Going on a safari is like visiting someone’s home uninvited. You are not quite sure whether they will be home, and even if they are, you can never really tell whether they will greet you. My first visit to the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve — an approximately five-hour drive from Bengaluru — this monsoon was a similar, bittersweet experience. I was up before sunrise, and a steaming cup of black coffee later, boarded a jeep to the State-run Jungle Lodges and Resorts, from where all safaris embark. From there, I, along with several others, bundled up in canters and drove into the woods with Chamaraj, a naturalist with The Serai Kabini, and the driver, Abhi.
Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is home to 149 tigers
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Special Arrangement
As the sun rose on the horizon, winding roads led us to the entrance of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. With tiger sightings reported from safaris on the previous day, we charged ahead, our excitement mounting at every turn.Over the next 3.5 hours on the chilly morning, the very able duo whizzed past the forest as we spotted peahens, a peacock plume dance, several spotted deer, owlets, a serpent eagle, and monkeys. The reserve is home to 149 tigers, said Chamaraj, as we continued driving, eyes peeled for the elusive big cats.
