Although there are many more reserve forests where wild animals are in abundance, Nagarahole Reserve is the best forest in South India to see them close by. This place is near the Bandipur. The tour package includes a road safari and a boat safari. The road safari provides the best option to see the wild life. The Kabani river bank has innumerable birds of different species. One can enjoy watching them before moving on to a more enjoyable 2-3 hours of road safari. Nagarahole forest has a healthy pray-predator ratio. This is the main reason you find more predatory animals in this region. This forest is rich in biodiversity. The forest never disappoints the visitors with its never-ending sights.
The forest department as well as private resorts conduct safaris here. The ticket counter for the Kabani forest department is at Thimmanakatte. For the morning safari, you must buy your tickets the previous day itself and for the evening safari, you have to get the tickets in the morning at 10 am. The forest department jeep safari is economical as it costs only Rs.300/head for a 1½-hour jeep safari. There are many luxurious resorts around the jungle lodges who provide such safaris but you have to pay 2-3 times more to go on a safari. However, to get inside the jungle, you will have to rely on Jungle Lodges vehicle. If your main aim is a safari, then it’s better to avoid private resorts.
