Jungle Lodges and Resorts- Kabini River Lodge

A great spot for family fun

Arrived in the afternoon. Four staff members assisted with our luggage, and shortly after, my jacket disappeared. No tigers were seen. The food was mediocre. Mosquitoes were abundant everywhere. The rooms were large and roomy but appeared outdated. The staff treated us kindly. The safari was somewhat frightening, not due to dangerous animals, but because of the fast driving in an open jeep. We mostly saw deer, a few elephants, gaur, wild boar, sambar deer, and tiger tracks, but no tigers.

1. Some members of my group had cash stolen from their wallets when left unattended in the spa and their rooms during the safari. When I raised this with management, they said they were reviewing the issue but never followed up with me. 2. Out of our 3 jeeps, only one had a naturalist who gave great explanations about the wildlife. The other jeeps had no naturalist, and the drivers just drove through the forest without sharing any information, leading to an inconsistent safari experience for our group. 3. We also faced poor service while booking via email. Noorie sent a payment link that didn't work and refused to provide an alternative or help resolve the problem. She kept insisting on a bank transfer, which wasn't possible for our company. She warned that if we couldn't sort it out, the booking would be released, even though their payment portal was faulty. Eventually, I had to call the Lodge multiple times to find a solution (the payment needed to be split into two amounts, something the email staff should have known). 4. We requested several triple occupancy rooms with multiple beds, but the rooms were not arranged accordingly when we arrived. It's unfortunate because we loved the safaris and the naturalists' passion for wildlife. The lodge is set in beautiful surroundings. If you can overlook the major service issues, you might still enjoy your stay.

My family and I visited on July 3rd and 4th and stayed at this location within Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. We booked a safari package. The property is vast and wonderful, situated in the forest along the Kabini river. It is operated by Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR). We chose tent accommodation to get the experience of staying in tents. The tent was spacious and well-equipped, and notably, there was no TV, which turned out to be a blessing. We enjoyed the surroundings more than the safari itself; the area is lush with greenery. Check-in was smooth, with a refreshing welcome drink, and the staff gave us a tour of the resort. The place is pollution-free with fresh air you can truly feel when breathing. It is very quiet and free from noise, a completely silent zone. Meals including breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner are provided, along with coffee and tea. The package also includes boat and jeep safaris. Regarding food, there was a reasonable variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Since we are vegetarian, the food was tasty and satisfying. I had ragi balls with roti, rice, and curries for lunch and dinner, and idly and vada for breakfast. None of us felt anything was missing during our stay. There is also a bar for those interested in drinks. We went on two boat and two jeep safaris over two days. The driver and guide did their best to show us as many animals as possible. Nagarhole tiger reserve is a flat forest without hills. Safaris run twice daily: morning from 6 to 9 am and evening from 3 to 6 pm, with breakfast and snacks served after the morning safari and coffee, tea, and biscuits before it. During jeep safaris, we saw leopards, elephants, deer, peacocks, wild dogs, wild boars, gaur, sambar, langurs, and various birds. Traveling in the monsoon, the jungle was lush and the air fresh. It’s an experience to feel nature’s beauty. The jungle was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, only animal sounds, no other noise. It seemed the animals live a peaceful life compared to humans. On the boat safari, we saw many birds and aquatic animals in the Kabini river. The guide pointed out different birds and explained their traits and behavior. We saw egrets, painted storks, eagles, kingfishers, crocodiles, otters, and fish. Even if staying at other resorts, the safaris are managed by JLR and the Karnataka government. The resort staff and activity managers were very helpful and accommodating. Overall, it was a pleasant, peaceful, and relaxing stay at Kabini River Lodge. I highly recommend this place for anyone planning a safari.

This lodge did not meet the standards of other jungle lodges I've experienced; Nagarhole and Bandipur lodges are superior. The jeep safari driver showed little enthusiasm in spotting animals. At the live counter, I noticed that spoons for both veg and non-veg dishes were not replenished during meals.