Dandeli Day 2 – Syntheri Rocks and Dandeli Jungle Camp

Place: Syntheri Rocks and Dandeli Jungle Camp, Dandeli

Distance:  472 km from Bangalore
Type:  Bird Photography, Sightseeing, and Waterbody
Ideal for:  Friends and Family

The previous day was filled with adventure with Rafting in Kali River and spotting many species of birds in Old Magazine House. If you haven’t read my previous day post then I highly recommend you to read it first before reading this post. Let’s get started…

Best of the Beast: Tiny Waterfalls at Syntheri Rocks

Sunday Morning: I woke up to the chirping of birds at 6.30 am and got ready for the nature walk by 7. I spent 10 minutes searching for the naturalist who would take us for the nature walk. After inquiry, I got to know the group had already left hence another staff member named Joma agreed to take us for the walk. Nature’s walk is a 2 km walk (one way) till Ganesha Temple and is mainly intended for bird photography in the open area. Joma mentioned that he has been working with OMH for the past 15 years and he was involved when the bird feeders were installed. He said that the original idea came from a foreigner who visited this place and suggested the plan.

Many such giant squirrels were spotted in OMH

Malabar Trogon (male) was spotted for the first time in this year.

Nature Walk to Ganesha Temple: We started walking towards the Ganesh temple on the main road. There were a lot of birds chirping around, taking flight from one branch to another. Joma’s eyes were sharp enough to spot the birds which were hundreds of feet away. He had never been to a school yet he was able to remember birds name in English and was intelligent enough distinguish hundreds of species of birds. I was impressed to see his energy and passion towards the birds.

Nature walk along the tar road till Ganeshgudi

We spotted the famous Horn Bill for the first time. I tried to capture photos but most of them turned out to be out of focus or blurred. I realized how difficult it is to capture the birds in an open area like this.

We spotted Hornbill for the first time

A lot of monkeys hanging around. This mother and child grabbed our attention

We visited the Ganesha temple. The temple was simple yet beautiful with shrines of Lord Ganesha, Lord Rama, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman. After a short visit to the temple, we started walking back to Old Magazine House.

Ganesha Temple which is the reason behind the place name Ganeshgudi

Idols worshipped in this temple. Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, and Ganesha

We had breakfast and were ready for our next activity – Coracle Ride. Our Jeep was ready by 9.30. Coracle ride is done near Kaleshwara temple which is next to the river bridge.

As we were having breakfast this Spider Hunter grabbed our attention

Coracle Ride: After wearing life jacket we boarded the coracle and our guide started peddling. The ride is short yet calm and relaxing. One can spot crocodiles and a lot of water birds including Indian great Horn bills during a coracle ride. But since the water level was high there were no crocodiles. We spotted a couple of Hornbills and a few water birds. Soon after the Coracle ride, we left for OMH as the checkout time was at 11.

Coracle ride near Kaleshwar Temple

I couldn’t stop humming this Kannada song – Doni saagali.. Mundhe hogali.. Dhoora theerava serali……

Coracle which can hold up to 9 passengers.

Serene Ride with beautiful surroundings.

Famous Bridge can be seen from here.

Spotted Hornbill and few other birds.

I wanted to visit the Shiva temple but sadly it was closed by the time we finished the ride. We stopped on the bridge to have a look at the Supa Dam which is visible from this point.

Kali River Bridge near Kaleshwar Temple

Kali River  Supa Dam Reservoir can be seen from the bridge

Near the base of the Supa dam

We reached OMH by 10.30 and the checkout time was 11 am. Our next stay was booked at Dandeli Jungle Camp. We checked out the room and bid goodbye to the lovely birds at this place. Mr Sanjay had already arranged a cab for us.  We boarded the cab and left for Dandeli Jungle Camp.

Dandeli jungle camp is on the other side of the Ganeshgudi which is a 33 km drive and should not take more than 30 minutes to reach. The camp is inside the reserve forest which makes it stand out from rest of the stays in Dandeli. We took a right turn from the main road and entered the mud road from where the reserved forest started. Forest was looking beautiful even though it was dry and brown, I was wondering how beautiful this place would look in monsoon.

Dandeli Jungle Camp: We were greeted with the Coccum juice upon arrival which was tasty and refreshing. We met Mr. Dharmesh who is the owner of the property. Upon inquiring about the itineraries he said we can take rest and the activity will start post lunch at 3 pm. The entire property is maintained clean and decorated nicely with trees all around. I spotted a few birds outside my room but before I could take out the camera they flew away. I took a power nap and proceeded for lunch at 2. The dining area is neat and clean. The food is one best thing at this place. The menu is simple yet the food is lip-smacking.

Campus area of Dandeli Jungle Camp

The rooms at DJC

Dandeli.com is the official travel partner of this property

Greeted with this Coccum juice

Inside the room – graphical posters inline with the concept of the camp.

The tree house under renovation

Dining Area where homely food is served

Tasty and healthy food. I don’t remember how many of s rotis I ate that day 😀

Ideal Itinerary at DJC

Our cab was waiting for us to take to Syntheri rocks. We boarded the cab at 3 pm and started driving towards Syntheri rock which is 35 km from this place. Vijay was our driver for the day. While talking to him during the long drive I got to know about his passion for wildlife. He had sound knowledge about wild animals which he learned from Netgeo and youtube. He also mentioned that he has spotted many animals like black panther, tiger and wild bison during his past trips with other passengers.

The last one kilometer stretch after the check post

Listening to his endless encounters with wild animals I was hoping to spot any wild animal today as well. My eyes rolled over the surrounding forest in search of the animals till we reached Syntheri Rocks but we weren’t lucky enough. Meanwhile, the conversation continued. Vijay told about the recent incidence happened in Dandeli where a sloth bear attacked a farmer. The farmer died before he could reach the hospital. I never knew bears could be this deadly.

Syntheri Rocks check post.

Brief about Syntheri Rocks: Syntheri Rock is a huge, massive limestone rock formed due to volcanic eruptions some million years ago. It is named after an English lady called Ms. Cinthera who is believed to have discovered this place in the 20th century. River Kaneri passes along the side of this rock. Owing to the flow of the river from the vicinity, erosion has resulted in the rocks getting hollowed. The corners of this rock cave are inhabited by numerous pigeons and honeybees.

We reached Syntheri rocks at 4 pm. There is a 15-20 minute walk from the vehicle parking to the rock. A flight of 200 odd steps downwards lead you to the base. Various types of rocks found in the forest are displayed along the steps. Few resting points are provided as steps are steep and its very likely get tired while climbing. Getting into the water at this place is nothing less than a call of the death. There are warning signs mentioning the number of deaths happened so far. The area is stinky near the water and we couldn’t stay for long. After taking a couple of photos we started ascending back. The ascend is little tiring as the steps are steep.

200 odd steps would lead to Syntheri Rocks

Different kind of rocks being displayed along the staircase

The new logo of Dandeli which includes Hornbill and Tiger

Massive 300 ft tall rock and River Kaneri Flowing by its side.

Kaneri River flowing beside the Syntheri Rock

Deep caves have been created as a result of corrosion from the running water

We got into the cab and started our journey back. I had no hopes of spotting any animals so I  took a nap till we reached our stay at 7 pm. I had two cups of coffee and snacks which I got from my home. The campfire was arranged for us so we sat in front of the campfire for an hour talking about how the day went.  We then moved to the dining area for the dinner. The food was again amazing that I couldn’t resist eating a lot even though I was on diet. Mr. Dharmendar told that the activity for tomorrow will start at 6 am so I went to bed early.

The campfire was arranged for us at evening

Tried to capture full moon using the 60x optical zoom

Note: I was invited to this experience by Dandeli.com who are dedicated to responsible tourism in Dandeli. However, this has no bearings on my opinion and understanding as shared in this post. My views are completely and honestly my own.

Important Notes:

• Syntheri Rocks Timings: 10 AM to 5.30 PM Everyday
• Syntheri Rocks Entry Fees: Rs. 20 per person, Rs.20 for Car parking
• The ideal itinerary in DJC starts post lunch at 3 pm. If you want to start activities soon after your check-in then do let them know in advance so that they will change the plan according to your requirement.

For an end to end Travel, accommodation, itineraries, and activities contact Dandeli.com or call them +91 9483940400

Read My previous day post where I did River rafting and encountered some exotic birds Old Magazine House and Rafting in Kali River

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