Evolve Back Kuruba Safari Lodge

The location of Evolve Back Kuruba Safari Lodge is splendid, facing out onto the broad Kabini River with Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks close by across the water. The rooms or huts as they are known, are found along pathways through gardens and spread beneath trees. There are two types of hut, Jacuzzi huts with small Jacuzzi pools and Pool Huts, all are thatched in a traditional style and both with an oddly rustic feel but equally luxurious and homely at the same time. Each is en suite and the pool huts also have a lounge area. Of course, enjoying your own pool between safari activities is delightful.

Meals are taken either in the buffet or the a la carte restaurants and the main public areas are spacious, open plan and overlook the water. Besides a large, adult only, swimming pool there is a child's pool and an Ayurvedic spa, an experience of pampering that is always worthwhile in southern India.

The lodge has naturalists available for walks and bird watching and they will also accompany you on game drives in Nagarhole National Park (a short boat transfer across the river) or on river cruises by boat on the Kabini River into Bandipur National Park. It is understood that the lodge now only uses small jeeps for game drives, a blessing for keen nature enthusiasts and safari goers alike.

Whilst this is a large lodge compared to many close to India's wildlife reserves, it is certainly the best in the area and with the standard of facilities and service is highly recommended. The wildlife is plentiful in the reserves and on one excursion alone into Nagahole National Park we had good sightings of 3 leopards, a single large male tiger, elephants and a variety of other wildlife. Kuruba Safari Lodge fits well into our tailor made holidays with visits to Mysore and the beaches of Kerala.