Monarch Safari Park, Nilgiris

We reached very comfortably in flat 5.5 hrs from Bangalore, the final 100 m being, expectedly, patchy. There were enough boards out there to locate the place and the resort itself.

The resort is located next to a small hill- aptly called the Bokkapuram Peak. It has around 40+ accommodations- with a mix of standard, cottage(non AC version is called Machan) and Bunglaws- bunglaws having the best view so far.(I will update, later, some breathtaking views I had taken with my compact digital, and my 1.3 MP phone!) No doubt, location is the best what this resort has.

We had taken 2 Machans. Please note, all these accommodations are twins and have a common door between them, So, if you are travelling only with your family then there may be some surprises if you get a not-so-good neighbour. I found it very important- a point never mentioned in any of the websites!

Anyways, we were 2 families- so, really enjoyed the common door arrangement. Unfortunately, the Machans themseleves are not so well maintained. Came to know later, that they are 20 years old and these people are waiting for a Court Verdict(on whether to be vacated due to establishment an Elephant Corridor) before taking up renovations.

Apart from condition of the Machans, the resort, in general were not maintained properly at select places. Neither did the management enforce discipline on travellers who were haphazardly parking/ driving cars on the green grass! At the more well maintained areas, the views of the nearby Hills were excellent. Our visit was spoiled by rains there- however, the cloud hitting the peak gave us tremendous opportunitiy with the cameras. Have a look at the photos when I post them.

None of the outdoor sports areas(Volleyball, Cricket and Badminton was the topper)  were in usable conditions. IMHO, even after a rain, if you have a well floored court, people should be able to use the courts- VB & Badminton. The Gym too was in extremely bad shape. The Satellite TV connection was spread across the rooms. But, I was getting some 4-5 channels, whereas my friend was getting 4-5 other channels! Donno how these guys did it. Mithunda, kicchu karo!

Next bext to location, was the food. Excellent food and we cherished each and every item. Mind it, only breakfast is included in the package. So, anything else is extra. But, we never mind paying for it. Actually, had it not been for the food, our stay would have been completely ruined. Another reason for this is, there is no outdoor activity planned here. So, don't go by the name and expect some'safari'!

Know the Pros and Cons and go there. You can enjoy!

Best experience:Ishwar was the all-in-all at the working level. Ask him anything, and he will get it done. Although food have to be selected from a pre-defined list(Yes!), he could manage the cook(remember, the most valuable employee of the resort) to get a special item for us- as usual- with excellent quality.

Worst experience:Bathroom floor was getting wet- donno how; Wooden staircase was very slippery; Badly maintained Gym, Badminton court; Stay by a VIP restricted our movement

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