Trip to Bannerghatta National Park

It was 15-Nov-2009 Sunday 5:00 AM, I started my bike from home to head toward Bannerghatta National Park. By the time I reached Silkboard Junction, it was sun rise time and hardly anybody was on road except few heavy vehicles. I reached Bannerghatta National Park at 8:00 AM and hardly could find anybody around except few localities. I parked my bike and wanted to enquier about the park's timing and other stuff. There was a security guard who gave all my answers. I was feeling hungry and wanted to get a breakfast but alas no shops opened yet. At 9:30, I took an entrance ticket and got another ticket for Safari Ride ticket which starts at 10:00.

I was in the queue for Safari Bus. There were 2 buses, each has a capacity of 25 (I think so). Basically it is that Swaraj Mazda bus. I got in one of the bus and garbed a window seat. The ride started and it is approximately 30 min that they will take you inside the forest and will drop you in the main entrance. The door will be closed and windows of the bus is protected with iron net. There will be a guide inside the bus who will point to animals if found in far distance. People were all ready with camera and kids are really excited to see animals in open ground and we are inside a cage.
What I think it is that forest is protected with boundary walls with huge area and one set of animal cannot enter another set of animal's territory or to protect the animals from poaching or may be preventing animals from escaping.
Whatever it is, before bus enters a territory, there will be few security guard who will open huge gate and bus will enter the area. The security guard will then close the gate.
There is no proper street, so bus will go in its own way in very slow speed. Everybody inside the bus are all busy to spot animals. Anyway its very easy to get to see most of the animals and all are very excited. There are also forest department people roaming around in jeep and will notify the bus driver where to go to see animal.

After the ride, we were dropped in main entrance and buses were ready for next set of safari ride. I went inside the park and there is a zoo, where we can see lots of birds, snakes and other creatures. People were enjoying the place and having picnic. There is a butterfly garden, were plenty of variety of butterfly can be seen along with different variety of flowers and a small artificial water body with plenty of colorful fishes.
Around 1:00 PM, I came out the park and few meters away there was shop. The shop don't have anything fancy. They have usual iddli, dhosa, fried rice, etc. I went in and had fried rice. Sat there for sometime. The place was beautiful and then started my bike and back to home at 4:00 PM.

Total distance covered was approximately 150 KM and I don't remember the park entrance fee neither remember the safari ride ticket fee.

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