Tucked away just two hours away from Bengaluru is the Bamboo Rustles Camp amidst the verdant, rolling ranges of Eastern Ghats in Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu. Far away from the madding crowd and the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru life, the Bamboo Rustles Camp comes as a pleasant surprise whose existence we were not aware of till now.
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| View of cottage in Bamboo Rustles Camp |
Tharangini, Pooja and I decided to take a chance as we stumbled upon its
existence accidentally and since we wanted to go on a short trip, this
seemed an idyllic destination for a short nature trail.
Driving down Hosur Road and crossing the Attibele toll gate into Hosur and Krishnagiri town, we took a left turn from the national highway after about one or two kms.
Suddenly, the terrain changed with settlements here and there and temperatures decreased, we could see hordes of Indian Rollers on power lines and as we went ahead, we could see more bird life in the agricultural fields. After about 15-16 kms, the scenery changed for the good and our glimpse of the Eastern Ghats was indeed breathtaking.
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| View of the Eastern Ghats |
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| A view of the waterbody near the Bamboo Rustles camp |
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| View of the camp from top |
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| Female pied bush chat |
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| White wagtail |
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| A view of Eastern Ghats at Melagiri |
After taking a few turns in the nearby villages, we finally arrived at our destination – which was very serene and silent with the accommodation nestling amidst the hill ranges in front of a rustic wonderland. The Bamboo Rustles Camp is a nature camp with very basic facilities so as to not disturb the habitat and its unique wildlife.
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| Flight of birds over the ghats |
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| A view of the camp |
Also, just remember, it is good for a night stay only and don’t expect any jazzy or modern facilities. It's an utterly silent place near a small village which makes it very rustic with no modern amenities - no fast food, no junk food, no music, no TV, and no cell phones. This is a perfect place for weary city dwellers to just spend time with nature and each other.
We stayed in a boutique rammed earth cottages and the wall layering was beautiful. The roof is local coconut wood and local thatch has been used. The cottage was very spacious with an attached bath. Some 4-5 adults can stay in one cottage. They have deliberately kept less lighting in this place so that their guests can enjoy the beautiful night sky. The camp has an eco-friendly solar powered system (no connection to the power grid) and they are proud that even their borewell runs on solar.
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| Badminton area |
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| A view of the research activities of local flora |
After a hearty meal and cool glasses of buttermilk prepared by a local
villager, one has to clean the plates and glasses. After this, we relaxed
in a hammock (in front of our cottage) underneath a huge tamarind tree in
the company of two very affectionate dogs – Coco and Chica which ran
around this camp with all freedom and gaiety. At 4.30 pm, we went round
the camp which has a rustic jungle pool and also a swinging walkway. Pooja
managed to jump in the deep pool and enjoyed the cool waters.
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| Pooja enjoying a dip in a well |
Later, we went on a jungle trail at the back of the Nature Camp – the
habitat is scrub forests with rich flora and abundant bird life. On our
trail, we saw many rose ringed parakeets, Shrikes, Baya Weaver birds,
racket tailed drongo, Short Toed Eagles, Shikras, Bee Eaters among others.
One can sight many butterflies of different species. Further down, there
was a huge water body surrounded by hill ranges with pond herons, egrets,
Indian Spot-billed duck, White-breasted water hen and others.
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| A view of baya weaver bird nests in the scrub forests of Melagiri |
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| Pied Cuckoo also known as the heralder of the monsoon |
Even as the sun went down, we returned to our nature camp but on the way, we encountered many nests of Baya Weaver birds amidst the thorny bushes just next to the waterbody. Since the sun was setting very fast, we decided to continue our forest trail in the Eastern Ghats the next day.
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| Short toed snake eagle |
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| Another view of flight of birds over the ghats |
Some things to remember, the hosts of Bamboo Rustles or Bamboo Pit Viper
Research Foundation are pushing for is - holistic conservation in the
Eastern Ghats. They have a Sustainable Nature Camp and the NGO is
dedicated to biodiversity restoration & documentation (www.bpvrf.org) of both floral and faunal species exclusive to Eastern Ghats.
In 2012, Bamboo Pit Viper Foundation started with a goal to hold wildlife workshops and has held many birding, herpetology and butterfly workshops over the last 13 years. In 2024, the founders set up Bamboo Pit Viper Research Centre as a company. This serves as a research centre where researchers, students and interns can stay and intern here and immerse themselves in studying various species found of the Eastern Ghats.
How To Book Accommodation?
To visit this nature camp, email at: bamboorustles@gmail.com
Call or WhatsApp: Crystal at +91-80979-80656
Since the owners and managers are often out in the wild. So, email your
enquiry if you can't reach them.
Location map:
More in the Second Part of Bamboo Rustles
