In the serene parks of Karnataka, tiger, leopard, Asian elephant and Asian wild dog are regularly seen, alongside Malabar parakeet, southern hill myna and a host of other South Indian specialities.
With strict limits on vehicles, but the whole range of India’s most charismatic wildlife readily seen, Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks are at once thrilling and unspoiled. Between these two superb parks – where sightings of tiger, leopard, Asian wild dog and Indian giant squirrel occur daily – we visit Fringe Ford, on the edge of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where southern birds and mammals such as brown palm-civet, Nilgiri langur, Malabar trogon and Malabar pied hornbill are all found.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore).
Day2: Arrive Bengaluru & transfer to Bandipur National Park
On arrival at Bengaluru International Airport we are met and we stop for breakfast at a nearby hotel. We then make the journey of around five hours to Bandipur National Park where, in the late afternoon, we take our first drive.
Accommodation: Bandipur Safari Lodge, 3-nights
Days3-4: Bandipur National Park
We devote two full days to this beautiful, biodiverse park, following a programme of morning and evening drives. Drives usually last three to four hours, allowing plenty of time in the heat of the day for relaxation.
In addition to its regularly-seen tigers, leopards, Asian wild dogs and Asian wild elephants, this is a fine park in which to see stripe-necked mongoose, Indian giant squirrel, gaur, grey langur, bonnet macaque and a huge range of birds.
Day5: Transfer to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Following our final drive in Bandipur and breakfast, we make the journey of around three hours to Fringe Ford, an exceptional private reserve in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies on the southern edge of Bandipur.
In the afternoon we take our first walk in the forested foothills of this beautiful reserve, before taking dinner by firelight beside a spring-fed stream.
We have a full day to explore the lovely humid forest and hills of Fringe Ford on foot. In addition to gaur and Asian elephant, the forest here is home to many South Indian endemics and specialities including Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, vernal hanging parrot, Malabar parakeet, Malabar trogon and brown palm-civet.
Day7: Transfer to Nagarhole National Park
Following our final walk in Fringe Ford and breakfast, we make the journey of around three hours to Nagarhole National Park. In the evening we take our first drive here, in search of the park’s large herds of chital, its magnificent elephant tuskers, its noisy Indian giant squirrels, its many birds and, with luck, its large carnivores.
Like Bandipur, Nagarhole is a superb national park where very regular sightings of tiger, leopard and wild dog are kept uncrowded because of a strict limit on vehicles. Over 200 species of bird have been recorded here and many common species, including grey junglefowl, Indian peafowl, plum-headed parakeet and yellow-footed green-pigeon, are of dazzling beauty.
At least once we will replace a drive with a boat safari on the Kabini River. This is an outstanding experience. Not only does it allow close approach to river terns, small pratincoles and winter waders on islands in the dam, and ospreys and grey-headed fish-eagles in the trees. It also offers the chance to watch the behaviour of the many Asian elephants which gather along the lakeshore, especially in the afternoon, in spring and summer.
Day10: Transfer to Bengaluru
Following our final drive in Nagarhole, today we make the journey of around five hours back to Bengaluru. Here we spend the night in a hotel close to the International Airport.
Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport, 1-night
Day11: Fly back to the UK
We take an early morning flight from Bengaluru, arriving back in the UK in the afternoon.
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 11 daysfrom £4,995 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 9 daysfrom £4,295 pp
Choose your preferred departure date below, then make a booking request, or enquire if you would like to ask us a question.
Departure date
Group size
Duration & price from
Single supplement
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Tour leader(s)
Tour status
10 Jan 2027
4–6
11 days:
£4,995 (inc. flights)
£790
On request
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Shreenidhi Jayadeva or Varun Devraj
†
†: This tour is led by one of our expert naturalist leaders, each with a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the region’s wildlife. On occasion it may be necessary to appoint an alternative leader and we will notify you at the earliest opportunity.
Sharing *
* Sharing: We offer single travellers the option to share with another passenger to avoid single room supplements. M/F indicates male or female share
Shreenidhi Jayadeva or Varun Devraj
†
†: This tour is led by one of our expert naturalist leaders, each with a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the region’s wildlife. On occasion it may be necessary to appoint an alternative leader and we will notify you at the earliest opportunity.
Growing up in Bengaluru, Shreenidhi (or Shree for short) first found a passion for wildlife when he became fascinated by the snakes he would find in the green spaces of his home city. This fascination with snakes has led Shree towards a career in wildlife guiding.
Shree developed his passion by spending six months herping in the vibrant and thriving habitats of the Western Ghats before joining a guiding course with one of the most reputable safari operators in Central India.
Shree has now been guiding small groups and wildlife enthusiasts across India for more than 15 years, and has become a vastly experienced naturalist with in depth knowledge of the Subcontinent's flora and fauna.
Varun has been working in wildlife and conservation for the last nine years. A fascination for the wilderness started at a young age, spending his school holidays exploring the wilds of the Western Ghats with his parents.
After a brief and stint in the corporate world, Varun joined The Keystone Foundation in the Nilgiris and worked on conservation and afforestation projects in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
In 2011 Varun moved to Satpura Tiger Reserve in Central India to work as a naturalist and wildlife guide at Forsyth’s Lodge, a pioneer in alternative wildlife experiences such as walking and canoeing in tiger country. After a productive five years, he spent the next couple of years consulting with wildlife properties around the country, helping them set up wildlife programmes and aid in marketing activities.
Varun is now working as a wildlife guide, focusing on Central India, Karnataka, the Western Ghats and Ladakh.
Nagarhole is a mixture of forests and rolling hills, criss-crossed by streams, waterfalls and swamps. Formerly a Maharaja’s hunting reserve, it is now dedicated to saving wildlife, and is considered one of the best places in India to see elephant. In the summer months they congregate in large herds along the river.
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Where: Karnataka State
Ideal for viewing: Asian elephant, tiger, leopard, wild dog, gaur
Bandipur National Park is located about 80 kilometres from Mysore and, like many of the other reserves in India, was once a Maharaja’s private hunting area. It is a reasonably large park and protects a number of India’s more interesting species, such as Asian elephant, sloth bear and striped hyena.
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Where: Karnataka State
Ideal for viewing: Asian elephant, Indian giant squirrel, tiger, leopard, sloth bear
Sharing a boundary with Bandipur National Park, with which it forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Wayanad is a rare protected patch of Malabar rainforest in the extreme north of Kerala. It is home to Nilgiri langur, Malabar grey hornbill and many others of the region’s endemics.
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Where: Kerala State
Ideal for viewing: Malabar trogon, Malabar parakeet, Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri langur, brown palm-civet
This modern lodge, in traditional safari style, is the gateway to the tigers, leopards, Asian elephants and Asian wild dogs of Bandipur National Park. It offers comfortable rooms, delicious local cuisine, well-maintained vehicles and excellent naturalist guides for an outstanding visit to the park.
Find Out More about Bandipur Safari Lodge
Fringe Ford is a unique lodge on a 400-hectare private reserve at the edge of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The historic bungalow, built for a colonial cardamom plantation, has comfortable rooms and a 360 degree view over forest-clad hills. Dinner here is served under the stars by a murmuring stream.
Find Out More about Fringe Ford
This is a typical Indian safari lodge, formerly the hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore. It accommodates up to 50 guests in spacious rooms or cottages, and a wealth of wildlife can be found in nearby Nagarhole National Park, such as elephant, sambar, gaur and even sloth bear.
Find Out More about Kabini River Lodge
