats the only Direct Bus available) from Majestic(Bangalore) to Dandeli(11-12 hour comfortable journey in a decent bus). Get down at Dandeli at around 8 in the morning. Pre-arrange your pickup/drop cab for Bison/Hornbill resorts. For JLR, you can take an auto and go.


 Train: Book train tickets By Rani Chenamma express from Bangalore to Alnavar/Londa.(Choose Londa for Bison/Hornbill resort & Londa for Jungle Lodges & Resorts). Get down but do pre-arrange your pickup/drop taxi for the place of stay.


Where to stay: Acco options like Bison River resort, Hornbill Resort, Jungle Lodges & Resorts, Jungle camp resort, Kulgi Nature camp etc apread across the entire area.the one which was best suited for us is Hornbill River Resort(25 kms from Dandeli).


Things you can Enjoy: "Kali River Rafting", Early morning Jungle safari, Coracle ride, Natural Jacuzzi bath, Sightseeing, Trip to Sunset-sunrise point, The resort in itself, Trekking, Swimming, River ride, Boating, Midnight nature walk etc.


How long to stay: Depends on the budget but a trip ranging from 1-2 days should be ideally fine.


Best suited for: Friends, Honeymooners, Couples, Families.


Best time to visit: Oct-April. April-June is warm but tolerable. Do book the resort/accomodation in advance. I one is looikng for the Treehouse, do boom 1-2 months prior to travel.


*Contacts:


Travel & Accomodation: Anil: +91 94484 08844.**(Thanks to Anil/Emam for superb arrangements).


Details on the trip: Choose accomodations from River View cottage(Where we stayed), Tree House(U dnt get it anywhr else in the area), Rock house(a speciality accomodation), rooms, cottages, Swiss tents etc. Thr resort has high degree of exclusivity when it comes to river proximity, accomodation types, Warmth, safety, River side, Food, Amazing hospitality. The Owner - Umesh & the Manager -Satish makes it sure to have a constant touch with everyone staying with him and to check every details possible by themselves. Ask for speaicl short tours depending on ur liking. As and when U get into the resort, book for River Rafting & Jungle safari as they are the mort sought after activities. Enjoy delicious Home-made like food cooked by the multi-purpose resort staff. Enjoy the wilderness of the Jungle and the resort, spot Flying Squirrels, Hornbills, etc at the resort itself. Have the meals in cozy environment along with bonfie at the dinner time, walk around the resort and enrich urself with the resort spread & area, go for swimming(safe) in the Kali river etc.


Morning mist is something to be enjoyed thoroughly in the resort, though we missed it due to early morning(4am) Jungle Safari.


Tips: Carry shorts, 3/4ths, Sun glasses, Trek shoes, Cap, Binoculars, Camera, Sun screens, Light summer clothes(for summer months), small bag etc.


Bangalore India
Water adventure with jungle - for the daring dazzs
Feb 12, 2007 12:36 PM 14718 Views

After reading the review of Saagar in Mouthshut we planned for a trip to Dandeli.


And really it was just fantastic. On our way from Bangalore we started from Public Transport i.e KSRTC and reached Dandeli at around 8.00 in the morning we were a group of 4 dashing dazzs ready for adventure. On reaching the team of https://dandeli.com was ready to welcome us with the pick-up for which we opted they charged us Rs.500/- reached the resort at around 9.00 am the entrance to the resort was the right one for such a resort with no roads only muddy pathways for the vehicle it was about 500mtrs we felt as if we are passsing through a tunnel of trees.


They organised it so well though we were early to drop into the resort by 3 hours  but still they gave us a cottage to get fresh with morning breakfast (They charged this Rs.50/- because this was out of package) The resort was on the banks of the river so we went to take bath in natural swimming pool. Mr. Sanjay Bhat was there for help he was from dandeli.com. After bath & swimming we checked into our rooms. They gave us the tree house which was booked for at 12.00noon. The scene from inside was of  unexplainable class it has got a bath tub tooooooo.


Two of us took a round of the beautiful Hornbill Resort and two stayed back sipping the beauty of the river & forest. After Lunch at 2.00 p. we took rest for an hour and started for jungle safari. The dandeli.com team had given us all the details regarding the time and the activities that are to be organised during our stay one more thing we would like to appreciate about this team od dandeli.com is that they are very punctual and responsive (Mr. Ramnath)they give quick respose to your mail and phone call We are mentioning this because the way they approach is great and we had been to so many resorts in goa and karnataka booking through the websites but we found these people really proffessional. They have a Bangalore office tooo!!!!


In jungle safari we went to Kungi camp run by Forest Department of Karnataka in our Mahindra safari and they gave us a guide. we spottted a Bison pair , Fox , group of spotted deers & were there to sunset points and the closed mines. Then we asked our drive to take us to Kavala Caves but as it was late it was not possible we went there the next day it was into the dark caves with no lights we went on with 1068 steps it was so tiresome that we were late to our rafting .


If you are fond of adventure, Dandeli is the place for you. There is a choice between a 9-km run that lasts for over four hours and a shorter run that is almost half the other, keeping in mind both seasoned rafters as well as amateurs. You go upstream in a jeep first and then get basic how-to’s of white-water rafting. Thereafter you are taken aboard an inflatable boat and the fun begins! While at places the water is calm, at other places it is everything but calm and you are sent plunging down the river. You are in safe hands since experts accompany you. all the people here (Rafting guides are foreigners)


In Trekking It may be difficult to spot too many animals due to the thick forestation, but you might see a few Malabar Giant Squirrels and Bisons, and if you are lucky, tigers, panthers and several more. The variety of birds you can see here is excellent; Dandeli is especially famous its considerable hornbill population. The biodiversity you get to see in Dandeli is truly amazing. In case, you plan to go to one of the treks, be sure to pack in your trekking gear with you. Apart from this remember you are going into a jungle safari and not a picnic by the river spot, so have some thick garments on. Jeans and denims could be a good choice for this one here. Checkout website https://dandeli.com they have given it all the things to bring and all.


As Breifed -----


Dandeli wildlife santury nestles in the northern stretch of the western ghats eco system situated near Dandeli in Karnataka State. Dandeli wild life santury has 2 protected areas for wildlife and the Government has planned for Tiger Park recently. The Dandeli Wildlife Santury is 475 sq.kms and Anshi National Park is 340 Sq.kms. This is the largest protected area in entire North Karnataka with some of the best and valuable, beautiful forest tracks in the Sahyadri hills of Western Ghats. The richness of Flora And fauna and its variety and diversity affordan ample of opportunity for Nature Lovers..


I have taken time to write this because after reading the review of Sagar we took this trip and I felt that this will be hel;pful like me to others who want to go and that tooo from a proper channel who are a proffessional guys. Dont miss this opportunity the devine GOD has given you. Try it once  Thanks to all the people of Dandeli, The resort of Hornbill and the team of https://dandeli.com, Daneli & Bangalore.


River rafting at Dandeli - Ganeshaguddi.
Feb 04, 2007 02:26 PM 12189 Views

Location: Ganeshnaguddi near Dandeli, North Karnataka.Hotel accomodation: Bison river resort, Jungle Lodge-Dandeli, Jungle Lodge (Old Magazine house) - Ganeshnaguddi.How to reach Ganeshnaguddi from Bangalore: Take a train to Hubli or Londa and take a jeep to Ganeshnaguddi. Jungle Lodge arranges for the pickup jeep from either of these places or alternatively you can also reach Danedli bus stand and take the jeep. We took the B'lore-Hubli express starting at 11 PM and reached Hubli at 7.30 AM.


This train travels only on Thursday's and Sundays. Incase you dont get booking on other trains like Kittur exp upto Londa - this is the best train to take as normally you get reservation easily. From Hubli, take a city bus to Dharwad bus stand. The frequency of buses from Dharward to Dandeli is more when compared to Hubli. Journey time to reach Dharwad - takes about an hour. Due to speed limit of 40 KMPH, frequent stops and slow moving traffic. There is a luxury bus from Dharwad to Dandeli which depats at 10.30 AM. and takes about 3 hours to reach Dandeli via Haliyal.


If you miss this - then there are other horrible buses which might be an adventure to travel. Incase you have any back pain etc - it is best to travel to Londa and take a Tata Sumo or Trax to reach the place.We reserved our accomodation at Jungle Lodge (Old Magazine house) at Ganeshnaguddi.River rafting starts of from Ganeshnaguddi and travels down stream upto a distance of 9 Kms and takes about 12 Nos of class-2 and 3 rapids.Before we took to water - a detailed instructions about the river rafting was provided by the aussie instructor. Saftey advice and way to wear the helmet and life jacket was demostrated. We were issued right sized life jackets and helmets.


After we fitted the same we were checked by the river rafting guides and huddled into groups of 8 and 6. We were a 6 member team and were allocated a smaller boat suitable for 6 passengers. For the next 45 min's we went thru practical training of survival and learn the way to float using life jackets and how to climb aboard the boat and how one can help a person who is off the boat. Initally it was a very scarry expereince as I did not know swimming. But the Aussie instrcutor - Mike was so good and confident that I took the plunge without second thought. He tought us how to row the boat and what to do for specific commands he may callout during going thru the Rapids and how to duck and hold on.


After everyone has been made to got thru the brief training - off we went onto row the boat. I was seated right upfront on the right side. When we approached the first rapid - I was terrified to see the swirling water and was wondering if I were crazy to be venturing into this :-) without even knowing swimming! well with all my attention focused on our guides instruction - we rowed the boat till the last minute and on his command to duck and hold - we went thru the first mega rapid! It was awasome as the cold water splashed on my entire body and sheer excitment of gushing thru the swirling water was intoxicating!! I found a new high in my life.


After this first rapid, the rest was really fun filled and we all enjoyed the white water river rafting experience. None of us fell off the boat or had any accident on our way. After couple of rapids we were taken to camn flowing water and allowed to jump off the boat to swim. I ventured out thrice and had a good fun being hauled back into boat. It was my turn to help others - especially one of our team member weighing 110 Kgs to be hauled back into boat. We enjoyed every moment of this white water river rafting trip and many thanks to Mike for taking us thru this adventure - safely.


Taking these types of adventure recreations - one needs to be aware of the safety rules and it is certainly not for the faint hearted. We paid INR 1100/- for river rafting which included the jeep ride from the Junglelodge to starting point of river rafting and after completion - ride back to our hotel. Some take aways we learnt in our first trip :1. Never carry cash, camera, handycam, purse unless it is water proof pocket purse, valuables along with you.2. If possible - leave your spectacles and coolers in the jeep. 3. Wear plastic or water proof sandals that has good velcro type holders and dont wear shoes. 4. carry spare dress to change-over, drinking water and some refreshments.


Mumbai India
Nature....Adventure....Pleasure as they say
Jan 28, 2007 01:41 PM 10360 Views

My Trip.


I would first of all like to appreciate...all of you people of https://dandeli.com for your efforts....in the way you have created the Dandeli site...its just great. I would also like to thank all of them for making our vacation an exceptionally memorable one.


We felt so rejuvenated that we didn't feel like leaving this beautiful place….Rappling and staying in a tree house…was a great experience. Makes us feel lighter, close to nature and touches in the inner self.


The ambiance at the resort was home like both in food and hospitality…..thanks once again to everyone….we really had a wonderful…time… These people really…offered a lot more than our expectations. All is well….Hope to visit all once again.


We Travelled in the month of November. Mother nature was in full spark, with lush green trees and surroundings which we cant describe but can feel......its just great. It was a wonderful experience. First day (may be because of our delay) we missed enjoyment because of lack of time since we reached at 12:00 noon. But on the second day we enjoyed at the fullest .


The main thing we would like to appreciate is the response of the https://dandeli.com team. who are always at a distance of a phone call and we got what we want in a fraction of time.


The Government and all the people related to these tourism activities atleast should put signboards on the way. We were in from Goa and went out from Karwar but, sorry to say we didnot find any hordings or signboards, Milestones for the exact tourist destination. Only BSNL & Airtel Connections we get there in resort we stayed.


We would like to go with our friends & book the full resort which can accomodate 40 people (as they say) and definately it will be through https://dandeli.com because we find this team is excellent and quick in communication we were just mum They designed our tour package so beautifully that we were engaged in activities full time, they sent a pickup to us from Goa 2 hours before the scheduled time which we had given them and the vehicle tooo was good. When we sent them our photographs they uploaded them within no time. They are the right one if you are moving to Dandeli.


They know the requirements and we leave it to them to plan our next visit with kayaking night trekking, night camping etc. Trekking to Kavla Caves was superb. If you miss this activity then it will be nothing you experience in the jungle.


Bangalore India
Dandeli - Adventure Water Sports & Wildlife
Jan 10, 2007 10:43 AM 11050 Views

=I went to Dandeli last week with couple of my friends, Its an wonderful adventurous water sports destination.


Class 3 rapids of the Kali river are perfect for white water rafting.


We got the information from https://DandeliAdventure.com and contacted Sahil Tours Dandeli, Rest of the arrangements was done by them.


What we did:


We reached at around 12:00 in noon and went for a rafting session. After finishing rafting we went to Stenlie's resort, where we had a babie Q ffod ready for us.


Night we stayed in River Side Tents which was the best part of the trip.


Morning we went for a safari and then in noon we went for Canoeing...


Later in night we started back to our office...


This was an amazing trip.


Activities ?


If


you stay longer you could trek to the huge monolithic granite called


Syntheri rock. You could also visit the Kavala caves with their


Stalactites and Stalagmites. Another option is to take the half hour


drive to visit the Gowli tribes in the forest.


A refreshing


option is to go to the Mandurli and Kulagi fresh water springs in the


middle of the sanctuary. Bathing in the crystal clear water in a


natural surrounding could be a unique experience.


Adventure never stops at Dandeli
Nov 01, 2006 05:21 PM 15978 Views

Dandeli is a picturesque city located at the bank of river Kali in Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. It is about 480Kms from both Bangalore and Pune.


Offlate Dandeli has become popular tourist destination offering adventure activities. Dandeli is also famous for its wildlife sanctuary and is a home to big cats such as Leopards, Tigers and Black Panthers.


How we reached:


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Boarded a K.S.R.T.C 'Rajahamsa' bus from Bangalore which leaves Bangalore at 8.30pm and reaches Dandeli at 9.00am next morning. Rajahamsa leaves Dandeli at 5.30pm in the evening and reaches Bangalore at 6.30am next morning.


There are plenty of local buses running from Hubli to Dandeli.


Accomodations:


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Bison River Resort - It has rooms with a panoramic view of the fascinating river Kali.


Hornbill Resorts - This offers tree houses, rock houses and tents.


Kali Wilderness and Adventure Resorts - This has 9 tents facing Kali river and 11 rooms with huge reception and dining hall.


Our stay at Kali Wilderness and Adventure Resorts managed by Jungle Lodges Group was a good experience. They charged 1400 Rupees per person for a day, this includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, wildlife jeep safari, Coracle ride, Drive to Syntheri rocks and Kavala caves. The resorts managed by Jungle Lodges normally do not have off-season rates as they have tourists all the year.


Adventure Activities:


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White Water Rafting: We were taken in a jeep to a place called Ganeshnagudi which is 30 Km from Dandeli. The rafting boats can accomodate 6 people with one professional rafter. We were given 15 minute introductory lessons on white water rafting. Children below 12 yrs of age are not allowed to do rafting. We opted for a 9km run lasting 2.5 hrs with 9 rapids. Among 9 rapids, 1/6/9th rapid was really great. There is small stretch after 7th rapid where swimmers are allowed to swim. This is a must-do activity at Dandeli.


Note: You don’t have to be a swimmer to experience the white water rafting as each one on a boat is secured with life jackets and helmets.


Off-Season Rate: 1100 per person


Season Rate: 1350 per person


Wildlife Safari: Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is located 20Km away from the city. Summer is the best season to spot tigers and panthers. We were able to spot few Deer’s, Langur’s, an injured Fox, Peacocks and rare Great Pied Hornbill.


Coracle Ride: Coracle ride on the river Kali is another must-do at Dandeli. If you are lucky, you might just spot a crocodile lazing on small islands. We were able to spot a crocodile which was 2 ft below water and was moving against the current. Indeed crocodiles are great swimmers!


We ran out of time so could not venture into other activities like Kayaking, Canyoning, and Mountain Biking.


Places to Visit:


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Kavala Caves: These limestone caves are situated at a distance of 25Km from Dandeli. We had to descend 375 steps to reach the cave entrance. One has to crawl 40 ft deep to see the naturally formed Shivalinga. Candles are available outside the cave but do not forget to carry a torch. It is said that these caves have been inhabited since prehistoric times. We were also told that this cave was home to many snakes and bats. Now that sounds scary isn't it? Carry lot of water and glucose as you are sure to get exhausted climbing back those 375 steps.


Syntheri Rock: Deep inside Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary stands a 300 ft tall granite monolith on the bank of river Kaneri. Erosion has resulted in large number of nooks and cracks and is a home for rock bees and pigeons. It takes about an hour to reach by jeep and is located 30km away from Dandeli.


Shiroli Peak: It is the highest point in Uttara Kannada district. Also called as Sunset Viewpoint, offers fantastic view of the peaks of Western Ghats. This is located 25Km from Dandeli within Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary.


Supa Reservoir: This dam is located 25Km from Dandeli and is used to produce Electrical Power. Unfortunately this is closed for visitors because of security reasons.


Call of the wild invites you!!
Dec 06, 2005 07:11 PM 9808 Views

Introduction


One of my favorite travel destinations happens to be wildlife sanctuary. The call of the wild has held a strange fascination for me, so I am always in the lookout for visiting these as and when a chance presents itself. Recently I visited the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary present in the Indian state of Karnataka. Here is my account of the the Sanctuary.


Dandeli - An Introduction


Dandeli is a small village in Karnataka which is around 500 kms away from Bangalore and around 125 Kms away from the port city of Goa. Situated on the banks of river Kali and spread over an area of around 800 sq. k.m. it is one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka. Dandeli forest is a decidious forest and abounds in both flora and fauna. The animals found here include barking, spotted and mouse deer, sloth bear, black panther, tiger, gaur, elephant, wild dog, civet cat, bison, jackal, langur and giant flying squirrel.


The Low Down


Dandeli being a small village, there are not many resorts or accomodation around. The two largest resorts available are Jungle Lodges and Bison Resorts. Both have their offices in Bangalore. I decided to opt for Jungle Lodges. The lodging accorded two facilities, one was proper rooms, the other were tents. I was interested in tents, but when I found that the tents were camped on the corridor of the Jungle Lodges property, I opted for the rooms. The rooms were very spacious and decently maintained, but no A.C., but given the temperatures in October when I visited, it was not required.


Next up, the show begins...


Activities


The activities began with a Jungle Safari in an open jeep. There is one expert who goes with you. The safari started pretty well as we spotted some spotted deers and barking deers. But our luck ran out after that as heavy rains lashed out, cancelling any chances of any other spotting... boo hoo... But we could see some black widow spiders and huge spider webbings. We also were able to get an ariel view of the jungle below from a mountain top and believe me it was scary.


Unfortunately, the rain also cancelled out our jungle trek which we were planning to take.


Apart from these, the following activities take place at Kali river:


1) Coracle Rides: Coracle is a small boat, round in shape and there is a single oarsman who paddles the boat. This is an excellent opportunity to see the birds in and around the Kali river. We were lucky enough to spot some kingfishers, woodpeckers, snake birds and egrets around.


2) Rafting: This is a new activity which has begun in the Kali river with rapids of level 2 and 3 mostly. I did not go for this activity, but have heard that it is a quite good.


3) Visit to Syntheri Rock Caves: These monolithic granite structure in the middle of the jungle around 35 km from Dandeli is an awesome spot. This has lots of treks and fishing spots in and around.


4) Crocodile Sighting trips: Again trips down the Kali river where the crocodiles come out to rest. Boo hoo missed this one too due to the rains.


Time to visit


By now, all of you must have realised that rains happen to be the worst enemy for such activities. The best time to visit begins from November to around March. People not used to extreme Indian heat might prefer to wind up their tours before February though. But the most number of sightings, I am told happens around March.


November end also marks the beginning of various wildlife treks organised by the Kali Widerness Camp. So my suggestion visit between november end to february beginning.


Gear


In case, you plan to go to one of the treks, be sure to pack in your trekking gear with you. You won't find such items in and around Dandeli as it is a small village. Apart from this remember you are going into a jungle safari and not a picnic by the river spot, so have some thick garments on. Jeans and denims could be a good choice for this one here.


Food


The food served at Jungle Lodges was real tasty and I must compliment the Jungle Lodges kitchen guys for that.


Packages


You can go to https://junglelodges.com for the various packages they have. The costing of the tour for one day works out to roughly around Rs. 5000 i.e $100 per couple. This would include food and accomodation and activities. My suggestion is take at least a package of two days minimum. Otherwise it would be very hectic and you might have to opt out a few of the activity.


Verdict


I would rate this sanctuary as one of the decent ones, not bad, but not too hot as well. The reason is that as it is present in a village, the property has not been developed to a level where it can be compared with the best of the resorts in the world. But being a quiet and calm place and relatively unknown, this is a nice getaway from the hectic city life.


PS: Taken from my review published earlier at https://epinions.com/content_118794980996


Kali River Lodge - Dandeli
Dec 17, 2004 11:31 AM 22944 Views

Dandeli is a small town located on the banks of the Kali river in Karnataka. The forest area around this town was established as Dandeli wildlife sanctuary in 1975 with an area of around 500 sq kms.


Dandeli sanctuary is known for the presence of Black Panther. This species is very rare and Dandeli is one of the few places in the whole of Asia where this has been tracked. During the 1995 census, only 9 of them were recorded (So sighting is virtually impossible).



How to reach?


The nearest hub by road is Dharwar (50 kms) and the nearest rail link would be Hubli (60 kms) Dharwar or Londa. The nearest airport is in Goa (180 kms). It is 480 kms from Bangalore by road.


The best way to explore Dandeli is to travel from Karwar (50 kms south of Margao) to Dandeli. The distance of about 120 kms takes around 3 hours by car.


We used this road from Dandeli to go to Goa. This is as good a drive as it can get. This good mountain road has literally no traffic except for an occasional jeep or truck. The road gently twists and turns as the landscape keeps changing. It offers you a very good view of the country side and vegetation. You will see a big dam and will soon cross the Kali river to reach Karwar.



What to Expect?


If you are looking for sighting wild animals only, then do not go to Dandeli.


This forest area was known for its manganese in the past, the mining for which resulted in wildlife moving away from the forest. In the recent past, the mining has been stopped and the animals are slowly returning back.


So chances of seeing Elephants / bison / panther are very less and limited.


Do not go away yet…



The scenic and rustic river Kali flows thru this sanctuary. This is the only river south of Himalayas where white water rafting is possible, making this place a unique destination.


Jungle Lodges arrange for 1 hour, 2 hour and 4 hour rafting on the Kali river. This adventure activity is conducted by Kali O2 adventures headed by a White Water Rafting specialist by name John Pollard from UK.


John says Class 3 rapids of the Kali river are perfect for white water rafting.


John goes to the extent of saying that even non swimmers can safely take their 9 to 14 km rafting.


Kali O2 use state of the art equipments, follow international standards and all people taking the rafting are insured. Canoeing and Kayaking are also offered by Kali O2.



Our Experience


We visited this place in Sep 2002. We drove thru Dharwar which is right on the Pune – Bangalore highway (soon to be part of GQ). Dandeli is an hour’s drive from Dharwar. The drive is on a good road with dense vegetation on both sides.


We reached the town of Dandeli and found that the Kali River Lodge (JLR) was right on the banks of the river close to the town. We were disappointed to begin with as we were expecting this lodge to be in the middle of the forest similar to the other properties of JLR.


The rustic resort is very simple and has 9 tented cottages. All the cottages have a view of the river. But a few of them are close to the river and a few away from it. We obviously took the cottage close to the river. The cottage had electricity and a clean wash room.


The food served was tasty and the variety was above average. We paid 1500 Rs person per night for their full board package (rafting packages cost more. Visit https://junglelodges.com for more details). The lodge has a tree house for bird viewing and plenty of hammocks.


We took a coracle ride on the river in the evening. Various types of Hornbills are common in this area and we did see quite a few of them. We also sighted king fisher and egrets here. We did sight crocodiles (if I remember correct) on the river. Crocs are usually aplenty and can be sighted in various sizes.


We then took a ride on the river down stream for a few kms on a conventional inflatable raft (with life jackets and what not). I for one did not originally know that this place is a delight for rafting and so we had not planned for this activity.


We took a jungle safari (Jeep) early in the morning. We saw a few chitals. We did not see anything other animals except a few monkeys. We came across a unique giant spider variety with a `X’ mark written on it. We saw a few of the manganese mining fields.


The JLR staffs are very friendly and courteous in this property also. We left this place to proceed to Goa



Activities ?


If you stay longer you could trek to the huge monolithic granite called Syntheri rock. You could also visit the Kavala caves with their Stalactites and Stalagmites. Another option is to take the half hour drive to visit the Gowli tribes in the forest.


A refreshing option is to go to the Mandurli and Kulagi fresh water springs in the middle of the sanctuary. Bathing in the crystal clear water in a natural surrounding could be a unique experience.



Other stay options ?


Bison river resort owned by Indian Adventures is another very good resort in this sanctuary. They are located around 20 kms from Dandeli. Their packages are costlier than JLR and they also use Kali O2 for their adventure activities.


Thanks for reading my review. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.


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