NAGARHOLE NATIONAL PARK | WILDLIFE SAFARI & TRAVEL GUIDE TO NAGARHOLE
Wildlife
About Nagarhole National Park
#12 of 33 Places to visit in Karnataka | #54 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: 4 Hours/Half Day
Nearest City to Nagarhole National Park: Mysore (88 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Nagarhole National Park: March to June
Peak Season: October & December to January & May to June
At a distance of 10 km from Kutta, 20 km from Iruppu Falls, 62 km from Kalpetta, 88 km from Mysore, 88 km from Madikeri, and 218 km from Bangalore, Nagarhole National Park is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India and among the must include places in Karnataka Tour Packages. Also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, it is spread across Mysore and Kodagu districts in Karnataka.
Nagarhole National Park is one of the top attractions you must include in Coorg tour packages. Originally the forest area was the private hunting ground for the Maharajas of Mysore. It was converted into a sanctuary in the year 1955 covering an area of 258 sq. km and subsequently enlarged to include the adjoining areas of Mysore district and now extends over an area of 643 sq. km. Nagarhole got National Park status in 1988 and declared as 37th Project Tiger Reserve in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The Western Ghats Nilgiri sub-cluster of 6,000 Sq. km, including all of Nagarhole National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage for World Heritage Site status.
Nagarhole is among the most popular places to visit near Bangalore, especially for wildlife buffs. This national park gets its name from two Kannada words Naga means snake and Hole means stream. Many serpentine streams flow through the rich tropical forests of the park, which has now been renamed as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, after the late prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. Nagarhole is situated to the north-west of Bandipur National Park which are separated by Kabini reservoir. The park has rich forest cover, small streams, hills, valleys, and waterfalls. Inside the park, coracle riding facility is available in Kabini River.
The important animals in Nagarhole National Park are tiger, leopard, wild dog, sloth bear, hyena, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, four-horned antelope, gaur, wild boar, and elephant. Among reptiles, the marsh crocodile, monitor lizard, rock python, and several other species are represented. Other mammals include the common langur, bonnet macaque, jungle cat, slender loris, leopard-cat, civet cat, mongoose, common otter, giant flying squirrel, giant squirrel, porcupine, jackal, mouse-deer, hare, and pangolin. Over 250 species of birds are found at Nagarhole National Park. It can also be visited along with Mysore tour packages.
The park is usually closed for safaris during peak monsoon. Traffic movement is restricted from 6 pm to 6 am every day and the gates are closed on either side of the entry into the forest. Two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and goods vehicles are not permitted inside the park. Safaris are organized in the forest department vans during the morning and evening. Government-run 4WD safaris and boat trips are conducted from Kabini River Lodge, which are good options to explore the animals. The best time to visit Nagarhole is Nov-May, especially Apr-May.
Hotels & Homestays are available near Kutta, Srimangala, Gonikoppal, Hunsur & Kabini.
Safari is available at 3 entry points of the park, 1) Nanachi Gate near Kutta 2) Kakanakote Gate near Kabini 3) Veeranahosahalli close to Hunsur. For visitors coming from Madikeri, Kushalnagar & Virajpet, a safari at the Kutta entry point is more convenient. For visitors from Mysore & Kabini, the Kananakote gate is better for Safari. Staying at the Jungle Lodges Resorts by JLR is the best way to explore the Nagarhole park as their package includes Jeep Safari into the park with experienced guides. JLR operates JLR Kings Sanctuary at the entrance of park near Veeranahosahalli village.
Park Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM
Safari Timings: 6 AM - 9 AM and 2.30 PM - 5.30 PM
Bus/Canter Safari: Rs. 450 for Indians, Rs. 750 for Foreigners (as of Jan 2023)
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