Cicada, Kabini, Karnataka, India

Kabini, set amidst the wilderness of the Nagarhole Forests, about 220 kms from Bangalore, is said to be the abode of a large variety of birds including common babbler, bee-eater, bulbul, dove, hornbill, Malabar pied, peacock, woodpecker, crested hawk and golden-back parakeet. We made a weekend trip to the Cicada resort on the banks of the river Kabini in Jan,2007. It was made in January as it is said that Nagarhole is worth visiting at the height of the dry season, when wild animals can be spotted in large numbers near sources of water.

The journey took us longer than expected making us exhausted on reaching there. After a refreshing nap and tea, we decided to take a tour in the boat to check out the flora and fauna of the Nagarhole National Park. The word "Nagarhole" is said to have been named after the serpentine streams flowing through the forests. The river Kabini separates the Bandipur National Park and the Nagarhole Park which boasts of a huge density of elephants. A lucky visitor might get the chance to spot a leopard, the four-horned antelope, sloth bear, jungle cat, wild dog, panther, gaur (Indian bison), sambhar, and many other animals who have made this place their home.

The wild

But it did not turn out to be our lucky day as all we succeeded was in spotting herds of elephants, and a deer or two. But the wilderness had such magnificent look that it soon killed all disappointments. And the colours of the sunset added its brilliance to the jungle.

Glimpse of the wild and hypnotizing sunset

The rest of the evening was spent lazying around in the pool and gazing at the stars rocking in the hammock. The next morning we went bird watching in the resort under the expertise of an ardent bird watcher who helped us in identifying a huge number of birds. With that ended a weekend in the wild.

Adieu