General Information about Mysore

Nagarhole National Park
Welcome to one of the best places in the world to find the tawny, black-striped Royal Bengal Tiger, elusive and stealthy, noble and regal: Nagarhole. Karnataka's Nagarhole National Park (officially known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park) is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India's largest stretch of protected forest, an area which includes, besides Nagarhole, the neighbouring sanctuaries of Bandipur, Mudumalai and Wynaad. Established in 1955 as a wildlife sanctuary, Nagarhole was designated a national park twenty years later. The park today stretches in a series of gentle hills and valleys, over an expanse of 640 sq km, north of the river Kabini. The park is centred around a perennial water reservoir formed in 1974, when the Kabini River was dammed. 

Nagarhole's vegetation is refreshingly different from Bandipur's dry scrub- moist deciduous forests, including bamboo, teak, eucalyptus and cassia, cover much of the sanctuary, providing a refuge for a wide range of animals and birds. Nagarhole has all the resident wildlife of the Nilgiri hills: Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, bison, leopard, Asian elephant, wild boar, deer, dhole (wild dog) and porcupine, besides tigers. A high canopy of trees- up to thirty metres tall in some places- harbours rare birds such as the endangered Malabar trogon, the Malabar pied hornbill and the crested hawk-eagle.

Nagarhole saw some upheavals in 1992, when quarrelling between the wardens of the park and the local villagers resulted in arson which had an enormously adverse impact on the park and its wildlife. It will still take a few years for Nagarhole's forest and animal count to get back to normal but there has already been a resurrection of sorts and things get better every year.

Entry Requirements
An entry permit, costing Rs 15, is applicable for all visitors to Nagarhole. It can be obtained at the entrance to the park. Charges for boat rides, jeep or elephant safaris and accommodation are additional.

Access:
The major railhead closest to Nagarhole is Mysore, 80 km away, with train connections to a large number of towns and cities across peninsular India. Nanjangud, 55 km away, also has trains coming to it, but they’re fewer in number. Bangalore, with excellent air and rail links to the rest of the country, is about 220 km from Nagarhole, while the hillstation of Ooty is about 240 km from the park. Buses connect Nagarhole to Bangalore (a ride of about 6 hours) and to a network of smaller towns across Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. Alternately, you could hire a vehicle in one of the larger towns- Bangalore is especially convenient- to get to Nagarhole.
Within the park, there’s ample scope for wildlife watching. Jeeps can be taken for a drive through Nagarhole, or you can go off on elephant safari- the best way, in fact, to go deep into the jungle. Hiking is also allowed through the park, although only in some areas where there are fewer chances of encountering a hungry tiger or a masth elephant! The lake is open for a slow coracle ride or a swift motorboat skim.
Best time to visit:
Nagarhole can be visited all through winter and through the pre-monsoon half of the summer. The winter months from November-February are exceedingly pleasant, and are the best time to go if you don’t like being hot and sweaty. The summer, on the other hand, though it may be pretty hot, is a great time to see wildlife, including the tiger. The dry, hot season (March-May) is the time when the animals gather at the lake, allowing for great wildlife viewing. The monsoons (June-September) are best avoided, as the entire road network gets washed out, and leeches and dense undergrowth proliferate in the forest
The summer palace Dariya Daulath (meaning "wealth of the sea") with its ornate arches and ceiling, breath taking range of classical paintings, was Tippu�s favourite retreat, which now houses a museum with a fabulous collection of rare coins, paintings and personal belongings of Tippu. The remains of Tippu's beautiful palace, Lal Mahal, are visible even now in the high enclosures of the fort. The British, who used it for some time as a military post, after killing Tippu demolished the greater part of this palace. There are two dungeons, one at the northeast corner of the fort and the other, a bigger one, which is near the Ranganatha temple. It is said that Tippu had kept Dhondia Wagh, a Maratha warrior in the former and some British prisoners in the latter

Cauvery Fishing Camp
Cauvery, the very name resonates in your body and creates an inner peace. That’s what you will find at the Cauvery Fishing Camp. Cauvery is one of the longest rivers in South India. Its importance is seen in Indian mythology as well as being a life supporter for providing water to almost the whole of South India. 
The Cauvery Fishing Camps cover an area of 12 kms through the Cauvery wildlife sanctuary. This area is divided into three camps, each having its own facilities and activities. They are Bheemeswari, Doddamakali: set six kms upstream from Bheemeswari and Gallibore: sixteen kms downstream from Bheemeswari. 
But no matter where you go in Cauvery, you will see one regular visitor. The great Indian Masheer, the largest tropical sporting fish known to man. Masheer’s weighing 1000 pounds have been caught here and immediately released. Foreign tourists are very fond of fishing here particularly due to the Masheer. Apart from fishing, this place offers a beautiful setting for wilderness lovers to come and relax by the riverside, or go trekking through the hilly terrain from one camp to another. 
Cauvery fishing camp is located 120 kms from Bangalore city. The average travel time is about 3 hours and is accessible by road via Kanakapura. The camp is set in on the banks of the river, ideally tucked amidst steep hills.
The Lodge
Accommodation comes in the option of tented cottages or Log huts. Both the options are well furnished and overlooking the river. At Bheemeswari there are nine tented cottages and eight log huts. Five tented cottages are available at Doddamakali and Gallibore each. 
All the above accommodations are very well furnished and have attached toilets. They are kept clean at all times and Linen is changed daily.
"GOLGHAR", the dining area is located facing the river, where the guests can converge for Breakfast, lunch and dinner while visually enjoying the beauty of the river. Indian and Continental Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian food is prepared in a homely and hygienic manner

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