Stunt kite flying

Kite flying can be so much fun! It becomes more enjoyable if a group of people synchronize the movements to the tunes of the wind. These talented Japanese veterans created magic with Stunt kites. They are perfect blend of Skill, precision and coordination.

Watch them unleash their creativity here

All about Wanderthirst

Wanderthirst is a one stop travel hub providing information on the best and unique destinations around the world. The corresponding You tube channel wanderthirst has lots of amazing videos showing spectacular places, adventurous rides plus a whole lot of tips and tricks to get the best out of your trip.

Whether you want to travel to these places or just want to know about them, it provides you the best first hand experience. Why wait? Take a plunge in to the wanderthirst's videos, playlists and explore the world's best destinations at your finger tips. 

Here is a sneak peak into this channel.

Best beaches near Tokyo

Do you know what are the best beaches near Tokyo? Tokyo is close to scenic beaches which cater to young and adults equally. During summer season these beaches would be bustling with people enjoying the scenic views, water sports and beach parties.

Not into reading? Watch this video on my channel wanderthirst.

Tokyo has beautiful beaches within an hour or hour and half of travel. These beaches allow for swimming, sunbathing and many are also good for water sports like surfing and windsurfing kayaking etc. During summer season (July and August) most beaches are equipped with public toilets, showers and changing rooms, beach huts with delicious food, drinks and rental shops which provide all the gear you need. In some beaches these amenities are free and in some they come at some cost. Also lifeguards are present during the summer season. 

Even though there are couple of beaches within few minutes from Tokyo, those are not suitable for swimming due to its water quality and volcanic black sand. Will list those at the end below.

Top of the list is the most beautiful white sand beach in Shizuoka.

1. Shirahama Beach, Shizuoka prefecture

It is about 90mins from Tokyo, relatively farthest, but it's worth the travel.

Shizuoka prefecture(Izu penensula) is a home to a number of beautiful beaches. Most of them can be found in the east area. Shirahama beach is recognized as one of the most popular beaches especially among young people and surfers. It boasts a white sandy beach.

Shirahama means white sand, and the beach is aptly named. This is easily the most beautiful beach within a day’s travel. Sunset here is a feast to the eyes.

 

Izu has many such beautiful beaches and lot of places to see. This itself would take couple of days to cover most of the attractions. Would cover those activities in a separate video.

How to reach: 

Most convenient way to travel to Shizuoka is to 

Take the JR special express called “Odoriko” which directly takes you to Izukyu Shimoda station. Take the bus leaving from bus stop 9 and it is about a 10 to 15-minute ride.

Next on the list is 

2. Zushi beach, Kanagawa prefecture

Zushi is the most popular beach just under an hour away from Tokyo, which makes it perfect for a day trip. During the peak summer season, this beach can get very crowded though!

The waves here are subtle and the sea is usually calm but it gets a lot of breeze. Due to this,

especially during weekends, you would see lot of people enjoying water sports like wind surfing and kayaking.

It is the most lively beach with lot of beach parties happening frequently.

Though, This beach has strict rules regarding Tattoos, alcohol from outside, and loud music sound systems are all banned. But don't worry, It has lot of beach huts which serve tasty food, drinks and lively music.

How to reach: 

15 minutes from the east exit of Zushi Station on the JR Yokosuka Line or the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line

Next one is my favorite, and kind of hidden gem.

3. Isshiki beach, Hayama, Kanagawa prefecture

Just 15-minute bus ride away from busy Zushi lies this pretty Isshiki beach. It was once voted by CNN as one of the world’s best beaches. It is a calm, scenic beach with crystal-clear waters. If you want to relax and soak in nature this is the one for you.

Adding to the beauty, one side of this beach is rocky and lawn area making it a picture perfect location. INTA kind of location.

It also has lot of beach huts and can get fairly lively in the evening during the swimming season. Hayama is a home to Imperial Villas as well as home to Japan’s rich and famous. This beach is located right next to Imperial villa.

How to reach: 

From Zushi, Take bus #12 at bus stop “3” bound for “Hayama and get off at Isshiki kaigan

4. Yuigahama beach, Kamakura 

Probably this is the nearest beach from Tokyo and is one of the most popular beaches in Kanagawa prefecture. It is also popular among surfers.

This beach is shallow, and the waves are relatively calm during the swimming season, so children can also enjoy swimming safely.

How to reach: 

20 min walk from Kamakura Station or 5 min walk from Yuigahama Station

5. Onjuku Beach, Chiba prefecture

It has everything you need to escape from city life - breath taking views, tasty local food and water sports. Considered one of the best surfing beaches on the Chiba coast. 

This beach is located 10-minute walk from Onjuku station.

How to reach: 

- Wakashio limited express from Keiyo Line platform of Tokyo Station. But it is costly option as extra limited express faair has to be paid.

- Keiyo Line of Tokyo Station to Chiba Station and then switch to the Sotobō Line for Onjuku.

As I said in the beginning, beaches within Tokyo which are good for a leisure walk but not so suitable for swimming are: 

Kasai Rinkai park beach

If u wanna take a stroll and enjoy the cool breeze by the sea this beach is recommended. Also sunsets here are very pleasant and colorful. Rinkai park has lot of other attractions like Tokyo Sealife park and Ferry wheel etc.

Odaiba beach

If u simply want to have fun with kids and enjoy time by the beach, you can visit this beach. Odaiba which is a man made island has lot of other attractions though, which makes it a perfect day trip from Tokyo.

Snowfall in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo, the capital city of Japan is one of the cleanest cities in the world. It is also very colorful throughout the year across all four seasons. Usually winters are very cold with temperatures going negative occasionally. But does it snow in Tokyo? if it does, how often is the snowfall?

Many parts of Japan experiences medium to heavy snowfall in an year, especially northern regions encounter heavy snowfall. But snowfall is not a common site in Tokyo. In a typical year it may snow two to three times in an year. When it snows, it is usually wet snow which melts away before it can really stick. So you don't see canopies of snow forming on the ground that often. It is only once in last four years I had seen dense snow here.

Watch this interesting video on Tokyo's snowfall in my channel wanderthirst .

Rapelling, a dare devil adventure

Are you an adventure freak? Does heights and climbing Excite you? Have you ever imagined yourself sliding of a cliff smoothly? Ever thought of what would be fastest way to get off from a hill without hurting yourself? Did you ever dream of conquering the rocks?  Do you want to unleash the dare devil in you?

Well, here is an exciting and simple answer to all of these questions; which is Rappelling. Yes, rappelling also called as Abseiling, Deepelling, rap jumping  is a way of descending from top of hill/cliff in a controlled manner by use of rope.  It is one of the essential skills of any climber. This technique is used when hill or slope is very steep and is dangerous to descend without protection. The difficulties involved in descending, steepness of rocks, need for unwavering strong will and mighty heart makes this rappelling a dare devil adventure.

Usually rappelling is done by use of specialized ropes, keeping your face up and back towards the ground. This technique is used by rescue teams to save the victims who are trapped and injured. I had the opportunity to do rappelling down a steep hill few years back in Makalidurga, Karnataka. I had done it under the supervision of professional trainers from adventure club, Nature Admire. It was an exhilarating experience.

Recently I had chance to do Abseiling also called as Australian rappelling descending from the height of about 130 ft. Austarlian rappelling is slightly different compared to normal rappelling. Unlike in rappelling, the face of the person is pointed down facing the ground and the back towards sky in Australian rappelling, slowly descending the rope in standing position.  Australian rappelling is used as a military assault technique, whereby a soldier is belayed, allowing them to face down the descent and fire a weapon.

Compared to rappelling, Austarlian rappelling seems much scary and thrilling, because you would be witnessing the whole steepness as you descend. I had done this as part of adventure activities organized by meetup group and adventure club GHAC .

Performing rappelling on your own needs lot of experience, and in depth understanding of ropes, knots, clips, cleats etc. Never venture in such activities alone. It is safe to do this along with professionals and as a group.

There are many adventure clubs in India and many suitable places in and around Pune, Rishikesh, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Choose your group or club with your discretion, start venturing out and fulfil your adrenaline rush.

Bhavani island - perfect weekend getaway

A naturally formed island amidst the vast, serene, pristine waters of river Krishna, Bhavani Island is a perfect weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Spread over an area of about 130 acres, this island is poised with lush green trees, beautifully crafted gardens, and elegant meadows.  It is a place to relax, rejuvenate yourself, and laze-out dancing to the tune of the lively breeze from river.

Located in the heart of the city Vijayawada (new capital of Andhra Pradesh state), Bhavani Island is supposedly one of the largest river island. It is very near to the hill Indrakeeladri, abode of goddess KanakaDurga also known as Bhavani, hence this place is named as Bhavani Island.

What to expect

It is a famous picnic spot for the people over the weekend. It has ferry rides, beautiful park which offers many activities to children as well as adults.

Ferry rides:  

Sitting in a boat watching rhythmically swaying tiny waves, enjoying the cool breeze from the river, witnessing the splendorous hills challenging the bounds of the river and gigantic Praksam barrage is an experience which is one of its kind. Ferry rides are free for people staying in the resorts in the island.  Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation(APTDC) has different packages for these boat rides.

Adventure zone: 

The park inside the island promises few adventures. It has Tarzan swings, Climbing wall made out of rope, river crossing.  This place is one of the best place for corporate outings and team building activities.

Festive season:

Festivals are celebrated with equal enthusiasm, passion by adults and youngsters in Bhavani island. People fulfil their religious sentiments by gathering here and having fun at the same time. It is more lively and colourful during Dussera, Diwali and Sankranthi; most celebrated Hindu festivals.

Kanaka Durga temple: 

The island is in the proximity of the sacred Kanaka durga temple, famous religious temple on top of hill which is supposedly the residence of goddess Durga mata. Devotees across the country Visit the temple throughout the year to pray and pay their respects to the goddess. Dussera, which usually falls in the Month of October is the time when lot of activity goes on here.  The procession of goddess in Hamsa vahanam(Boat decorated with lighting, flowers and carved in the shape of swan) on the sacred Krishna river is a must watch during this season.

How to reach:

Bhavani Island is very near to the Vijayawada city, and is in the close proximity of about 3 kms. Vijayawada is very well connected by trains, buses to all major cities of India , namely Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai etc.  APTDC has several packages and organizes regular trips from Vijayawada city to this island.

Day trips:

Regular boat trips to the island from Vijayawada city, they take you the island and leave you to wander around in the island, you can  return back anytime in the day  in the number of boats which operate to and from the island.

Boarding packages:

Haritha resort, maintained by APTDC has different packages which offer accommodation, food and boat trips around the island.

Accommodation and food:

Haritha resort which is inside the island under the governance of APTDC  has several AC and Non AC duplex cottages which offer beautiful view of the Krishna river, unique tree top cottages surrounded by greenery.  It has couple of restaurants, which offers good food but lacks in variety.

Since this resort and  is maintained by the government, the packages are economical and service is not of top notch.

Best time to visit

From August to Feb. Winter season is best enjoyable here with its pleasant weather and picturesque views.

Final verdict:

It’s a great place ignored by the officials till now. It has potential to become an excellent tourist place,  but definitely needs a better maintenance and effort from the government. It is an ideal place for one day outing.

With the latest happenings of bifurcation of the state , AP government has many interesting plans for this island to make it one of the most desired tourist destination in India. Below are the activities which are in pipeline.

Shilparamam, the arts and crafts village –  For showcasing  the the world famous Kondapally toys made by the toy-makers of Kondapally village near Vijayawada. Also  many exquisite weaves done with great skill by local artisans in areas surrounding Vijayawada.

Amphitheatre and shops for artisans to sell their products are also in the pipeline.

A rural museum – Illustrating the cultural grandeur with sculptures, life-size images depicting day-to-day activities of rural artisans  and their skills is sure to attract visitors.

More adventures: water-roller that allows fun-lovers to walk, float and roll on water in a 12-feet-long cylindrical PVC structure.

Mahabalipuram, a cultural heritage of India

Magnificent sculptures, beautifully crafted temples, giant monolithic marvels, greatness of Pallava dynasty are some of the facets which strike your mind when you think of Mahabalipuram. It is an ancient historic town located about 60kms south of Chennai, Tamilnadu. Mahabalipuram , also known as Mamallapuram is one of the  famous tourist destinations in south India.

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by watching the beauty of Mahabalipuram in many old south Indian movies. Its immaculate beaches, fine-looking sculptures, and the exquisite shrines along the beach, shown beautifully in the movies inspired me then to visit this place.  In fact, it was the famous spot for the shootings in the 20^th century. Finally visiting this place is an overwhelming experience fulfilling my expectations.

Places to visit

Shore temple:

Its one of the oldest temples in south India, dating back to 700 AD, constructed during the reign of Pallavas. It is known to have survived many cyclones and Tsunamis staying in shape for more than 1400 years.  This is a two towered temple surrounded by array of Nandiswaras(vehicle of Lord Shiva). Lord shiva/Shiva Linga being the main deity, also has a beautiful idle of Vishnu in his reclining position. Gorgeous Bay of Bengal at the back of the temple adds to the beauty of this place. The area around the temple is now a landscaped park , and has an entrance fee of Rs 10.

There are many street vendors along the way to the shore temple,  who sell hats/caps, shells, other decorative items, and of course Kashmiri shops with lot of glittery stuff, they are worth a try.

Pancha Rathas:

Pancha rathas (Five Chariots) are giant monolithic structures  which are replicas of the wooden  chariots used by the Pancha Pandavas, five Pandava princes (Arjuna, Bhima, Dharmaraja, Nakula, Sahadeva and their common wife Draupadi) of epic Mahabharatha . All the five chariots are unique in its shape, structure and their size, and these structures are well complimented by huge statues of Lion and elephant in between.

This place also has entrance fee of Rs 10 for Indians, Rs 250 for foreigners.  Entry into this place is restricted and gets closed by 6PM.

Light House and Mahisasura mardini caves:

 Mahabalipuram being the main port city during those days, features a beautiful Light house. Visitors are allowed to climb up the light house and witness beautiful panoramic view of the whole city. The ascent of the steps leading to the top of light house are steep and are narrow, especially the last 10 to 15 steps on the top are very steep and are very difficult to climb. Due to these narrow steep steps at the top which can be climbed by only one at a time, people will have to wait to reach up/come down. This will make you wait in short intervals of time and you need to cater about 30 - 45 mins of your time. But the view from the top of light house is worth the wait, awesome and spectacular.

One side of the light house is beautiful sea spreading across with the shore temple on its bank, on the other side is the whole Mamallapuram city. On  the way to the light house, there are two storey  Mahisasura mardini caves. In the ground floor there are various sculptures depicting Lord Vishnu and his avatars, on the upper floor sculptures  of goddess Durga can be seen. You can also see the unfinished Rayar Gopuram from top of light house.

Arjuna’s penance

Arjuna’s penance  is undoubtedly one of the master pieces of the ancient art works in India. This beautiful , giant bas-relief carvings depict  Arjuna doing penance to obtain the grace of god(some believe that it depicts  Sage Bhagheratha  worshipping  shiva to bring holy Ganges to earth, not Arjuna!) .  This place is right beside the main road leading to Mahabalipuram bus station.

Krishna mandapam

Adjacent to (to the left of) Arjuna’s penance, there is Krishna mandapam with the carvings of the famous episode:  Krishna lifting up the Govardhan Mountain to save his kin from the wrath of Indhra.

Krishna’s butter ball:

Few meters to the right of Arjuna’s penance, there is a Vinayaka temple made out of Rocks. Little away from here is the ball shaped rock defying gravity, lying on top of slanting hill for ages known as Krishna’s butter ball. This is the fun part of the whole trip posing for snap bringing out  the creativity of a photographer !

To the left of Vinayaka temple which is almost behind the Krishna Mandapam are Varaha caves which have the carvings of Vishnu, Gajalakshmi, Trivikrama and Durga.
 

How to reach and visit places

Many cab services are available from Channai airport to Mahabalipuram which would cost you  around 800 – 1000 bucks.

Frequent bus services are available from Chennai city Koyembedu(CMBT) or Tiruvanmiyur. Since most of the buses which go to Pondicherry via ECR road go through Mahabalipuram, you can board any Pondicherry bus as well.  Frequent Buses are also available to and from Pondicherry.

For sight seeing in Mahabalipuram, cabs are available  from Mahabalipuram bus stop which would cost around Rs: 500/- . Auto rickshaws are also available from bustop , which would take you to all the above mentioned places in 3-4 hrs and would cost you up to Rs 350/-

Mahabalipuram is a small city, and all the places are near by from bus stop and close to each other, you can also go by foot if you deem fit.  
 

Timings:

Shore temple and Pancha rathas have entrance ticket and the ticket sale will be stopped by 5:30PM and the entry into them is stopped by 6 PM.
 

Accommodation and food

There are lots of resorts and hotels available in Mahabalipuram, Usually you don't have to pre book unless its peek season. you can choose basing on your requirements such as beach side, cost, amenities etc. refer to the trip advisor reviews for more details.

 There are also many restaurants around which serve good non-veg /veg food, especially along shore temple road,  few beach side restaurants beside shore temple. If you are a pure vegetarian, there is Adayar Anand Bhavan about 1.5kms north from the bustop, which serves good south and north Indian veg food.
 

Best time to visit:

Mainly due to its hot and humid conditions, its advisable to visit this place during winter season. September - February is ideal period.
 

Caution: 

Beware of the hot and humid conditions in Mahabalipuram, or for that matter whole surroundings of Chennai. Carry your hat/cap, sunscreen lotions, umbrella  and an extra pair of clothes(than usual) as you will sweat a lot here.

Nandi Hills

Located  about 60 kms from central Bangalore city, Nandi Hills makes good half a day trip. It offers breath taking views, amazing adventures, and illustrates  reign of king Tippu and his heritage.  There are many stories about the origin of it's name and its history which you can find in Wikipedia.

There are many interesting things to see and do in Nandi Hills aka Nandi Betta. Below are list of things you get to experience when you visit this place, which  is why it is one of the top most sight seeing place in Bangalore.

Drive through the road uphill

What to expect:

Rider’s delight:  Driving by bike/car through the deserted Bangalore roads in chill winter mornings to reach the Nandi hills is only one part of the delightment. Drive to reach the top of Nandi hill through the ghat road with sharp turns and steep ascent is an another experience, the awesome climate throughout makes this ride a memorable experience.

Enchanting sunrise : Nandi hills is famous for its scenic sunrise. Watching the fascinating view of  the sun with its golden orange splendor, rising up from lush green fields and  the canopy of trees , spreading light to the world is a sight which mesmerizes you and registers  in your heart for ever.

Heaven on earth: As you walk around the hill, admiring the beautiful sight of sun rise, the murky  clouds are not far behind in entertaining you.  As it’s about 1478m above sea level, clouds caressing you with its mist and cheering you up is  a routine here. If you are lucky enough, you can witness  heaven on earth - Kailash (Place where Lord shiva resides, as portrayed in  old Indian movies) here.  All this scenic, charming, enthralling experience makes this place a nature lover’s paradise.

Paraglider’s paradise: Due to its climate, and availability of plain fields around the hill makes this place an ideal destination for para gliding.

 

Cycler’s mighty: cycling lovers and people who feel they are tough, can definitely test their stamina by cycling up the  whole ascent to reach the hill top. Many cycling lovers climb up this hill and are seen in many  during the weekends.

Plain fields around the hill

Night camp and trekking: Some people usually go to the hill with their tents and spend the night there, which is enjoyable  if you are going as a group. But you will have to carry all the necessary things with you while you go and the entry to the top of the hill closes by 6PM.

 Adventure lovers usually trek up the hill , there is route for trekking at the back of the hill.

Children’s amusement: The Horticulture department developed a lovely garden for children to play games like the slides, swings, merry-go-round, etc. Also many benches are in place for the the elders to sit and relax while kids enjoy their time.

Temples: It has few temples on top dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha, Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha , Hanuman, Gavi Veerbhadra Swamy.

Tippu’s drop:  The place where  prisoners were pushed to death during Tippu’s reign. A danger board is placed to indicate this now.

Tippu's Drop

Origin of Rivers: Nandi Hills is considered sacred as it is the source of rivers such as Palar, Arkavati, and Pennar, which joins with River Cauvery on their further course. Most of the sources have dried up though!   

It also has:

Tippu’s summer palace: Also  known as Tashk-e-Jannat (Heaven’s Envy),  a beautiful palace resembling the Srirangapatna‘s palace, of which only few remains left!

Amritha sarovar: It is a beautiful lake on top of the hill and is formed by the water-lets flowing from the hills. But it definitely needs better maintenance and care.

How to reach:

Amritha Sarovar

As mentioned earlier, going by bike/car is better option, Bike’s are allowed to certain point on top of hill where entry tickets are issued. Whereas cars are allowed to go further up. BMTC bus service is also available from Majestic - Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS) up to the top of hill.

Things to carry:  

Carry sufficient snacks and water bottles as not many hotels available on top. There are few hotels around, but eat with caution.

Best time to visit:

Even though Nandi hills can be visited  anytime in the year , September to May is best time to visit and in the morning hours.

  

Timings:   

6AM to 6PM, timings are put in place to avoid any crime.

Note: A request to everyone, please don’t litter the place. This is beautiful place and can be enjoyed by everyone only when  each one of us do not spoil it by littering.

Banneraghatta national park

As a nature lover, i had been to many places in andaround bangalore. Karnataka as a whole has lot of places of interest where you can spend your weekends away from your busy life. It has very lush greenery regions spread across the horizons, steep water falls, ancient temples etc. I had been to quite some places in karnataka. Every time before i plan to visit any place, like most of us, i do a google search about the place to know about the attractions in the place and how to commute, the places of interest near by etc. Most often it is not that easy to find out about the places. u got to spend considerable amount of time to get these details. I thought of putting all that information at one place here in my blog, and add my personal experience to it. So i started this series: Travelogue. let me start this series by giving information about my recent visit in bangalore, the garden city itself.

My Experience:

Last Saturday, i had been to BanneraGhatta national park. It is located about 20km from the main city(majestic). It has very good bus facility, the BMTC bus is available almost every half an hour. you have a/c volvo bus service also available. As its not so far, it gives you an opportunity to get a small ride of about an hour. As climate in bangalore is most of the times cool, you will surely love this ride through this of rural part of the karnataka.

As i found out through my initial research, it has a Safari ride, butterfly fly park and the zoo as the main attractions. So i started early in the morning at around 8:30 AM ( may be i shouldn't say EARLY in the morning!! r should i ?!!) along with my friend on bike. The zoo opens at 9 AM. As the day progresses the cues for safari ride increases and you will lose your time waiting in the lines unnecessarily. As advised by people(result of my google search), we chose to go early and take safari ride first. We reached the park by 9:30, with a small break for breakfast in between.

Thanks to my pre-preparation, not many people were there, so we were saved from waiting in line for tickets. Ticket prices vary according to plan. we chose to take the best plan(available!!) The grand Safari which includes the entrance fee for zoo as well. Without wasting much time we were headed for the grand safari ride.

Vehicles ( swaraj majda or tempo ) were waiting for us to take us through the wilderness.

Contrary to the idea of the normal zoos, the wild animals are left in open jungle to roam freely during the day time so that they can feel comfortable in their skin and the visitors also can get a natural feel of the jungle with variety of wild species. As a precaution, the vehicles windows were all with iron meshes (for safety, in case anything goes wrong).

The ride started with a visit to bit friendly species, The Stags and Bisons, then to Bears who seem to have not come out of early morning's laziness, happily sitting on road which was laid for these vehicles to traverse. Save the few bears trying to caress each other or fight with each other!!

Forgot to mention that we could catch a front seat adjacent to driver, which gives us an excellent view from front as well as from the side. There are few kids around in the vehicle with their parents. The fact that kids are there, you are bounded to hear some oooos, aahhhhs and some

ooohhhsssss...

and parents struggling to answer their cute n stupid questions, and some parents telling them look hear .. look at the tiger... etc. We had a guide also (provided by zoo authorities along with the driver in the vehicle!!) who was updating us about whats gonna come next and where n which direction we need to look for what and also giving us some stats and history.

All these bears are all vegetarians who eat only fruits and sweet rice. There are about 160 bears over all in the zoo, but they leave only few of them out of the cages in to the open on each day. They leave all these animals batches wise, each day a different batch gets their chance as told by the guide.

As we went ahead, we were greeted by the king of the jungle, the lion, crossing the road in front of our vehicle to join his fellow beings who were playing in the grass across the road and then deciding against it, sat on the small wall toobserve the new creatures in the meshed vehicle!. There were about 5- 6 lions in their all splendor jumping on each other, teasing each other enjoying the openness of the surroundings.

Further ahead in the ride, were the Royal Bengal tigers, who were magnificent proving the grandeur of their clan. There were also rare white tigers who are no inferior to their colored ones. The park has good amount of these endangered species and watching them is a feast for the eyes.

As we moved along in the jungle,

passing the lush green trees, crossing the dangerous curves of the road, we were delighted to see the more cute and mini version of the these mighty animals. The tiger cubs with all their innocence playing in a closed space as their mother kept an eye at the surroundings guarding them. As we continued our wild journey, we could also see the lion cubs who seem to be taking little rest . There were also younger tigers( white and color ones, 2 months old as told by the guide) which are put inside cages.

In brief... the safari ride is an hour of ride into wilderness, gives a close look at Bisons, stags, bears, Lions, Bengal tigers, white tigers, tiger cubs and lion cubs. In essence its worth every penny you have spent. Remember to reach early in the morning to enjoy this ride, because as time progresses there will be very lengthy cues for this.

On your way out from the Safari ride, you will come across the Butterfly park. We got down here, we had to take separate tickets to get inside this. The park design is unique in its nature.

All the butterflies were kept in a circular building covered with a semi spherical dome, it had a big statue of the butterfly at the entrance of the building.

Inside the building there were many different kinds of flower plants, an artificial water fall, the water flowing in to a pond with different kinds of fishes in it and with a bridge on top of it. Overall ambiance was very natural, good, set up the ideal environment for the butterflies. There were many kinds of butterflies happily flying across the flower plants in the building.

However, i felt they could have had more variety of species as this park specifically dedicated for butterflies.Adjacent to this in a separate room, there were models of the wide variety of butterflies. And also, real display of different life stages of the butterflies like, pupa etc. There was also a video show showing the history of the butterflies.

If you have not seen many butterflies before, it gives you a chance to look at this wide collection. But if you have already seen before then this collection is not that WIDE!! As i am from a rural background, i had seen many varieties of butterflies before and i felt this is lacking diverse collection.

The last interesting thing left is the zoo. The zoo has many different species.

It has white and normal peacocks, snakes,pythons, hippos, cranes, ducks, birds, different kinds of parrots, pigeons, panthers, bears, elephants etc. this is is not the greatest of the zoos. It just has kind of sample of each species. This is a bit disappointing, they should have maintained a lot more variety of species. If you have not seen any zoos before then this should make you feel good.

In a Nut shell....

Attractions:

• The Safari Ride
• The Butterfly Park
• The Zoo
• Elephant Joy ride( mainly for kids)

How to reach:

• Around 21 km from Bangalore city (Majestic).
• Good Bus ( BMTC/Volvo) facility from majestic. Bus No: 365.
• Your own mode of transport( personal vehicles ).

Best time to visit:

• Any time in the year, Tuesday Holiday.
• Reach early in the morning
• Zoo Timings: 9 AM - 5 PM
  

Accessories required:

• Take some food items, cool drinks, water bottles with you.
• Zoo has some shops inside which sell not so healthy( junk food we call it!), ice cream etc. Out side the zoo there are few hotels, but eat at your own discretion.
• Wear comfortable clothes and footwear as u need to walk considerable amount of distance to cover the zoo.

Final take:

Over all, The Safari ride is very good. butterfly park is good, the zoo is average. It makes a good half day trip inside Bangalore. Kids will love everything in this Banneraghatta national park. For adults, the Safari ride is the bright spot.

Google Map of the location: BanneraGhatta National park