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| Bathing Beauty- White rumped Shama at Old Magazine House Ganeshgudi |
A peaceful place where one can relax body and mind, little birds sing for you! Do you love birds? Just birds? No craze for tigers, no rushing safaris! Only colorful little winged wonders- birds and butterflies. The place is Old Magazine House in Ganeshgudi, Karnataka, India.
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| Yellow browed Bullbul and a White bellied Blue Flycatcher indulging in a short chat while bathing |
Western Ghats is known for its lush forests and abundant wildlife. Amidst these dense forests flows River Kali. Known for her uneven and fierce water flow she is rafter's paradise. Here, an old house converted into a lodge by Jungle Lodges and Resorts provides decent stay and an amazing hospitality.
I have been to Dandeli and its surrounding villages and forests innumerable times and still I get excited to go back again and again. And OMH (Old Magazine House) is one place that brings stars in the birder's eyes. I too was excited when I got a chance to visit OMH with the courtesy- OLD MAGAZINE HOUSE. People with telescopic lenses greet you as soon as you reach. Or some may frown if you happen to be loud. Keep your mobile on silent mode. Noise is banned here.
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| Colorful butterflies are all around the place |
There are pots and perches arranged for the birds to enjoy a bath and then preen on the perches. Different species come together to enjoy that little water, seeing which invokes inner happiness within us. Just stand behind the hide and watch the show. Brown cheeked Fulvetta, White bellied Blue Flycatcher, Rusty tailed Flycatcher, Orange headed Thrush, White rumped Shama, Indian Yellow Tit, Red whiskered Bulbul, Bronzed Drongo are regular visitors and they will not disappoint you. Many others join too if you are fortunate. I got pictures of around 25 new species to my GALLERY.
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| Greater Goldenback sitting and pecking on high trunk of the tree |
This scenic destination is 25KM away from Dandeli, a place popular for rafting and Malabar Hornbills. Dandeli is well connected by road to the most of the cities of Karnataka like Bangalore and Hubli. My stay was booked by OLD MAGAZINE HOUSE run by Sanjay/Ramnath who also arranged transport from Dandeli to OMH. I was treated like a family member which is an advantage booking through the official travel partners of Jungle Lodges and Resorts.
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| Soaring Brahminy Kite Juvvie |
The lodge is quite neat and the food is good and plenty. The staff is attentive and the naturalists are the best. Nights are silent with the occasional screams of malabar giant squirrel. Owls might hoot but not scary. If you feel like doing more than bird watching, there is river rafting, picnic spots at Syntheri Rocks and Supa Dam. There are many jungle camps around too. Or go for a short drive to a bridge from where one can witness flying Malabar Hornbills and Brahminy Kites.
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| And a trip to Western Ghats is incomplete without sighting a Malabar Giant Squirrel |
If you are looking for a holiday like this one visit Dandeli.com or Old Magazine House for booking. Also you can reach them- Phone: 9483940400 E-mail: book@dandeli.com.
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If you want pictures please ask me :)
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Scrapbook- A Travel Blog by Kusum Sanu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This is an awesome place. I once stayed in a hotel where we watch owls hunt at night.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it?
DeleteThis is an absolute paradise for avian lovers.
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ReplyDeleteThis really a awesome place. I visit this place whenever I feel bored of time.
ReplyDeletevery informative post for me as I am always looking for new content that can help me and my knowledge grow better.
ReplyDeleteHey keep posting such good and meaningful articles.
ReplyDeleteEach species of birds and animals provides us with an unforgettable stay in this place. The park has the picturesque nature far from the bustling city.
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