We were a family of four who decided to take a break in Serai Bandipur for 3 nights and four days in Feb end. What turned out as a normal getaway turned out to be an amazing and veritable treat in wilderness. First off the journey from Bangalore to Serai was about 5hrs 15mins and we were glad we travelled thru Nelamangala, Kunigal, Mysore, Bandipur route. The Hassan highway is a pleasure to drive as compared to the Mysore road. First off we were welcomed by the naturalist Imran and the other staff. The welcome and checkin process was seamless and they gave a unique ginger/lemon hot concoction which refreshed us immediately. The COVID protocols were good, staff had masks all the time and they mentioned that in that district they have not seen any cases at all, but they were still very careful. As we walked towards our room, we realised the landscape was like walking in a safari, the place is full of bamboo trees and gave an instant feeling of wilderness. We chose to stay in the "Residence" room, this was the most pricey but the best for wild life lovers. It was right at the back of the resort and faces the back side low wall of the resort. We were utterly amazed to realise that beyond the short wall we were sharing the boundary with the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BRT) and was blow over by the breathtaking feeling of being right in the forrest. The log huts are also worth considering as it faces the forrest. If you are interested in the forest view, just consider the log huts or residence, other rooms are more interior. The "residence" is a huge room with 2 levels in the same big living/bedroom space. it was a private balcony, sit out. The best is the private terrace with a bed and sit out. The view from the terrace is mind blowing and looks into the BTR reserve on one side and the view of Nilgiris on the other side. Best part is one can stand in the terrace and keep hearing/viewing the forrest in the night with a torch. The next day morning we did the morning nature walk with the naturalist Mr. Imran. The property is a whooping 18 acres (yes) and nearly half of the space is pretty much wild forest, this is where the nature walk is conducted. Mr. Imran is one of the best naturalists, his passion and knowledge stood out in the entire experience. He explained to us about every tree, fruit, flower, animal in the vicinity and explained how the whole ecological balance works. Don't miss out on this opportunity, it is worth it. Actually Imran conducts an exclusive bird tour/picnic for 2-3hrs in the morning and needs to be be booked ahead of time, unfortunately we didn't do it and regretted later! We did one morning and one evening safari in the BTR, the forest was beautiful and we sighted elephants, barking deer etc. To sight the tiger is quite difficult in Bandipur and one can consider more of exclusive bird tours with Mr. Imran instead, based on one's priorities. One tip is to book your jeep directly online with the BTR website, thereby you get an exclusive guide, jeep and driver. The manager of the resort Mr. Thimmiah talked to us one the way back from dinner. When we said that my son couldn't experience the wilderness as much, he took us to the forrest side of the resort (still fenced) and showed us so many deers with eyes glowing in the dark, this was quite some experience and we were amazed to see how many deers were taking refuge inside the resort boundaries. There are times when the deers were walking right by our room as well! Mr. Thimmiah narrated his many wildlife experiences in the forest and at the resort and motivated us to do more. The next morning me and my son just sat at the backside fence adjoining the tiger reserve and just sat down and kept looking thru the binoculars, we heard so many alarm calls and saw so many birds in the forest and inside the resort. One can spend hours here and not realise it. One the food and service side, the resort had a pretty good variety in their menu. The breakfast was ala-carte/fixed menu with a good mix of north/south dishes. The dinner and lunch menus were pretty good too! Staff was very courteous and accommodated all our requests. Overall I would rate Serai Bandipur very high for the unique wilderness experience it offers with qualified naturalists (Mr. Imran) and the enthusiastic manager Mr. Thimmiah and his staff. I would strongly recommend this resort for those seeking a unique wildlife experience and 5 star standard service!…
Loved the experience. Not many great resorts in Bandipur and all of a sudden you spot Serai. This resort is wonderful and world class. I had been to Windflower too but Serai is better. Strongly recommend for couples and families. Although alcohol is prohibited, bachelors will love it too.
We had a 2 night stay and it was an outstanding experience from the welcome to the checkout. The huge property is wonderfully maintained and the location is very unique as it blends into the forest area. We saw lots of deer, peacocks and various species of birds around the property . The room decor is themed perfectly to the forest theme with lots of natural elements in the design. The staff is extremely courteous and took really good care of all the minute asks from us. Special call out to Mr Vivek the naturalist who does the guided nature walks and the excellent knowledge he shared with us. The Sanctuary restaurant had ample choices and high quality food. Overall a must see for any nature lovers bucket list.
Stayed at The Serai, Bandipur for four days with my family. It was a lovely stay made very special by Mr Murthy and Mr Madhu. They made sure that it was comfortable for us in each and every way. Thanks for Soumya for the excellent massage at Omah Spa. To top it all the food by Sanctuary was super delicious.
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