A visit to the Jungle Lodges Galibore Nature Camp is an experience to remember. A myriad group of two seniors citizens, one young man, a ten year old, and of course, yours truly visited the property and spent two wonderful days.
At the "Sangam" of the rivers Cauvery and Arkavati, a kaccha road of 9 kilometers leads to Galibore, which is a small property that has just 12 tents, and 5 "executive" tents with the "luxury" of electricity within the tent. There are no air-conditioners, just a couple of pedestal fans if you need them.
We visited the camp at the end of December and the days varied from warm to tolerably hot. Nights were cool, and a sweater or shawl was welcome.
The camp had nice activities. On the day that we checked-in, we relaxed on hammocks while the younger ones played on basic wood swings and climbing ropes. After lunch, we traversed the river Cauvery on a coracle. Apart from various water birds, we saw a huge grey crocodile sunning itself on the river bank. In the evening we had a barbeque on the beach with yummy eats. Sunset by the riverside revealed beautiful colors in the sky, and once the sun was down, the starlit sky was special for city dwellers since the lack of artificial lights allowed for a skyful of bright stars. To keep the experience as close to nature as possible, the only light came from a couple of traditional lanterns and a bonfire.A wildlife film was followed by wholesome, tasty (and thankfully un-spicy) dinner at the "gol-ghar" -- which is the in-house restaurant.
The next morning started early, with a guided walk that started by the riverside. The good thing was that each group had it's own guide, so could choose it's own route and pace. After walking on the sand for some time, we chose to get onto the kachcha road, where the guide pointed out the flora and fauna along the way. Apart from various birds, we saw tracks of several wild animals that had visited the river at night.
Sumptuous breakfast was followed by a jeep ride to Mekedatu where the River Cauvery has cut an almost 70 feet deep gorge. There are extremely decent steps that take one more than half-way down the gorge to some majestic structures created by the river in stone. Some monkeys came and claimed the biscuits of the ten year old, which was a bit of a let-down, but still -- an experience! The sad part of the place were the footprints left by fellow tourists in the form of chips packets, juice boxes, paper plates and all manner of rubbish.
Another great lunch and some rest was followed by another coracle ride where we saw more water birds and an even bigger crocodile that obliged us by providing a view of ambling off the shore and sliding into the river. A starlit barbeque, followed by dinner with an unusual "bread-cake" for dessert (I have the recipe now :-)).
The next morning, the guide took us for a nature walk along the kachcha road and then cut across to the river to offer a view of the rapids. We spent some time by the river, admiring the view and collecting river stones. We also had a throw-the-stone-farthest-in-the-river game and a bit of splashing in the shallow part of the river. It is always a good idea to do an activity even if it is a repeat, since the guide will find ways to introduce interesting variations.
Incidentally, once the monsoon sets in, the rapids are raft-able at Galibore and anyone over the age of 10 can go rafting. The manager told us that August was the best time for rafting; when we visited at the end of December -- there wasn't enough water for rafting.
While all the Jungle Lodges properties that I've visited have had courteous staff who go the extra mile to make guests comfortable, the warmth and hospitality at Galibore takes service to a whole new level.
A wonderful two nights in the lap of nature...
At the "Sangam" of the rivers Cauvery and Arkavati, a kaccha road of 9 kilometers leads to Galibore, which is a small property that has just 12 tents, and 5 "executive" tents with the "luxury" of electricity within the tent. There are no air-conditioners, just a couple of pedestal fans if you need them.
We visited the camp at the end of December and the days varied from warm to tolerably hot. Nights were cool, and a sweater or shawl was welcome.
The camp had nice activities. On the day that we checked-in, we relaxed on hammocks while the younger ones played on basic wood swings and climbing ropes. After lunch, we traversed the river Cauvery on a coracle. Apart from various water birds, we saw a huge grey crocodile sunning itself on the river bank. In the evening we had a barbeque on the beach with yummy eats. Sunset by the riverside revealed beautiful colors in the sky, and once the sun was down, the starlit sky was special for city dwellers since the lack of artificial lights allowed for a skyful of bright stars. To keep the experience as close to nature as possible, the only light came from a couple of traditional lanterns and a bonfire.A wildlife film was followed by wholesome, tasty (and thankfully un-spicy) dinner at the "gol-ghar" -- which is the in-house restaurant.
The next morning started early, with a guided walk that started by the riverside. The good thing was that each group had it's own guide, so could choose it's own route and pace. After walking on the sand for some time, we chose to get onto the kachcha road, where the guide pointed out the flora and fauna along the way. Apart from various birds, we saw tracks of several wild animals that had visited the river at night.
Sumptuous breakfast was followed by a jeep ride to Mekedatu where the River Cauvery has cut an almost 70 feet deep gorge. There are extremely decent steps that take one more than half-way down the gorge to some majestic structures created by the river in stone. Some monkeys came and claimed the biscuits of the ten year old, which was a bit of a let-down, but still -- an experience! The sad part of the place were the footprints left by fellow tourists in the form of chips packets, juice boxes, paper plates and all manner of rubbish.
Another great lunch and some rest was followed by another coracle ride where we saw more water birds and an even bigger crocodile that obliged us by providing a view of ambling off the shore and sliding into the river. A starlit barbeque, followed by dinner with an unusual "bread-cake" for dessert (I have the recipe now :-)).
The next morning, the guide took us for a nature walk along the kachcha road and then cut across to the river to offer a view of the rapids. We spent some time by the river, admiring the view and collecting river stones. We also had a throw-the-stone-farthest-in-the-river game and a bit of splashing in the shallow part of the river. It is always a good idea to do an activity even if it is a repeat, since the guide will find ways to introduce interesting variations.
Incidentally, once the monsoon sets in, the rapids are raft-able at Galibore and anyone over the age of 10 can go rafting. The manager told us that August was the best time for rafting; when we visited at the end of December -- there wasn't enough water for rafting.
While all the Jungle Lodges properties that I've visited have had courteous staff who go the extra mile to make guests comfortable, the warmth and hospitality at Galibore takes service to a whole new level.
A wonderful two nights in the lap of nature...
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