It began early morning in Bandipur. The mist played with mountains, the dew had just settled in. It was cold and damp. And the jungle presented itself to us, a collage of greens, yellows and browns. Shivering underneath our jackets and enjoying the nippy air, we drove through the forest in an open jeep, hoping for an unusual sighting.

Image Credit: Subharnab

A typical safari would read like this. It starts off as a smooth ride with a song in your heart. Add a dash of excitement and plenty of hope to the experience.

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We have a series of articles this month that takes you up the mountains –right from the Himalayas to the Western Ghats, into dense jungles and valleys.

The first in the series is a wild chase in Bandipur, a national park located near the Karnataka border where the Western Ghats stretches out to touch the plains and plateaus. The state ends but the forests continue into Tamil Nadu as the Mudhumalai forest, giving the entire stretch a dense green cover. Home to several birds and mammals including the elephant and the tiger, this is accessible from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.