Animals are everywhere. Dogs, cats, goats, ponies, pigs, chickens, cows and others roam the streets at will. Domestic animals are wild and live with the people; they are tolerated in some cases and revered in others. I have seen some stunning birds and today I watched a monkey climb onto our hotel balcony, pick through an ashtray, chew on butts, then toss the container on the floor. Some animals need separation from humans, and they have recently gained some protection in the form of National Parks and Reserves.
Our travel style has always been highly improvisational, inspired by whims and transportation solutions to logistical issues. When we decided to visit Bandipur National Park, we did some online research and found the names of some hotels offering safaris. We actually tried planning ahead, but making a reservation proved very challenging because we lacked an Indian bank account (?) so we decided to show up and see what we could find. It is the low season for tourism (monsoon) so we figured we wouldn’t have a problem, but we were shut out on our first three attempts and beginning to feel a bit concerned that our safari would be limited to the city streets, but then we stumbled into the most beautiful lodge I’ve ever seen. Dhole’s Den is an Eco-friendly service with absolutely gorgeous cottages and food that has been, for me, the best of this scrumptious cuisine. It was complemented by our private Jeep safari through the park, where we saw Spotted Deer, Monkeys, Mongooses, Bison, Wild Dogs (Dholes), Peacocks and many other beautiful birds. We also found a herd of elephants, who were not as appreciative of our presence as we were of theirs and charged us. Our guide insisted that it was only a mock charge, but then changed his mind and reversed quickly as they stomped towards us. They eventually gave up the chase and we were able to admire these awesome creatures from afar. We returned to our Den excited and delighted to have seen all this wildlife in its natural habitat.