• People - Places

    Dandeli: A Home Stay at Malgudi

    A five-light junction. A cow and a calf wandering around. A small bus stop. A public tap. Two or three shops. A slice from the enchanting Malgudi town was coming alive, at Kulgi barely 12 kms away from Dandeli town.   Arun Bandekar’s Hotel Apoorva is an extension of his small, non descript shop selling some snacks for the school children and perhaps a bit of grocery for the locals. Arun, who came from Sawantwadi in Maharasthra to Dandeli some three decades ago, runs his enterprise along with his wife.   The Bandekars’ hospitality and culinary expertise eventually made Hotel…

  • Places

    Dandeli: Nagzari Trek

    In two days , we were done with the touristy stuff (the safari) and the explorer stuff (the extended crocodile trail). Yet there was a feeling of incompleteness. Two days in a forest country! The ever fascinating western ghats and rain forests. And yet! Something was missing! While we contemplated leaving Dandeli for a drive to Karwar, through some more dense forests and the Anshi National Park, on the advice of our guide, we checked at the Kulgi forest camp on the possibilities of doing a deep jungle trek. The camp in charge, Mr Naik was helpful and gave us…

  • Places

    Dandeli: A Crocodile Tracking Trail. Also Some Birding

    Crocodiles, it is said, prefer dirty water. And the West Coast Paper mill at the banks of Kali River in Dandeli is pushing it down the river all the time. We are parking the environmental debate aside for the time being. Rajesh (our guide) had been warming us up on the idea of a short trail spotting crocodiles in the river. So we set aside a half day for this. A little over a kilometer from Dandeli town is a small village temple by the banks of the river. We started our trail through private farm lands, moved along the…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Dandeli: Syntheri Rocks

    There is a warning board which says ’12 dead till now. Please do not add to it’. And there is a lone watchman by its side  – Lost in his thoughts and bidding time looking at the ferociously flowing water deep down. Deep inside the jungle, in the middle of nowhere. . Syntheri is a good 30-km drive from Dandeli town. The narrow and pot-holed roads meandering through the forests rarely have sun rays touching the ground even on sunny days. Apart from langurs and monkeys, all we saw were a couple of snakes crossing the road. But trampled bamboos…

  • Places

    Dandeli Farmhouse: One Night Stand – A Washout

    As we decided to go to Dandeli pretty late, all the popular resorts were full. On our first day, we managed to get a room at the State Lodge in Dandeli town. As we explored the ‘things-to-to’ in the next three days, we thought it would be a good idea if we could stay in a place close to the forest rather than in the middle of the town. The friendly manager at State Lodge suggested the Tree-House at the Hornbill resort. He called up the place, but it was full for the next few weeks, even at an exorbitant…