On the banks of an enchanting river - The Serai Kabini Experience

Road trips always have a special charm. Driving through scenic routes and exclaiming at the beauty that whizzes past, picking up and pursuing every thread of discussion and every memory that it evokes, listening to your choice of music, stopping for tea and snacks .. It certainly is an experience by itself.

The Kabini river is a 5 hour drive from Bangalore and we embarked on our maiden road trip on an overcast monsoon saturday morning. We were told that copious rains had nourished the river to the best of her health and we were looking forward to spending some quiet time solely in the company of nature.
Most parts of the route we took was green and scenic and we took in as much as we could of the beauty that abounded all the way.

The tree lined roads en route

The last stretch of the drive once we entered the Nagarhole national park was pretty trying with narrow slushy roads to maneuver through and we finally arrived at the Serai Kabini resort at around 3:00 PM. As we walked through the reception into the open grounds of the resort, the sight that met our eyes was so refreshing.

The reception opened out to this inviting scene

The resort is situated on the banks of the Kabini. Step out of your cottage and the river flows past right outside, a few steps away. I still remember the magical feeling of waking up at 6:00 AM and standing at the cottage door to be greeted by a breathtaking expanse of water serenely flowing by, early birds twittering away in groups and the entire misty green landscape washed by light rains. The only sounds to be heard were that of flowing water and the birds. Heaven was that!!

The early morning scene etched in my memory

The resort had very thoughtfully put up a hammock in front of the river outside each cottage. We spent most of our time reclining on the hammock(seen in the picture below)  and watching the river. The kabini cast a spell over us and we were content to 'just be' as we watched her flow past.

View in front of our cottage

The rains rendered the scenes around us all the more beautiful. It refreshed and enhanced the beauty of every canvas that this enchanting place presented. Looking through the lens to try and capture at least a small part of all that surrounded us became a real pleasure.

A pretty bird perched on a pomegranate tree 

The Serai Kabini is self sufficient. The quietude of the place mesmerises you into staying within its prescients all the time. We spent the two days completely inside the resort and never felt the need to step out to go elsewhere. Birds abound in and around the river and we spent several hours going around the resort and spotting the feathered beauties. The resort provided us with a pair of binoculars and we just got lost in the surroundings, spotting birds and zooming in to have a closer look.The bright colours which blended seamlessly in their feathers was so awe inspiring. God, for sure, is the greatest artist ever!!

Here are some pictures:

Absolutely regal, isn't she ?

And hence she rightfully preens her gorgeous feathers :)

A cute pair posing on a tree bark 

These early birds came in huge flocks to pick worms in the morning

A sun bird perched on a flimsy branch

A duck paddles away

We went kayaking in the river and this gave us a chance to take a closer look at many more beautiful scenes. We stopped every now and then and looked around in wonder as the river gently rocked us ..

A beautiful thicket of trees that bordered one side of the Kabini. The Jungle Lodges is situated here 

We also took a coracle ride later that day. It slightly rained as we took the ride and that made it even more memorable.For the evening, we just took a walk around the resort and watched a wildlife documentary about the Bandipur forest and its beautiful resident wildlife. It was fascinating to watch the animals in their natural habitat, learn facts about their everday life and hear stories from people who live around the area. The sole audience for this was the husband and I !

Next day morning, it was time to leave after breakfast. We spent the last few hours bird watching with a guide who helped us spot quite a few species and gave us interesting facts about them. Our first acquaintance with bird watching was very pleasurable and satisfying and we look forward to doing this again in future.

Thus ended our date with this lovely river, her beautiful inhabitants and richly endowed surroundings. If there was ever a complete experience to describe the word 'serenity', this place fits it perfectly. This turned out to be the most relaxing holiday we have ever had, completely in the company of nature.

I leave you with some more pictures :

The row of cottages by the river side

A picturesque shallow side of the river

When it rained ..

The resort landscape washed by the rains. Freshness at its best!!

A boat safari in progress

Another facet of the Kabini - The last shot we took as it disappeared from view on our way back