Deep forest, chirping sounds, seclusion, green carpets, and freshness all around, this is what Old Magazine House is all about. Hear the laughing thrush, teasing whistle and watch the birds perched on a branch, merry and still. The chorus of the birds chirping in the forests will soon become a perpetual symphony.
Old Magazine House is a paradise for all the bird lovers and bird enthusiasts. There are plenty of birds plunged into the forest, that are vibrant with shades of a rainbow. If you have an incessant love for birds and tranquility, Old Magazine House near Ganeshgudi at Dandeli is the place to be. This jungle forest lodge is located in an area of the forest that is secluded and is an epitome for bird watchers. The Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, flycatchers, orioles, babblers, monarch, yellow tits, sunbirds, etc. are commonly spotted here mainly around 4 pm every day. Photographers with huge telescopic lenses is a grand site you see as soon as you reach there. There are pots and perches arranged for the birds to enjoy a bath and then groom on the perches. Loud noise is not allowed there and your phones have to be in silent mode. Different species of birds come here to drink and bathe in the water. It\’s a wonderful feeling to see so many different kinds of birds fluttering their wings and flying away to glory. Watching them in their natural habitat and seeing them come together for mere small little things gave me a satiated feeling. Wish we humans had wings to fly !!
Also, read reviews of Jungle Camp in Dandeli and Club Mahindra Sherwood
Old Magazine House offers amazing stay in the jungle with impressive hospitality. Old magazine House also offers many activities like kayaking, white water rafting, coracle ride, and many more. You can choose and select the one that you may like.
When it comes to Food, Old Magazine House will surely not disappoint you. The Chef takes care and pampers you with a variety of food at regular intervals. The meals served here are very delicious and filling that includes roti, sabzi, dal, rice, papad, salad, buttermilk, and a sweet dish to pamper your taste buds. Below is the meal descriptions that they served in our 1-night stay. As soon as we reached at around 12.00 pm we were asked to join for lunch in the dining area. This area is a little away from the cottages but the ambiance of the dining area is very earthy with wooden tables and benches to create a rustic look. After heavy, hearty, and scrumptious lunch they had a caffeine break and served everyone with tea, coffee and biscuits at 4.00 pm near the bird watching spot to kick the laziness out of us. To spoil you further they had a soup and hot pakoras session at 7.00 pm at the same spot considering all the bird watchers plight and to fuel them. Our stomach was filled with contentment and delectable food by now. Well, the dinner was still awaiting us at 9.30 pm and the spread was totally elaborate and delicious.
Well, the highlight of the show was the delightful breakfast that we had the next morning. Oh boy, we had not expected with so many options considering the fact that we are in the middle of a jungle. But the chef bowled us over with the best Bondas with chutneys, Upma, Masala Egg Omelets, bull’s eye, freshly chopped fruits, charcoal toasted bread with butter and jam, cornflakes, milk, tea, and coffee.
Navigation:
Old Magazine House is near Ganeshgudi a village that is 25KM away from Dandeli. Dandeli is well connected by road to most of the cities of Karnataka like Bangalore and Hubli and also from Mumbai and Pune. We drove from Mumbai to Dandeli which is approximately 550 km. It took us about 10 hours to reach Dandeli from Mumbai with a couple of breaks for snacks and lunch. My stay was booked by OLD MAGAZINE HOUSE run by Mr.Sanjay and Mr. Ramnath. Mr. Parshuram is the contact person for OMH and as soon as we reached they took care of everything and showed us amazing hospitality. They guided us and provided a tour guide and a naturalist to show us around the place. The overall experience of this place was wonderful and we enjoyed every bit of it. I highly recommend this place for bird enthusiasts and also for someone who is looking to venture in the wild. Read 7 Best things to do in Dandeli here to know more about the place and activities to do.
