The Jungle Retreat, Mudumalai

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Jungle Retreat @ Mudumalai

About Jungle Retreat:

A unique family-run holiday destination set in the Indian outback.

Jungle Retreat, located at the foothills of the Nilgiris, skirting the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and the National Park of Tamil Nadu, is the perfect getaway. The resort is run by the Mathias family, who have lived on a tea plantation for many years in close proximity to the jungles of Tamil Nadu. Jungle Retreat was born of our family's close bond with the wilderness.

The Mathias family bought a dilapidated sericulture plantation skirting the Mudumalai wildlife reserve and made it their home. They worked on the concept of converting this plantation into a holiday retreat. It took a year to get operational as they designed and built the resort themselves, with local tribal labour. The resort has come a long way since that first year. They now offer accommodation in country style cottages with sprawling private verandahs that afford spectacular views of receding mountains and tropical jungles. The cottages have been styled individually to cater to different requirements. Besides the magnificent local wildlife, at Jungle Retreat they have an operational farm housing domestic animals such as dogs, cows, sheep & chickens.

If a holiday was meant for thorough indulgence and laziness, then there is nothing like relaxing with an occasional dip in the gorgeous swimming pool, which is unique in design and setting.

Nestling in the foothills of the Nilgiris, hiding from the heat and dust of the workday world, sheltering lovers of nature is a paradise called Jungle Retreat. Bordering the twin wildlife sanctuaries of Bandipur and Mudumalai, this is a sanctuary for human beings, where you'll find peace as well as adventure, always made that much more pleasant by the warm hospitality of the Mathias family.

The Retreat is surrounded by dry deciduous forests, which are inhabited by deer, panthers, gaurs, tigers, bears and the highest population of the Asian Elephant anywhere in the world. The area boasts an incline from 3000 ft. above sea level to 6500 ft., which provides a whole range of climatic conditions for flora and fauna of every description to flourish amid the sparkling streams and virgin jungles.

Activities:

Trekking: Walking shoes are definitely advisable on this trip, because treks through virgin forest and alongside sparkling streams feature on our menu of activities. Share the secrets of the dry deciduous forest, which boasts a wealth of flora and fauna that thrill the ornithologist, the botanist and the interested nature lover. The trip could get adventurous - if the tree trunk you're leaning on moves, say a small prayer. There is every chance of seeing / encountering wildlife (sloth bears, elephants, bison, dholes, tiger, panther, a variety of birds, etc.) at close quarters on a trek. The birds are particularly varied and exotic, due to an immediate change in elevation of 3500 feet that provides a variety of climatic conditions, which appeal to over 320 species of birds. The climb, which is feasibly challenging, begins through bamboo, passes dry deciduous forest, eucalyptus and finally the famed tea plantations of the Nilgiris. A guide will accompany every party of trekkers, to provide information on the flora and fauna, as well as to see to your safety.

Alternatively one could also trek thorough open meadows alongside gurgling streams, rivers and watering holes. The topography can be as distinctive as grassland to scrub jungles to deciduous forests.

Safaris: The National Park organizes van safaris into unspoilt sanctuary areas, either from 6:30 – 8.30 a.m. or 3 to 6 p.m. The ride usually lasts anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and spotting game is pretty common. These trips are perfect for wildlife buffs who wish to spot the spotted deer, bear with a bear, or even see something as boaring as a boar. Alternatively, you could tour the jungle Mowgli style, atop a tame elephant! Four people and a trained mahout will be carried by our resident gentle giant into the jungle, away from the beaten track, along the road not taken. Because the elephant actually goes through the jungle, chances of seeing game at close quarters are pretty good.

Elephant Camp: Visit a forest department elephant camp where around 29 pachyderms are cared for and trained. You can witness them give a thorough cleaning, followed by a pooja (offering to the deity) by the elephants themselves and culminating in feeding them. Believe it or not, each have their own diet on an everyday basis to adhere to. But beware, lest you get taken for a ride!

Visit To:

Like the famous Darjeeling tea, the Nilgiri Tea plantations are famous for its green leaf tea. A visit to a local tea, coffee or pepper plantation as a half day or full day trip could be organized. The trip gets all the more exciting and refreshing when one actually gets to visit a factory and observe the journey of the leaf through different processes before its end.
OOTY: A day trip to Ooty, one of the many hill stations explored and discovered by the British can also fit into the agenda. It includes a visit to the renowned botanical gardens, boating on the lake, toda museum, etc Do some shopping for silver jewellery and don’t forget to leave Ooty without a bag of home made chocolates, some eucalyptus and citronella oils.

GOPALSWAMI BETTA: Many of our guests enjoy a full day excursion (with packed lunch) through the twin sanctuaries of Bandipur and Mudumalai, to Gopalswami Betta, a hill with a historic temple at its peak. Being part of the Project Tiger Reserve, one could look down on the plateau as tiger sightings have been getting increasingly more common than rare.

Accommodation:

Deluxe Cottages: If a taste of sheer luxury in the wild is what you were looking for, then we offer deluxe cottages equipped with air conditioning, a refrigerator and a mini bar. The room is extremely spacious and is furnished with bamboo furniture and has its very private verandah with a panoramic view of the mountains. INDULGE is the word.

Bamboo Cottages:
Or try our bamboo cottages for a novel experience. Built in an innovative style, entirely out of bamboo and thatch, (including the lampshades, the locks and the windows) the hut has open-to-sky bathrooms, mosquito netting and the fact that you're literally a foot above the ground (on stilts) will make your holiday truly unique.

Tents:
The romantic brave-hearted and adventurous souls can opt for tents (alternatively, you could bring your own), pitch them in a grove under a canopy of trees or on open ground, weather permitting. The tents are mosquito proof, and are equipped with bedding, sleeping bags, etc. We also provide a cook and a watchman on request.

Treehouse:
For the feeling of being right above the ground, almost in synchrony with the surrounding hills, the tree house will literally sweep you off your feet. Over Thirty feet above ground level, catch a bird’s eye view of the stunning hills on one side and the plains on the other. Oh what a feeling!!! On Top of the World!!!!

Season:
June to September: The climate is invigorating, the forest lush, tender and green. Game spotting is at its peak. As we are located in a rain shadow area, we do not receive torrential rainfall. Our monsoon is characterized, rather, by short spurts of rain, strong wind and temperatures between 160 celcius to 280 celcius.

October and November: In this season, you should see plenty of wild life, as the undergrowth thickens for the winter. The temperatures range from 130 C to 210 C.The mornings are misty, with the clouds sitting on the mountain ranges. The North-East Monsoon sets in and is through by the end of November .

December and January: Our winter boasts clear blue skies, cool, starry nights and sunny days. Temperatures drop significantly. Mornings are generally misty.

February to April: The advent of summer is characterized by dry warmth. The deciduous forest is bare. Game is usually spotted around water holes. There are often small forest fires, which burn some of the undergrowth by day, only to be extinguished by dew at night.

May: May weather is uniformly unpredictable - Pre-monsoon showers, warm days that draw in clouds, thunder bolts, short blasts of rain - and the jungle comes alive . The vegetation revives and sprouts fresh shoots . The birds sing louder. All in all the flora and fauna come alive.

How to get there:

Jungle Retreat is not very far from some of the major cities of South India and is easily accessible once you touch down at Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore and Coimbatore. Driving down from these cities (except Chennai) could be a scenic and thoroughly enjoyable way to reach us, although there are other ways of getting here as well.

From Bangalore:

By Road: Bangalore is 247km from Jungle Retreat with a driving time of approximately 5 hours. En route you pass through the historic city of Mysore and the twin sanctuaries of Bandipur and Mudumalai. Possibly the easiest way to get here.

By Bus: There are many Ooty bound buses that leave Bangalore at periodic intervals – morning , afternoon and evening. Please check local timings at the KSRTC Bus Stand in Bangalore. Buy a ticket upto Theppakadu and after driving through for 6 hours easily hop off at Mudumalai Wildlife Reception Centre. From Theppakadu, the local transport is in the form of shared Jeeps or you could call Jungle Retreat from the Wildlife Department Office or the 'Youth Hostel'.

By Train: There are many passenger trains shuttling between Bangalore & Mysore. Check local departure timings. The most convenient one would be the Shatabdi that leaves Bangalore at around 11:00am and reaches Mysore a little after 1.00 pm.

From Mysore:

By Road: Mysore is 107km from Jungle Retreat and a driving time of 2 hours minimum, but one hardly feels the same as the drive is thoroughly exciting as you pass through both the sanctuaries and could encounter some langurs, cheetal, etc.

For more information and bookings, please contact +91 98453 83882 or email itnatureclub@rediffmail.com

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Ph: +91 98453 83882 /+91 93427 09934 / +91 9449589157