Masinagudi Jungle Retreat: An ideal getaway in Tamil Nadu’s forests

Hyderabad: For those who love to spot and photograph wildlife, Masinagudi in Tamil Nadu is one of the best places to visit. It is an 820 km-long drive from Hyderabad to Masinagudi via Bangalore and Mysore. Luckily the highway has been recently modernised and the drive was extremely comfortable and scenic. There are several places to eat and clean restrooms on the highway too.

Soothing greenery and wildlife

As we got closer to Mysore, we saw coconut groves and verdant green paddy fields beside the highway. After Bandipur, we saw several monkeys, langurs, bison, peacocks, deer, wild elephants and even a snake and monsoon fighting each other just beside the road.

It was as if they had put up a show just for us. A wild boar ran beside our vehicle, supremely disdainful of our presence on the road. Its confident strides and upright bristles made a majestic sight.

Elephant sighting

An elephant came running up the slope beside our SUV with its mahout chasing him. We stopped to see him run to a stream and wallow in it; he even picked up his trunk for his teeth to be cleaned and seemed very happy to be brushed and bathed by his keeper.

No dearth of resorts and things to do

There are several resorts and guesthouses in this area. We stayed in a resort amid a lush forest in a secluded part of the Nilgiri foothills, very close to the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. Built in a rustic manner, the resort offered its guests various accommodation options including rooms, cottages and tree houses. From here, one can take treks to see birds, experience jungle safaris and night safaris to spot leopards and tigers and even visit Ooty, which is just an hour’s drive away.

We had chosen a tree house which had all the amenities including a modern bathroom with hot water. The food and barbecues were a delight to our taste buds. The reception had a warm and inviting ambience typical of a colonial parlour. Recreational facilities include table tennis, volleyball, caroms, and picnics at riverside and waterfalls.

A wild elephant visits

Before we went to sleep, we were told that elephants come into the compound at night. They said early mornings are the right time to spot animals and birds.

We slept like babies, tired from the long drive. In the morning, the branches of the tree next to our window were broken and we seemed to have slept through the visit by a herd of elephants coming to raid the ‘ber’ trees nearby. The only evidence of their visit was broken branches, fruits on the ground and copious amounts of elephant dung!

At the Machaan

We were woken up just before sunrise by the staff who served us tea and told us to go on the Machaan-type roof one floor above our accommodation.

The ‘Machaan’ or watchtower on stilts guarantees the sighting of wildlife at close quarters. Our accommodation was set in a breathtakingly beautiful valley with the mountains covered in trees forming a majestic backdrop. The first rays of sunlight showed us a jungle fowl and peacocks that had come to the watering hole nearby. They were followed by deer and wild boar. It was a magical hour and we completely lost track of time.

Variety of wildlife

The rainforests here are home to a variety of wildlife.

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the Bandipur National Park are homes to the highest population of Asiatic elephants and homes to tigers, leopards, deer, bison, bear, Malabar Giant squirrels and many exotic birds like paradise flycatcher, rufous treepie, roller jay, bee-eater and grey hornbill to name just a few!

Go for treks through the forests and let Mother Nature surprise you in all her diversity. You can also experience tribal culture and explore the famed Nilgiris tea estates near Masinagudi.

How to get there:

By road via National Highways

By train from Mysore (100 km)Masinagudi Jungle Retreat: An ideal getaway in Tamil Nadu’s forests

By flight from Coimbatore (125 km)

The distance from Bangalore is 241 km.