India Wildlife Resorts

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

Area: Bandipur 87,420 hectares.

Established: Bandipur, 1931 as a sanctuary, 1941 as a national park, 1973 as a tiger reserve.

Wildlife Attractions: Tiger, Asian Elephant, Leopards, Dholes, Gaur

About Bandipur National Park

Bandipur national Park one of India's best known wildlife sanctuaries located in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka in South India and covers a forest area of 865 square kilometers. It was declared a National Park in 1974 and is one of the original 9 Project Tiger reserves. It is home to around seventy tigers and over three thousand Asian elephants, along with leopards, dholes, gaur and sloth bears.

Bandipur National Park occupies a special place in India's efforts towards natural conservation. It was created in the 1930s from the local Maharaja Voodiyar's hunting lands, and named Venugopal Wildlife Park. Bandipur National Park was expanded later in 1941 to adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which lay towards its northern edge, and Wayanad and Madumulai Sanctuaries, which lay towards its southern edge in the states of Kerala and Tamilnadu, respectively. The entire area now constitutes the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of India's most extensive tracts of protected forest. It has been a designated tiger reserve in 1973.

Flora in Bandipur National Park:

Bandipur National Park has deciduous, evergreen and scrubland vegetation. The major flora found in bandipur national park is chloroxylon swetenia, acacia catechu, schleichera trijuga, cassia fistula, shorea talura, randia uliginosa. teak (tectona grandis), dalbergia latifolia, pterocarpus marsupium, terminalia tomentosa, anogeissus latifolia, adina cordifolia, grewia tiliaefolia, odina wodiar, butea monosperma, emblica officinalis, lagerstroemia lanceolata, terminalia chebula, dendrocalamus strictus, and bambusa arundinacea.

Climate (Bandipur National Park):

The region is warm and comfortable for most parts of the year with temperatures ranging from 24 to 28°C, except for the brief winter that lasts from October to January when the temperature hovers around the 19°C mark. Monsoon is erratic, but it generally rains from June to September.

Reaching There(Bandipur National Park):

Bandipur National Park is located on the highway connecting Mysore and the hill station of Ootacamund (Ooty). Reaching Bandipur by bus is very convenient. All regular and express state transport buses plying between Ooty and Mysore pass through the park fringes and the Forest Department Center is a designated bus stop. It takes 2½ hours to reach Bandipur forest from Mysore and about 3 hours from Ooty. The nearest rail junction is Mysore (65 km) and the nearest international airport is the software Mecca of Bangalore (204 km).

Travel Tips

Light cotton clothing is recommended for summers whereas light woolen garments are recommended for the brief winters. During rainy season, it is advisable to carry raincoats, as the rain is accompanied by a light breeze that renders umbrellas useless.

Places Nearby (Bandipur National Park)

Nagarhole, Madumulai and Wayanad National parks all lie in the vicinity of Bandipur forest. A reservoir and a dam that separates Bandipur from Nagarhole reserve is an interesting place as well.

Hotels & Resorts in Bandipure National Park

Icons Summary Restaurant Internet Service Tea/Coffe Machine Business Centre Swimming pool Travel Desk Doctor on Call Baby Sitting Health club Bar Safe Deposit Amphitheatre Library Std/Isd Money Exchange

Tusker Trails Resort

Bandipur Safari Lodge

Wildlife in Bandipur National park:

Bandipur National park contains a huge variety of animals, birds and reptiles within it. Primarlily the population consists of...

Mammals: Tiger, leopard, elephant, sloth bear, gaur, sambar (deer), asiatic wild dog, striped hyena, chital, mouse deer, wild boar, barking deer, four horned antelope, hyena, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, mongoose and the slender loris.

Reptiles: King cobra, common cobra, rat snake, water snake, marsh crocodile, russell's viper, lizard, chameleon, monitor lizard, frog, common krait, indian python, flying snake, tree frog, toad and tortoise.

Birds: Over 230 species of birds have been identified. Some of the most notable ones are the heron, stork, falcon, sandpiper, woodpecker, drongo grey junglefowl, pompadour green pigeon, honey buzzard, red-headed vulture, egret, kite, grey-headed fish eagle, brown hawk owl, peafowl, lapwing, bay owl, malabar trogon, nilgiri flycatcher, malabar pied hornbill, little spiderhunter, plain flowerpecker and the warbler.

Bandipur National park Travel Information

Time to Visit: The best time to visit between April to October.

Location : Karnataka

Area : 874.20-sq-kms

How to Reach

Air : The nearest airport is at Bangalore which is 220 km from Bandipur.

Rail : Mysore is nearest railhead, at a distance of 80-kms.

Road : 220 km from Bangalore; 80 km from Mysore and 80 kms from Ooty.

Altitude and Climate:

Altitude between 680 to 1454 meters, situated south of the Kabini River at the foothills of the Western Ghat, Nagur and Moyar flow through the reserve. Winter min 10 and Summer max 28 degree, Monsoon started from June - September, one can visit is open throughout the year but preferably in monsoon when wildlife is plenty and forest is green, Greenery is quite lean when viewed from road but gets thicker as we proceed into the forest.

Travel Tips

Light cotton clothing is recommended for summers whereas light woolen garments are recommended for the brief winters. During rainy season, it is advisable to carry raincoats, as the rain is accompanied by a light breeze that renders umbrellas useless.

Bandipur National Park Map