Bandipur Kabini

Mysuru Airport (MYQ at Mandakalli), situated roughly 65 to 75 km north of both Bandipur and Kabini, provides regional domestic flights from Chennai, Hyderabad, and Goa. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR, approx. 220-250 km north) serves as the primary international gateway. Mysuru Junction (MYS, approx. 75-80 km north) is the premier railway hub, linked with Bengaluru and Chennai by rapid Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express services.

Kabini (Karapura village along the Kabini Reservoir) provides world-renowned wildlife lodges, including the historic Jungle Lodges Kabini River Lodge, offering daily jeep and boat safaris into southern Nagarhole. Bandipur National Park entrance along NH-766 near Gundlupet features government forest rest houses and safari resorts nestled against the Nilgiri foothills. For secluded highland nature, the Biligirirangana Hills (BRT Tiger Reserve) offer cloud-forest eco-lodges atop scenic mountain ridges.

Inside both Bandipur and Nagarhole national parks, private vehicles are strictly barred from wildlife tracks. Game drives are conducted exclusively by the Karnataka Forest Department and Jungle Lodges & Resorts using registered 4x4 open Gypsies, covered canter buses, and motorized safari boats along the Kabini backwaters. Private vehicles are also banned on the mountain ascent to Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta; visitors transfer onto official KSRTC eco-buses at the forest foothills checkpost.

From Bengaluru, take NH-275 (the expressway) to Mysuru (143 km, 1.5 to 2 hours). From Mysuru, branch southwest on SH-33 via HD Kote to reach Kabini (approx. 80 km, 1.5 to 2 hours), or follow NH-766 south past Nanjangud and Gundlupet into Bandipur (approx. 75 km, 1.5 hours). Note that NH-766 through Bandipur is strictly closed to all vehicular traffic between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM to protect nocturnal wildlife movement.

3 to 4 days provides an exceptional wildlife expedition: 2 days based in Kabini taking dawn boat safaris along the reservoir backwaters and afternoon 4x4 drives into Nagarhole core; and 1 to 2 days in Bandipur exploring the deciduous Nilgiri foothill jungles, taking the eco-bus up to the misty heights of Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, and visiting Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.