One of the very popular wildlife destinations in South Indian State of Tamil Nadu is the Mudumalai National Park cum Wildlife Sanctuary cum Tiger Reserve. The presence of this National Park and Tiger Reserve near the popular hill station of Ooty is what draws more visitors who come to try their luck to spot the diverse population of the Bengal Tigers in the wild here at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. The Mudumalai National Park is located in the North Western side of the Nilgiri Hills in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu and the National Park cum Tiger Reserve shares its border with the other South Indian states of Karnataka and Kerela. The Mudumalai National Park is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve and the place serves as an important wildlife habitat due to the strategic position across the Nilgiri Hills of South India. Towards the North, the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is sharing the boundary with the Bandipur National Park and Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka, towards the west lies the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala and towards the south is the Mukurthi National Park and the Silent Valley National Park. These National Parks and protected forest reserves cover an area of almost 3,300 sq. km. and the forests are home to around 1800-2300 Indian Elephants in the wild.
The Western Ghats (Nilgiri Sub-Cluster) covers an area of almost 6000 sq. km. that includes the Mudumalai National Park and this is a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Madumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is divided into five principal ranges namely Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Nellakota and Kargudi. The Mudhumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve haroues numerous vulnerable and endangered species that include Bengal Tigers, Gaurs, Indian Leopards, Indian Elephants, etc. and the place is also a wild haven for birdwatching and there are around 266 species of birds recorded at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and this includes critically endangered Long Billed Vulture and the Indian White Rumped vulture as well. The Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is home to more than 162 tigers that roam freely across the forests of the protected area. As a wildlife sanctuary, Mudhmalai was established in 1940 and it is the second oldest National Park in India. The National Park covers an area of 217 sq. km. and the Wildlife Sanctuary covers an additional 103 sq. km. covering a total area of around 321 sq. km. Mudumalai National Park was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2007 and efforts to conserve the dwindling population of the Bengal Tigers was started to be undertaken and today the forests are home to more than 48 tigers in the wild. To consolidate the Mudumalai National Park as a Project Tiger, the families residing in the core area of the park were compensated and rehabilated and the people living in the buffer areas of the park were engaged by the forest department as local guides and trackers. Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve in addition to being home of the Bengal Tigers and the Indian Elephants also records around 55 species of mammals, 227 species of birds, 34 reptile species, 50 species of fish and 21 species of Amphibians as well. As per the records around 13% of the mammal species found in India are to be found here at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve.
Flora of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve comprises of three major types of forests in the premises of the National Park that are mostly tropical moist deciduous, northern tropical dry and tropical dry deciduous. Apart from these three distinct types of forests there are certain patches of semi evergreen forests as well. The annual rainfall recorded at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is around 2000mm and the prominent tree species to be found are Cinnamon, Bamboo, etc. There are two typical species of bamboo that are found inside the forests of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and these are the giant clumping bamboo and the dendrocalamus strictus. When it comes to the fauna of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve out of the 15 cat species living across India, four are to be found in the forests of the Mudumalai National Park and these are the Bengal Tigers, Indian Leopards, Jungle Cat and Leopard Cat. As per the report in 2018, there are around 162 tigers reported in the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and out of this total there are around 103 resident and this is because the Mudumalai National Park is a part of the Nagarhole-Bandipur-Wayanad-Mudumalai block of the western ghat that has a population of around 724 tigers in total and the tigers keep moving across the forests of this block.
This block has a thriving and high population density of the Bengal Tigers as there are a high density of prey species here as well and the proper conservation methods adopted by the authorities here have ensured that the tigers have a thriving population here at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve that is the prime attraction of the tourists who come to visit this beautiful park. Other carnivores that inhabit the forests of the Mudumalai National Park are the Indian Leopard, Dhole, the Golden Jackal and the Sloth Bear. The Indian Elephants have a fair population inside the forest of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and their population is estimated around 700 in the forests. The primate species to be found here are the Bonnet Macaque, Lion Tailed macaque and the Grey Langur species. The various herbivores that are the prey of the large carnivores of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve are the Gaurs, Sambar Deers, Chital Deer, Indian Muntjar, etc. The rodents of the park are the Indian Giant Squirrel and the Red Flying squirrel.
Some reptiles found inside the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve are the pythons, flying lizards, spectacled cobras, kraits and Asian pit vipers. The monitor lizard is the most regularly observed species. Coming to the bird species that are recorded at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, eight percent of bird species in India occur in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. Among the 227 bird species found in Madumalai, 110 species are insectivores, 62 are carnivores, 23 species are fishivores, 12 species are omnivores and 20 species are granivores. These include the unique near threatened black-and-orange flycatcher. Regional endemics include Malabar trogon and Malabar grey hornbill. Some rare birds of prey like the rufous-bellied eagle can occasionally be seen in this sanctuary. Other predatory birds include crested serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle, black eagle, Oriental honey-buzzard, Jerdon’s baza, Bonelli’s eagle, crested goshawk, besra, mottled wood owl and brown hawk owl, and several minivets. There are also hornbill, golden oriole, chloropsis, paradise flycatcher, golden-backed woodpecker Malabar great black woodpecker, blue-winged parakeet, fairy bluebird, jungle fowl racket-tailed drongo, peafowl, red spurfowl, grey francolin, painted spurfowl, painted bush quail, white-bellied woodpecker, lesser yellownape, golden woodpecker, streak-throated woodpecker, white-throated kingfisher, emerald dove, green imperial pigeon, grey-fronted green pigeon, grey-bellied cuckoo, Indian cuckoo, Indian jungle crow, red-wattled lapwing, Indian pond heron, alpine swift, black-hooded oriole, greater racket-tailed drongo, black-headed cuckooshrike, grey-headed bulbul, forest wagtail, white-browed wagtail, crimson-backed sunbird and Loten’s sunbird. It also holds the isolated southern population of the striped tit-babbler.
When it comes to the places of interest around the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, there are various other places of tourist interest that enthrals visitors to the place. One among these is the Moyar River and the River gorge here around this is a perfect place to sight the animals of the park that come to the river banks to quench their thirst. The gorge on the Moyar River is also called as the Moyar Canyon and it is a 20km long gorge that has been cut out by the Moyar River and this plunges into the Gorge below Theppakolam and this becomes to be called as the Moyar Falls. Another place of interest is the elephant feeding camp that is a very popular tourist attraction of the place.
The domesticated elephants of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve are no longer employed for hauling of timber from inside the forests as felling of trees for timber from the protected forests across the country is banned and it is a crime punishable under law and so the domesticated elephants are employed for ecotourism related activities, patrolling for anti-poaching campaign of Mudumalai National Pa and also at times to control man-elephant conflicts outside the park. These trained elephants are a prime attraction here at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and visitors come here get to witness how the Mahouts feed and bathe these elephants. There is also a training centre for the elephants as well and visitors who come to visit Mudumalai National Park can come here to see how these domesticated elephants respond to the command of the Mahouts and how they are trained to carry out the day to day activities. Another place to visit at the Mudumalai National Park is the Madumalai museum that is located close to the elephant feeding camp and once you are done admiring the feeding and bathing of the elephants at the place you can take time to visit this museum as well that preserves some of the animals who had once roamed proudly across the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve.
Also you can have the opportunity to visit is the Kallatty Falls that is located at the distance of 30km from Theppakadu and this was a very magnificent waterfall and also the place offers various leisure treatments to visitors who come here. Also have the opportunity to visit the Pykare Lake that is located 40km away from Theppakadu and is a very clear and scenic lake that is located amidst two hills and being an inaccessible lake, it is free from crowd and hence pollution as well. Tourists who come to visit Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve can go to visit the lake and also enjoy boating on the clear waters of the lake. The annual boat race was introduced in 2008 and it is an annual festival that is celebrated here every year. Apart from the above popular tourist spots around the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, there are also other scenic spots as well where one can enjoy and these are the Chief Minister’s Watch Tower, the view point at Karguli and Ombetta Lake. When it comes to the safari options at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve there are two safari options here that are conducted and one is the elephant safari and the other is the van safari.
Both these safari rides into the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is conducted by the Tamil Nadu forest department authorities and tourists who wish to go for these safari rides need to travel to the Mudumalai National Park headquarters at Theppakadu. The Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is opened to tourists around the year and as the place is located near Ooty that is a hill station it has a pleasant climate across the year. The jungle safari option is conducted for 2 times day for 2 hours duration. The road safari ride is again conducted for 2 times a day for 2 hours and the elephant safari is conducted only in the morning slot for 45 minutes. The various other activities that visitors to the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve can enjoy are Birding, camping, tree house stays, waterhole visit, village tours and also swimming in the natural pools. To access Mudumalai National Park, the nearest town is that of Ooty that is located just around 9km away from the office of the Field Director of Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and to access Ooty one can easily do it from Mysore that is located just 3 hours away and regular Volvo busses and cars are available for hire to take visitors from Mysore to Ooty. The nearest airport is again at Mysore but you can also come to the Bangalore airport and travel to Ooty.
Apart from exploring the beauty of the forests of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, you can choose to visit the other National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries that are present near to the Mudumalai National Park and the first one is the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. The Bandipur National Park is famous for the presence of the Royal Bengal Tiger species in the wild and this National Park is one of the most famous National Parks of South India and is located close to Ooty along the Ooty-Mysore highway. This National Park harbours some of the very rare and endangered species of wildlife just like the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and the place is one of the protected area within the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve that is also an International Biosphere Reserve within the Western Ghats of India. Explore the vast forest reserves and diverse flora, fauna and avifauna of the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and later head on to the South Indian State of Kerala to visit the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is the second largest Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala and the place is bestowed with lush green cover of forests that boasts of some of the very rare species of wildlife and birds. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary forms a part of the boundary of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve and it is known for the population of the wild elephants that are inhabiting the place and visitors who come to the Wildlife Sanctuary can have the opportunity to sight some of the elephant herds that roam across the forests of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.
Also there is another place to visit near the Mudumalai National Park and this place is Masinagudi that is a renowned place for its night safaris that are conducted in open jeeps by the management and expert guides accompany guests on the night safari rides inside Masinagudi. The night safaris at Masinagudi is however not conducted in the core and buffer areas of the park and instead these are conducted on the peripheral roads that are adjoining the park and this is to ensure that the animals inside the park are not disturbed at night by the roaming safari vehicles. Coming to the stay options at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve it must be noted that the Mudumalai National Park is one of the most sought after wildlife destinations in South India and therefore one has to ensure to book the accommodations and safari at the place much ahead of their schedule of visit to avoid last minute hassles. The hotel rooms around the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve are completely booked in the months across June to September and October to December as this is one of the most ideal times to sight the animals of the place. During the peak season, Mudumalai National Park is filled with tourists and advance booking is utmost necessary. Various accommodation options are available here in the form of Hotels, Resorts, Guest Houses, etc.
Coming to the popular Hotels and Resorts around the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, one very popular stay option is the Jungle Trailz that is also referred to as the Labdhi Bungalow that is located in Masinagudi boundarying the Mudumalai National Park here in Tamil Nadu. The resort is located at the foothills of the Nilgiris bounding the place and it allows guests to relive the wild side inside them. At the Jungle Trailz your eyes will have the opportunity to spot the rare species of flora, fauna and avifauna of the Mudumalai National Park and your nose will pick up the smell of the aromatic flora all around and your ears will respond to the soulful chirping of birds, sounds of crickets and the chattering of monkeys. The place is located on a sprawling campus of 4 acres of land and it is just about 1.5km away from Masinagudi town and the forests of the Mudumalai National Park adjoining the property and visitors can get to enjoy the beautiful view of the Nilgiris from the place. Apart from luxury stay, the various other activities that can be enjoyed at the place is carom board, cricket, bow and arrow shooting, jeep and mini bus safari, birding in Masinagudi.
Another very popular stay option at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is the Wild Woods Haven that is one of the very charming and adventurous stay options across the forest of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve at Masinagudi. The forests surrounding the Wild Woods Haven at Mudumalai National Park are dense forests that harbour rich variety of flora and fauna and so do not be surprised if you are able to spot the animal species from the resort itself. The various animals to be found at the forests of the Mudumalai National Park that can be sighted are of the likes of Wild Elephants, Bears, Bison, etc. This is the place that has a river flowing alongside it and it borders the forests of Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. The tariffs at the place start at INR 4,000 that includes meals and stay. The various facilities that are to be found at the Wild Woods Haven are room service, TV, Fridge, Mini Bar, 24 hours hot water, individual Portico that has beautiful jungle views. The recreational activities to be enjoyed at basketball, cricket, football, fishing in the river, indoor games, elephant safari, jeep safari, van safari, etc.
Another popular stay option at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is the Blue Valley Jungle Resort that is located across the forest reserves and provides grand views of the Nilgiri from the place. This is an ecotourism venture that provides accommodations in eco surroundings and the place is an ideal retreat for a family getaway or with friends as well. The stay options at the Blue Valley Jungle Resorts at Mudumalai National Park are in two options mostly cottages and Bungalows. With the aim to deliver comfort and user experience at its best, the Blue Valley Jungle Resort at Mudumalai National Park offers stay in standard two and three bedded cottages, two bedded deluxe cottages and two bedded executive cottages. The tariffs at the Blue Valley Jungle Resorts start from INR 3,500 and it includes meals and stay and guests can enjoy various indoor and outdoor gamed and also enjoy bird watching at the place across the forests of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve.
Another popular stay option around the beautiful forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve is the Monarch Safari Park that offers accommodation in International standard rooms. There are 24 rooms present at the Monarch Safari park near the Mudumalai National Park that are designed in a unique Machan concept that provides various facilities to guests to enjoy their vacation at the Mudumalai National Park. The rooms at the Monarch Safari park have en-suite bathrooms that are elegantly designed and provide 24 hours hot and cold running water and the facility of room service is also available here. This resort at the Mudumalai National Park is spread across a sprawling campus and it has a horse track, meditation centre, jogging track, children’s park, playground, etc. Apart from the above facilities, guests can also avail various recreational activities like pool table, table tennis, badminton, etc. The place also offers a Health Club, a Discotheque, Banquet facility and the restaurant here is called as Adivasi and it serves some of the very delightful cuisines that one can savour. The restaurant is built on an elevated stilt and it offers a very picturesque ambiance as well. The rooms are elegantly designed and have the view of the Nilgiris on one side and the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve on the other.
Another famous resort around the forests of the Mudumalai National Park is the Casa Deep Woods. This beautiful resort that is located at Masinagudi allows guests to bask under the blissful shade of the Niligiri Mountains and while guests get to enjoy the wilderness of nature all around them, they also get to enjoy the comfort of home with the World Class Hospitality that is offered by the staff members of the Casa Deep Woods near Mudumalai National Park. This is an excellent jungle resort where guests can hear the roar of mighty elephants and also the deers of Mudumalai National Park nibble on the bamboo shoots nearby to their cottage at the Casa Deep Woods. The place offers a real treat to the bird lovers as they have built a Bird Hide where guests can climb and have the opportunity to sight around 300 species of birds that are found in the Mudumalai National Park and at the same time enjoy the thrill of going for exciting jungle safari rides inside the Mudumalai National Park and also the Bandipur National Park that are located at close proximity to the resort itself. A stay here at Casa Deep Woods is a perfect way to enjoy a break from the busy city life amidst the wonders of nature. There is a facility of a swimming pool here as well and guests can embark on guided nature hikes across the place.
Another very premier resort that is present near the Mudumalai National Park and it was established in 1986 making it the pioneers in the hospitality sector around Mudumalai National Park is the jungle hut resort that is spread across a sprawling campus of 20 acres of land and it is nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris. The property is located near the Mudumalai National Park is having 16 rooms that are mostly cosy cottages that have a verandah and it offers breathtaking views of the jungles. There are 3 categories of rooms at the Jungle Nest in Mudumalai National Park and these are Non AC, Standard AC and Deluxe AC and the owners of the place have kept no provisions of TV, Telephones or music in the rooms so that guests can enjoy the true sound of nature at the place. When you are exploring across the property do not be surprised to witness a herd of wild deer that come close to the property. The various facilities that guests at the Jungle Nest can enjoy are basketball, cricket, football, fishing in the river, elephant and jeep safari, etc. You can relax by the pool and spend your time at leisure or in case you are seeking out for thrill, then you can go for trekking or birding around the place. Enjoy delicious Asian and Continental buffet meals at the Jungle Hut at Mudumalai National Park.
Another premier resort around Mudumalai National Park is the Forest Hills Farms and Guest House that is a family run place that is nestled in a secluded area of the Nilgiris and the Mudumalai National Park and Bandipur National Park are at close proximity to this beautiful place to stay. The place allows guests to embark on treks and enjoy the vast un-spoilt forests and visit the resident wildlife of the place. The place offers accommodation to guests in Double occupancy rooms, family cottages, deluxe rooms, bamboo huts, tree houses and Machans and all these rooms are Non Ac telling us about the cool climate around the place. The rooms are very beautifully furnished and are cosy at the same time. The cuisine is homemade and delightful to savour. The various activities to be enjoyed are Safari, nature walks, birdwatching, Ooty and Coonor sightseeing. The place is a very charming place to enjoy old fashioned hospitality and contemporary amenities of the colonial Bungalows.
Another of the very good stay options around Mudumalai National Park is the Bamboo Banks Farm and Guest House that is located at the foothills of the Nilgiris and located adjacent to the Mudumalai Game Reserve. This property is spread across a huge area of 40 acres of land and the interesting thing is that there are only 6 cottages that are present at the huge place that allows guests to have complete privacy. This place has a swimming pool as well and the cottages here have all the modern amenities that speak of the luxury stay here at the Mudumalai National Park. The place is set across a very scenic surrounding and various indoor and outdoor activities can be enjoyed at this resort including Horse riding as well and there is a track here. These is also a library present here where you can spend time to read some timeless classics or even you can go out to spend time on a tree platform that provided grand views of the surroundings across the place. This place was started in the year 1974 that makes the Bamboo Banks Farm and Guest House the pioneers in the hospitality industry across Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. Apart from their stay here guests can enjoy swimming, horse riding within the property, nature walks along the property, there is a children’s play area, indoor games like table tennis, carom, scrabble, monopoly, etc. Net for outdoor games like badminton, volley ball, camp fire, library, free Wi-Fi service, cycling across the property, bird watching from the tree house platform, etc. The Bamboo Bank Farms and Guest House is an ideal way to spend a peaceful time with your family and friends for long or short duration and you can come and enjoy the vast natural beauty of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve at this place.
Coming to the places of interest that can be visited near the Mudumalai National Park, then one place sure to pay a visit is the Needle Rock viewpoint that is located around 15km away from the Mudumalai National Park. When you are in Ooty and you are carrying an expensive DSLR and you are also passionate about nature photography then after your visit to the Mudumalai National Park where you have the opportunity to capture the perfect pictures of the beautiful forests, animals and birds of the Mudumalai National Park then later you must visit the Needle Rock viewpoint that is mostly a place that is not inhabited by human habitation and visitors need to trek across the beautiful forests and villages to reach the place. When you are here you can capture some fascinating pictures of the beautiful landscapes around the place and also the backwaters as well. Another place to not miss out after your visit to the Mudumalai National Park is that of the Pykara lake that is located around 34km away from the park and this is one of the very beautiful lakes on the way to Ooty that is mostly used for power generation and there is also a Dam and a power plant. The lake offer boating on the waters and also offers hiking tours and in case you love adventure that you can trek across the Pykara falls that is a very beautiful place.
Another place to explore near the Mudumalai National Park is the Wenlock Downs that is approached on the drive from Ooty to Mudumalai National Park and you will notice the beautiful rolling green lands of the place. This place has one of the most scenic views of the Nilgiris and these highlands have been featured in many numbers of Bollywood and South Indian movies. Another place to visit that is a very scenic place is the pine tree forests that is located around 45km from the park and these forests are a very important place in Ooty and are known for its various shooting sets of the movies. Horse racing can be enjoyed across the place as well. Another nice place to view near the Mudumalai National Park is the tea estate view point that is a paradise for the nature lovers. Ooty is a place that is known for its various tea estates and coffee estates and Ooty is famous for its tea production.
The night safari at Masinagudi is a very amazing safari experience that tourists plan for their trip to Ooty. The night safaris are conducted in the roads adjoining the forests across the place. This night safari experience at Masinagudi is not conducted inside the core and buffer areas of Mudumalai National Park as this place is having many animals inhabiting the place and in case the vehicles drive inside the park at night, the animals will be disturbed and this is to avoid any human animal conflict. Another way to explore is an excursion trip to Bandipur National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and these two places are the neighbouring forests of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. While Bandipur is famous for its population of the Bengal Tigers, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India that is bestowed with lush greenery all around and is having rich wildlife as well.
Another thing to enjoy at the Mudumalai National Park is the tree house stay and camping that is becoming a very popular option among the tourists and the Mudumalai National Park is home to offer the various camping retreat in the forests. The tourists who come to Mudumalai National Park can enjoy their stay in these tree houses witnessing the nature all around them. Visitors can have the opportunity to camp in the wild of the forests of the Mudumalai National Park under expert supervision and also get to celebrate the fun of togetherness and wilderness as well. There are a few tree houses stay options at the Mudumalai National Park and visitors can spend time watching birds and reptile species here. When it comes to tickling your taste buds around the Mudumalai National Park, then apart from the in-house stay dining at the resorts, there are various stay options to enjoy your food as well and one noteworthy place for all the Biryani lovers in the Hyderabadi Biryani house that is renowned across the place for serving the delicious biryani recipes and also other veg and non-veg recipes as well. The restaurants around the Mudumalai National Park have a quaint ambiance and it offers jaw dropping views of the forest reserves. Another place to enjoy your meals is the Yummy restaurant that is another good place to eat near the Mudumalai National Park and this place is known to serve various delicious recipes of South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines.
The Mudumalai National Park is a pride of the Nilgiri Hills and it is known to be a land of Bengal Tigers, Giant Malabar Squirrel, the Asian Elephants and many more rare species of animals and birds. Guests who come to the Mudumalai National Park can enjoy some of the most thrilling safari experiences here and they have the opportunity to sight the tigers of the Mudumalai National Park basking under the sun with their cubs and the elephants that are domesticated are to be seen bathing in the water pools along with their mahouts. Apart from sighting the wild animals and birds of Mudumalai National Park, visitors can also witness the enormous waterfalls and lakes and one can be rest assured to have a very pleasant holiday experience on their visit to the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. The Mudumalai National Park receives three seasons across the year of Summer, Winter and Monsoon season and the summer season in the Tamil Nadu starts from February to May and during this time the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park remains dry and warm and this becomes an ideal time to spot the predators and the other animals of the park that come out of their hiding to visit the places of water holes to quench their thirst. Although the weather remains dry and warm during this time, you can expect the occasional showers that bring down the temperature.
The monsoon season at the Mudumalai National Park starts after the summer season and though there is not an exact time of its arrival, the monsoon rains are expected to touch down in the month of June and continue through September. Although the park doesn’t receive heavy rainfall like certain other National Parks of the country when the monsoon waters inundate the interiors of the park, yet the area inside the park becomes slippery and the animal sightings are limited as they prefer to stay in their habitats and do not need to wander out in search of water holes to quench their thirst. In case you are interested to witness the greenery of the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park then this is the right time to visit the park. The winter season at the Mudumalai National Park starts in October and it goes up to mid-January and this season is characterized with thick grass, wet and muddy tracks and the area has a cold and pleasant time that makes it an ideal time to go out in the various safari options here at the park. The winter is a good time to sight the animals of the Mudumalai National Park as well because the large ones come out of their hiding and they look out for their prey. Winter is also the perfect time to stay at your resort around the Mudumalai National Park and spend an evening by the bonfire.
The members of the forest department of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve are one of the very hardworking personnel who arrange for the various safari options inside the forest reserves that include vehicle safari, elephant safari, etc. The objectives of the authority of Mudumalai National Park are to maximize the recreational experience of the guests, minimize the impact of tourism on the wildlife habitat of Mudumalai National Park, increase the concern of visitors towards nature conservation, create opportunity for the local people who have made sacrifices of their land for the conservation of animals and forests of Mudumalai National Park, etc. The various facilities for tourists that are available are the vehicle rides inside the tourism zone of the core area, elephant safari, visit to the Interpretation centre at Theppakadu, visit to elephant camp, etc. When it comes to the vehicle safari inside the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park, then visitors have the option of going for 30 minute long safari rides inside the forest reserves in busses that are run by the Tiger Reserve department. In order to avoid last minute hassles, visitors are advised to report an hour before their safari timings inside the forests of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. It must be noted that no private vehicles are allowed inside the core zone of the National Park and only department run vehicles are engaged in these safari rides. For booking of tickets for the bus safari rides, visitors need to approach the reception centre at Theppakadu and purchase their tickets and vehicle rides are made available on first come first serve basis. The elephant safari rides inside the forest reserves of the Mudumalai National Park is booked at the Theppakadu reception range and the elephant ride is a 30 minute ride inside the tourism zone of Mudumalai National Park and also on first come first serve basis. The elephant safari dies inside the Mudumalai National Park are subjected to dry and favourable weather conditions inside the park and are scheduled twice a day once in the morning slot from 7AM to 8AM and the second in the afternoon from 4PM to 5PM. The visitors to Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve can also have the option to visit the Interpretation and Nature education centre at Theppakadu and this allows guests to understand about the flora and fauna of the place and also to understand the conservation of the flora, fauna and also the avifauna that will happen only with the support and cooperation of the human kind. The Interpretation centre at Theppakadu aims to illustrate this objective to the visitors and spread awareness at the same time.
When it comes to various elephant camps across the country, the Mudumalai National Park has the Theppakadu Elephant camp that is the oldest elephant camp not only in India but Asia as well and it was established over 100 years back and this Elephant Camp has 24 elephants residing at present. These domesticated elephants at the camp are mostly used for forest patrolling, ecotourism, elephant conservation, education, managing human-animal conflict, etc. The Theppakadu Elephant camp at the Mudumalai National Park is located along the banks of the Moyar River and it is opposite to the reception centre of the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve. Visitors to the park can have the chance to sight the feeding of the elephants that is open to visitors in the morning and evening and the timings to see this are from 8.45AM to 9.15AM in the mornings and then again from 5.45PM to 6.15PM in the evening. Apart from the Mudumalai National Park, visitors can witness this at another National Park of Assam viz. the Manas National Park and visitors who are interested to witness this can procure the tickets at the reception centre in advance and witness this practice of feeding the elephants here at Mudumalai National Park. Apart from the Ecotourism activities around Mudumalai National Park, the forest authorities of the park work towards the eco development and Tribal welfare as well. The development committee works towards the active co-operation of the local people residing across the fringe areas of the park to have their continued efforts towards conservation and Eco development. There are 19 such Eco development committees and the members of these ECDs of Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve work towards prevention of animal poaching, eco guards, drivers for safari vehicles, weed cleaning, fire safety, etc. The Mudumalai National Park is one among the oldest Tiger Reserves in the country and the place attracts thousands of tourists every year who come to have their opportunity to sight the Tigers in the wild and also the various other animals that are known to inhabit the forest reserves. Forest authorities have to engage in a lot of activities to make the vacation of the tourists a memorable one by conducting the safaris on time, allowing guests a safe passage into the forest interiors, etc.
When you are visiting one of the famed Tiger reserves in the country here at the Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve, it is evident that you will need to abide by certain rules to visit the place. It is to be ensured that guests should abide by the rules of the Tiger Reserve and the entry to the forests of the Tiger reserve is provided only for a specific hours. To go for safari inside the forest reserves, you must obtain the requisite permissions from the reception range office at Theppakadu and this is for your safety as it allows the forest office of the Mudumalai National Park to keep a record of the guests who have gone into the forest reserves for their wildlife safaris. Ensure not to carry any firecrackers or explosives inside the park on your safari ride and also do not carry any loudspeakers that will disturb the animals of the park. Ensure not to carry any eatable inside the park for your own consumption and strictly not to feed the animals inside the Mudumalai National Park and also do not tease the animals as they might feel threatened and might charge towards the safari vehicle. At no point on your safari ride inside the park of not get down from your safari vehicle here at Mudumalai National Park cum Tiger Reserve as this is a criminal offence punishable by the law.
Follow the instructions of the mahout when you are about to board the elephant back on your safari ride in the forests of the Mudumalai National Park. Consumption of alcohol and smoking in the forest reserves in a strict no. Keep your conversations low and ensure not to disturb the animals as they might run away and the sole purpose of spending money to go for safari is lost as the animals you have come to see will run away when distracted. It is always advised to wear clothes that are not bright and instead wear darker shades that allow you to camouflage with the colours of the forests as the animals won’t be able to see the presence of humans inside the forests of Mudumalai National Park this way. Plastic bags and bottles are banned inside the park and ensure that you do not carry them and litter inside the premises of the park. Also not allowed is entry on foot, campfires, music, cooking and littering inside the premises of the park and also avoid pollution inside the Tiger Reserve. Always ensure to adhere to the timeline allotted for safari inside the park and to come out much ahead of schedule to avoid any inconvenience.
