Place: Govt Timber depot and Kali river, Dandeli
Distance: 472 km from Bangalore
Type: Bird Photography, Sightseeing, and Waterbody
Ideal for: Friends and Family
It is my day-3 at Dandeli if you haven’t read the previous day posts then do read it first before proceeding.
Dandeli Day 1 – Old Magazine House and Rafting in Kali River
Dandeli Day 2 – Syntheri Rocks and Dandeli Jungle Camp
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| Best of the beast: Rusty tailed flycatcher |
Monday Morning: The plan for today was tightly scheduled. Timber depot, jacuzzi bath, and Safari ride were on the list for the day. Our first visit of the day was Timber depot which was scheduled for an early morning as the chances of spotting birds are high in the morning. After freshening up I had a cup of hot coffee to start my day.
Our cab was ready and the same driver Vijay who assisted us on the previous day came for the pickup. Government timber depot is inside the city and it is exactly 10 km from our stay. Timber depot is known for spotting Hornbills at a very close distance.
Govt Timber Depot: As soon as we got down the car we were welcomed by a lady. At first, I thought she is also a tourist like us but soon I got to know that she is our guide for the day. She briefed about the timber depot, the trees grew here and the species of the birds found at this place. We started walking around and looking for birds. We spotted Racket-tailed Drongo and three species of Hornbills – Malabar Pied Hornbills, Malabar grey Hornbills, and Indian Grey Hornbills. It took around two hours for the complete nature walk. By the time we completed the walk, Rajani became our friends and we were comfortable with her.
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| Wood life and birds life of Dandeli Timber depot Trail |
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| White-bellied blue flycatcher |
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| Orange-headed thrush |
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| Magpie Robin |
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| Racket-tailed Drongo |
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| Indian Roller – Karnataka state bird |
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| Hornbills always live together with their partner. They are considered as Rama-Sita in Bird world |
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| While we were busy in looking for birds this giant Malabar squirrel caught our attention |
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| Malabar Pied Hornbill |
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| A closer look at Malabar pied hornbill |
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| The home of Hornbills. They make a hollow in the trees leaving a tiny hole for entry and exit |
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| Fruits loved by the hornbills. This is the main reason for hornbills to stay in timber depot |
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| Lovely parrot enjoying its morning meal |
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| Malabar Grey Hornbill |
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| Hornbills eat hundreds these fruits a day |
Mr. Dharmesh (DJC owner) came to see if the nature walk is going well or not. I loved the kind of the attention they pay towards the guest to make sure guests enjoy the itinerary to the fullest. Our next stop was crocodile park. Rajani also joined us as she also wanted to visit it.
Crocodile Park: Crocodile park is near to the timber depot and it took less than 10 minutes to reach. There is a Dandelappa temple in front of the Crocodile Park. The town is named after Dandelappa, a local deity and a servant of the Mirashi landlords. Just opposite to the temple there’s a private property from where you can watch crocodiles lazing around. There is a river flowing adjacent to his property which is polluted due to the wastages coming out of the paper factory. It actually makes a perfect ambiance for the crocodile as they love to stay in the dirty water.
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| Dandelappa temple in front of the crocodile park |
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| A private property from where one can spot crocodiles. Fences have been installed to prevent crocodiles from entering the property |
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| Crocodiles enjoying their sunbath |
Fences have been installed to keep crocodiles away from entering the property. We spotted nearly 20 crocodiles lying lazily and enjoying their sunbath. The area is stinky due to polluted water.
After spending nearly 30 minutes at this place we decided to leave. We came back to the stay at 11. Had breakfast and were ready for the next activity of the day Jacuzzi bath. It was 12 pm and our Dandeli safari was at 3 pm. I thought we can make it to the Safari ride. We came to the Ganeshgudi for water activities.
Kayaking in Kali River: Scorching sun and hot climate didn’t seem to favor us for the day. There were not many people around as it was Monday. I had never done Kayaking before so I was tempted to try it. The guide briefed us about rowing techniques. I boarded the boat and started peddling. The guide came on another boat just for our safety. It was a nice and serene experience of 20 minutes.
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| Kayaking in Kali river |
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| Our guide trying to do some stunts |
Jacuzzi Bath: After the kayaking, we proceeded to the jacuzzi bath. Jacuzzi is done near the first rapid (if you remember from my previous post) which is around half km away. We sailed to the jacuzzi spot on the raft. As it was Monday there was nobody else apart from us so we had the place for ourselves. The guide helped us sit against the rapid and enjoy the water hit our back giving a natural massage therapy. We enjoyed the jacuzzi bath for more than 30 minutes and finally started peddling back. Peddling against the current was very difficult especially in big raft like this.
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| Here I go for the jacuzzi bath |
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| Natural back massage therapy |
I was shocked to see the time. It was 2.45 in the afternoon and our plan of safari ride vanished in the Kali river itself 🙁 I called Dharmesh to see if we can still make for the jungle safari for which he replied: “not possible now”.
On a brighter note I had a reason to revisit Dandeli in future 😉 The driver stopped near the Supa dam to have a look at the backwater. The view was stupendous I wanted to watch the sunset from this point but it was just 3 pm now.
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| Supadam backwater bridge |
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| Supa Dam Backwater |
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| It would have been an amazing experience to watch the sunset from here |
We came back to the out stay and had a good meal. Our bus was at 8.30 so we decided to go for a nature walk. Since the walk is through the reserved forest we were hoping to see any animals as well. There were some footprints of sloth bear and bison which added to the thrill. Finally, we could spot a deer running around. I checked to see if it was chased by the tiger but (un)fortunately that was not the case.
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| Nature walk at Dandeli Jungle Camp |
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| Roaming the forest we ended up at this serene spot |
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| Adike trees in the backyard of the camp. |
After returning from the walk I requested to serve kokum juice which was addictive. We packed our luggage and had a light meal. Finally, it was time to depart. In three days I had developed an attachment to the place. With a heavy heart, I boarded the cab bidding goodbye to the lovely stay. Mr. Dharmesh himself dropped us at the Bus stop. We met travel partner Mr. Sanjay who took care of our stay at Dandeli and made it an experience of a lifetime. The bus was on time. I fell asleep in no time only to wake up in Bangalore at 6 am. I reached my home at 8 in the morning.
Important Notes:
1. Entry to Timber Depot is free of cost. There are few species of birds which are found especially at Timber depot so its worth a visit if you are a bird lover.
2. Jacuzzi bath was included in the package.
3. Safari ride in Dandeli is very famous and needs prior booking. You can book it with Dandeli.com
Conclusion: Dandeli is a great place for adventure seekers and Wildlife lovers. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a two or three days trip with family or friends. For me, it has been a great experience.
For an end to end Travel, accommodation, itineraries, and activities contact Dandeli.com either through online or call them +91 9483940400
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