Continue on by private vehicles to Masinagudi (approx 2 hrs).
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the enchanting Nilgiris with their mist-covered peaks, Mudumalai National Park was once the Mysore Maharaja's private hunting ground. It was brought under Project Tiger in 1974 and is one of the best game sanctuaries in India to observe and photograph wildlife in close proximity. Some animals you may see here include tigers, leopards, elephants, sloth bears, sambars and spotted deer. There's also an amazing variety of birdlife, some of the most notable birds being the heron, stork, egret, kite, falcon, peafowl, woodpecker, drongo and warbler.
On our arrival at the foot of the Nilgiris (Blue Mountains), embark on a short wildlife-spotting safari in the National Park. Our family-run accommodation in Masinagudi is dormitory style. (Brochure)
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We have a leisurely American breakfast (eggs,toast, jam, masala tea) at our Ooty hotel before departing for our next destination....the Jungle Retreat resort (www.jungleretreat.com) adjacent to Mudumalai National Park. Going up the mountain to Ooty was exciting and the ride down the other side of the mountain is just as exciting....36 tight hair-pin turns with oncoming traffic challenging the ownership of the narrow road. As we travel down the mountain, the surroundings change from cool luscious green to hot/humid arid brown...cacti, spindly brush and sand colored soil greet us as we arrive at our "Jungle Retreat".
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| Rest Stop View |
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| Worker's Bus |
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| Sharing the Road |
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| View from our Van |
"Jungle Retreat" looks neat......a well appointed bar and dining area, recreation facilities and a variety of rooms ranging from plush single rooms to dormitory style. We are shown to our accommodations which is a large dormitory room where we will all be roommates for one night. There are enclosed shower and toilet facilities adjacent to our sleeping room which makes for a suitable degree of privacy.
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| This Way to Paradise |
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| Dormitory Rules |
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| Bar and Dining Area |
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| Sleeping Accommodations |
We have lunch, walk to a local pool to go swimming and rest. Since it is hot/humid, we will not begin our safari until 17:00. When Frank and I walked to the local pool, we meet a number of locals who introduced themselves and want us to take a picture with us. One of the kids pulls out a cell phone and takes a number of pictures of us, his new friends...cell phones are ubiquitous to the Indian populace.
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| Smile!! |
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| New Found Friends |
The temperatures have cooled and we begin our safari in an attempt to see animals and birds. Our first encounter is with neither animal or bird...it is a non-poisonous snake...we ran over it with our jeep and injured it. Ki-Ki, a member of our group, immediately wants to put the snake out of its misery......our Indian driver and guide negate that recommendation...if one believes in reincarnation, one does not want to injure/kill any creature...small, medium or large. We see many deer, peacock (India's national bird), monkeys and an elephant being washed. At dusk, we head back to the Retreat for a nice dinner.
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| Injured Snake |
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| Watching Me..Watching You |
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| Peacock - India National Bird |
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| Washing Elephant |
After dinner, we head out at dark to see if we can catch a glimpse of a tiger or other elusive animals. Although the only thing we saw were "wild elephants", it was an exciting 2 hours and we all enjoyed the "night" safari. Back to our dormitory, clean-up and off to bed...thank goodness that I brought my ear plugs and eye mask.....the women's snoring and background light did not bother me....got a good night's sleep.
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| Dining at the Jungle Retreat |
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| Dormitory Accommodations |
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