Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi

Masinagudi, Mudumalai forest

If you are a nature lover, wildlife admirer and an enthusiastic birder looking for a relaxed getaway, Masinagudi is an idyllic place to be. I had heard of raving reviews of a resort called the Jungle Retreat, a family owned business, in the heart of the Mudumalai jungles, devoid of any fencing where animals come for a “retreat” in the true sense of the word and was very excited to experience this.

The drive to Masinagudi is about 5 hours if you go via the Mysore road from Bangalore.

A good time to start would be early – by 5:30am, stopover at Kamath for a hearty breakfast to reach in time for sumptuous lunch at the resort.

I could wax eloquent about this resort (so apt to its name) and the place, however here are a few of my best memories from Masinagudi.

• A rustic looking resort, we were welcomed by Rohan and Smriti, the owners of Jungle Retreat who explained about the resort to us in great detail.
• One can spot some beautiful birds and wildlife in the campus itself.
• If you are planning to venture out of your cottage after 6:30pm, you will be mandated to be escorted by one of the employees, lest you happen to encounter a bear or a leopard 😉
• The swimming pool looks like a natural emerald pool, facing the Nilgiris, adding only more oomph to the whole feel of it.
• What’s more? It doubles up as a watering hole for animals. So don’t be surprised to have deer and goats during the day time drinking water while you are busy doing laps 😉
• We were shown some captivating footage laid down by the camera traps in the resort, to show us the visitors at night 🙂
• Elephants, leopards, sloth bears are regulars apart from the thriving population of deer.
• The 32 acre campus has a plethora of colorful birds, which is a treat to the eyes to say the least!
• If you are an enthusiastic photographer, your fingers would eternally be locked to your camera shutters.
• The food is mouthwatering in terms of taste and spread.
• The inn before the pool has this charming appeal to it, with avant-garde wooden furniture, an ever-patient server in the company of some fantastic storytelling of the owners. Alcohol is not really served here, but you can buy your own from the local market.
• The resort is also home to plenty of friendly and playful tamed dogs and cats.

Tips:

• Go for the Birding walk early in the morning, to spot the best of the birds before it gets too hot.
• Opt for the evening Jeep safari ride. It is enthralling to say the least… if you are lucky, you may end up spotting leopards.
• We spotted some really cool chameleons in pitch darkness that glow like leaves. Camouflaged really well, they look really cool clinging on to branches and shrubs.
• Drive to the Singara coffee estate early morning at 6am, where you can spot beautiful Great Indian Malabar Hornbills in their habitat. Although, make sure you are inconspicuous in shooting a video/taking pictures so as to not disturb them.
• On your way, you might get lucky in spotting the elusive cats, elephants, bisons, civets, chameleons, deer and mongoose.
• Walk around the campus of Jungle Retreat to spot some really exotic birds like the colorful Indian Pitta, Brahminy Starlings, Tickles Blue Flycatcher, Red Vented Bulbuls, woodpeckers, shrikes and what not!
• If you are looking for a couple’s getaway, opt for Room #11, which is a rather large suite with beautiful outdoor sit outs.
• The tree house is also an experience not to be missed.

The drive back from Masinagudi is also quite enriching in the number of birds one can spot before hitting Mysore. We halted at Royal Orchid for a lunch buffet that closes sharp at 3.30pm. If you have some more energy left, you can stopby at the Ranganthitoo bird sanctuary and reserve to see beautiful birds in their habitat. In addition to birds, you will spot a number of crocodiles basking in the sun on the rocks.

If you have some time, opt for an hour long boat ride and ask for sightings of the baby crocs.