Kabini Wildlife Safari Weekend

• Safari

An early start down the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway and through HD Kote's farmland to the edge of Nagarhole. After lunch comes the first safari from Damanakatte, into teak and bamboo forest as the afternoon cools.

1. 05:30Pickups begin at RMZ Ecospace. First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Banashankari, RR Nagar and Kengeri; exact spots and live location go on the trip WhatsApp group. Wear earthy, muted colours for the safaris, and pack binoculars if you have them.

2. 06:00Depart Bengaluru. Out along the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway before the traffic builds.

3. 07:30Breakfast stop on the Mysuru road. Pay on your own. Thatte idli, Maddur vade and coffee are the classics on this stretch.On your own

4. 09:00Past Mysuru to HD Kote. We skirt Mysuru and drive south through HD Kote's fields and villages, with the forest edge closing in near Kabini.

5. 11:00Arrive Kabini, check in. Settle into your twin-sharing room near the backwaters, a short drive from the safari point.

6. 13:00Lunch on your own. At the stay or nearby. Keep it light before the bumpy ride.On your own

7. 14:30Report at Damanakatte safari point. All forest department safaris into the Kabini side of Nagarhole start from here. Carry the ID you booked with; counters open about 30 minutes before each slot.

8. 15:00Evening jungle safari with naturalist. About 90 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the slot the department allots. Watch for elephant herds, gaur, spotted deer and langurs; leopards and tigers are possible, never promised.

9. 20:00Dinner at the stay. Dinner together while comparing sightings, then an early night before the dawn safari.

• Safari
• On the water

Back into the forest at first light, when the animals are most active and the mist still hangs over the grassland. After breakfast, a slow coracle ride on the backwaters before the drive home.

1. 05:15Leave for the safari point. Coffee, a warm layer and your ID. Mornings in the forest are cooler than you'd expect.

2. 06:00Dawn jungle safari with naturalist. The best light and the liveliest forest of the weekend: alarm calls, woodpeckers, crested serpent eagles and, with luck, a big cat on the track. Slot times vary by day.

3. 09:30Breakfast at the stay. A hot breakfast after the early start.

4. 10:30Coracle ride on the backwaters. Spin gently across the Kabini in a round bamboo coracle, watching for cormorants, kingfishers and the drowned trees along the banks. Life jackets are provided; boats take four or five.

5. 12:00Check out, depart for Bengaluru. Back through HD Kote and around Mysuru.

6. 13:30Lunch stop near Mysuru. Pay on your own. A Mysuru-style meals plate or masala dosa is the classic choice.On your own

7. 18:00Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at RR Nagar, Kengeri and Banashankari. Sunday-evening traffic on Mysore Road can add time.