Once the private game reserve of the Mysore maharajas, this large sholas or forest (874 sq km) south of the river Kabini is now part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and one of WWF’s (World Wide Fund for Nature) Project Tiger sites. It neighbours the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and Wynaad in Kerala. All together this area makes for the largest protected forest in India.

Bandipur has a sizeable population of wild elephant, spotted deer and sambar, gaur and flying squirrel, four horned antelope, Nilgiri langur and sloth bear. The Royal Bengal tiger (75 in the Park) and leopard are even more elusive here than elsewhere because the moister region that they inhabit falls under the protected core area where casual visitors are not allowed. Mostly dry deciduous with an abundance of teak on the periphery, the moister core area has large tracts of fragrant sandalwood and rosewood. However, some summers this area too gets unbearably dry and during these times the animals migrate to neighbouring wetter Mudumalai Park.

If you are really interested in the animals, you must avoid the weekends when hordes of visitors come down from nearby cities for the day. Private vehicles are not allowed in so buses abound, rumbling and roaring their way around, drowning out any chance of seeing animals. Better options for getting around in the park are the forest department jeeps and vans. You can book a Machan (watch tower) near a watering hole for the best viewing of all.  The best season depends on what you are looking for; if it’s wildlife you seek then the hot months from March to May are when animals flock to the watering holes, and hopefully to the ones close to your Machan (but be aware: droughts push animals into Mudumalai); for cool comfort the months of November-February are great when the flora is resurging after the rains; the rainy months of June-September bring the elephants to the fore, bring the temperatures down and the metalled roads of Bandipur don’t get washed out either.
Tours of the Park and forest rest house accommodation should be reserved in advance at the Forest Office in Bangalore or Mysore. Forest Rest Houses here are deluxe bungalows and also have the dormitory option. There are a few luxury hotels around the park that arrange their own elephant safaris and jeep rides. It is 80 km from Mysore, and a similar distance from Ooty, which takes 2 ½ hours by road.

For detailed state and visitor information, see Karnataka.