Motorbikes India Online magazine about motorbikes in India
After planning for over two months, finally, our two-day motorbike trip to Bandipur was finalized on the 28th of May 2018. We finalized and decided our place of stay and the possible straight pathway to follow that would cover a distance of 226 km easily.
We chose to ride along the route Bangalore>Mysore>Gundalpet>Bandipur and had downloaded the Google map for directions.
To make our ride comfortable, we ensured our motorbikes were serviced and checked from an authorized service station in Bangalore. We also took care to pack some essentials like water bottles, safety gears, and motorbike toolkit.
The next day, at around 6’o clock in the morning we, a crew of 6 members started from Bangalore on our Enfield after a quick sip of strong green tea. Our ride on the Bangalore-Mysore road was a refreshing one. After one hour and twenty minutes, we reached Ramnagar and had breakfast at Kamat Hotel. By 8.00 am, we had reached Mysore and Bandipur was just another 71 km ride from there.
Our ride became quite challenging now as we had to travel in traffic and drive past heavy trucks and buses. After a tough few hours of the ride, we finally reached the Safari Land Resort at Masinagudi at around 1 pm. We had planned to stay at the MC resort at first but chose Safari Land for its bamboo tree surroundings and greenery.
We had lunch and relaxed in our comfy rooms while discussing our next day plans for trekking and jungle safari.
At around 7 pm, we were invited to camp-fire that is set in the evening for all guests. There were games, fun sessions, dance performances and more importantly, traditional food with choices of veg and non-veg items. After a medium and light dinner, we were all set for a good night sleep for our first jungle safari tomorrow.
The next morning at around 6 am, we freshened up quickly and started our ride to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve that is 11.9 km away from the resort.
By 6.30am, we reached the national park and luckily, we were the first visitors to the forest. We got into the safari van that was organized by the Forest Reserve for the public.
We entered into the interiors of the forest during our safari which stays mostly hidden from the outside public. It was a different feeling to be surrounded by flora and fauna. We captured some beautiful images of deer, elephants, bison, and the amazing scenic beauty of the forest in smoky climate.
It was a wonderful experience to watch the animals so close to the naked eye. With an overall coverage of about 800 sq.km, Bandipur National Park is a national treasure for all of us.
After having a great time in the forest, we had traditional South Indian breakfast that included Dosa, Sambar, and Vada. A meal in incomplete without tea in India, isn’t it? So staying true to the tradition, we had Chambala tea, a famous local tea. You all should try if you ever plan to visit this side of the country.
We cherished some wonderful moments before leaving the park and after reaching our resort by 10 am, we cleaned our motorbikes of the dirt and dust on the way. It was almost 11 and time for us to check out, so we packed our luggage and moved out of the resort.
At around 12 pm, while on our way back to Bangalore, we thought of going around the local markets of Masinagudi a bit. It is quite famous for cheap and good quality wooden accessories and woodcrafts. After a little shopping, we had lunch at a nearby hotel and took some time to relax. We also clicked a few friendly, crazy and funny selfies.
Now, we were back on our motorbikes to ride towards Mysore. We visited the beautiful Lalitha Mahal and Mysore Palace. The palace was mesmerizing and we spent a good amount of time going through the old architecture work on it.
At around, 5 pm, we had some local snacks and continued our ride further. As you all know Bangalore and Mysore are digital cities, they are too crowded and have terrible traffic. It took us 2.5 hours to reach Bangalore while driving at a speed of 60-80kmph. Before leaving for our respective places, we sat around to spend a few minutes chatting on our motorbikes.
“Rides not only unite people but create great memories too”- how true it is!
So, if you haven’t been to Bandipur yet, plan your next motorbike ride through this route. I am sure you will have a great time!
Disclaimer: This article was prepared or accomplished by it's author in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Motorbikes India or it's owners.
