Amba Ghat Safari

An urge to travel and explore a new location brings up Amba Ghat. Amba Ghat, located midway between Kolhapur and Ratnagiri on NH 204, promises a long drive on the butter smooth NH 4 and a jungle rich in flora and fauna.

Captains Log; Star Date 2411.2010

Wheels roll at 630 hrs. A light drizzle brings down the morning temperature. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway (National Highway (NH) 4) is as inviting as ever. The rainbow in the RVM adds that extra zing.

Traffic in Pune is just about waking up. Fly past Satara, tea-break at Karad at about 1130 hrs.

Both sides of the highway are lined with sugarcane fields.

A few kilometers out of Karad, a signboard just before a flyover, points to Kale and Pachad Villages. Get on to the Service road to take the right at Kale Phata under the flyover.

Pass by Undale, Yenpe, Shengdewadi and Kokrud on a curvy State Highway (SH) 80 and hit Malkapur which is on NH 204. For an NH Malkapur is disappointing – narrow road passing through a small bustling town that slows down traffic considerably.

Turn right from Malkapur for Amba. The stretch is patchy – probably damaged in the rains. The sun disappears behind clouds.

Rain drops hit the windshield. Get on to a kuccha road about a kilometer out of Amba village, to head to Jungle Resort. Starts raining.

Jungle Resort, a five acre property is housed under a canopy of eucalyptus and pine trees. The food is good, the staff helpful, the accommodation though is rugged.

The other stay options here are:

1. Amba Resort (along the highway).
2. Hornbill Jungle Resort (along the same kuccha road, just before Jungle Resort).
3. Pawan Khind Resort (along the Amba-Manoli Dam Road).
4. Manali Resort (closer to Manoli Dam).

Spot a Brahminy Kite sitting high up on a eucalyptus tree.

A long walk behind the Resort and beyond the little stream reveals an open grassland, grazing cattle and an abundant bird life.

Rain, later in the evening, adds a chill to the breeze.

Hopes of spotting the Great Indian Hornbill rise as the owner mentions that the bird can been seen in the trees in the Resort. Hopes quickly fade as he adds that that generally happens in Jan-Feb.

Birds Spotted:

1. Brahminy Kite
2. Greater Coucal
3. White Breasted Kingfisher
4. Bee Eater

Captains Log; Star Date 2511.2010

After an early morning walk in the dew soaked grasslands, shoes and sox are damp.

An omelet-bread breakfast and I'am ready for the Jungle Safari.

The ride is a Mahindra Jeep fitted canopy and a mattress on the roof. On the kuccha road, the ride actually feels like an elephant.

Turn right from Amba village towards Manoli Dam and the Amba Jungle. This road passes by Manoli Dam and heads to Paavan Khind and Vishalgad (after an intersection) through the Amba Jungle.

The jungle catches up on both side of the road as Manoli Dam disappears. The run up to Pavan Khind is about 20 odd km. The road is generally good, but pretty patchy at places. Traffic is restricted to jeeps ferrying tourists or village folks, motor bikes and an occasional Karnataka Roadways bus running between Vishalgad and Belgaum. Mile stones on the road have a red band.

The Countryside

Paavan Khind

Paavan Khind Ravine

Late in the afternoon there's an excellent lunch laid out in the jungle itself.

Nachini being dried

Back at the Resort, the evening is spent lazing in a hammock, until I catch a flutter in the eucalyptus trees. Crow + size, grey plumage, long white and black beak, small casque, long grey tail - the reference book – The Book of Indian Birds by Dr. Salim Ali, helps identify the bird as the Indian Grey Hornbill!

The Pandhra Rassa or White Gravy (made out of mutton stock) served with dinner is great.

Captains Log; Star Date 2611.2010

530 hrs its pitch dark. Dew drips off the trees. A Barn Owl hoots into the quietness, somewhere far away.

Drive down to Amba Ghat (towards Ratnagiri from Amba) to catch the sunrise.

After a hot cup of tea at Amba, head to the Amba Jungle and manage to locate the machan that overlooks the Manoli Dam. While the view is great all the action is below the tree line.

View from the Machan overlooking Manoli Dam.

Get down and look up into the thick clump of trees and quickly spot a male Paradise Fly Catcher pruning its long white tail.

Also catch a drongo, golden oriole and a lot of other birds.

It’s bright and sunny on the way back. Slam the brakes when I notice a large bird with a fat, long yellow beak in a tree alongside the road - the Great Pied Hornbill!

A part of my mind wants to get hold of the binoculars and camera, but I let myself get a good visual – there’s two of them – you’d believe the size only if you saw it, large yellow beaks doubled up by a large casque.

Just as I get a shot, both of them fly. The flight is noisy – whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Manage to get another shot as they head further away.

Follow them on foot for a while, though I am pretty chary of getting my feet wet with the dew and more importantly stepping on to something like a snake or a scorpion in the tall grass. But getting another closer look at the rarely sighted Hornbills gets the better of me, until the Hornbills head across a stream.

Extremely overwhelmed by the sighting, head back to the resort pretty mesmerized.

After a heavy breakfast I'am looking forward to the second leg of the trip – Shalini Palace, Kohlapur – the only heritage hotel in Maharashtra.

Birds Sighted

1. Great Pied Hornbill
2. Asian Paradise Fly Catcher (male)
3. Black Drongo
4. Eurasian Golden Oriole (male)
5. Rufous Backed Shrike
6. Indian Treepie

Captains Log; Star Date 2611.2010

NH 204 opens up after Malkapur. Pass by Panhala and reach the Panchganga Ghat. While heading to Shalini Palace, I notice the sugarcane fields on the right of the road, the Rankala Lake on the left and the cityscape beyond. I don’t recollect another city that has a agri and town mix so close.

Shalini Palace, on one corner of the town, overlooks Rankala Lake. The architecture is grand, the gardens well manicured.

The Palace is built of intricately carved black stone and Italian marble. Rich decorative wooden doorways fitted with etched Belgium glass bearing the crest of the Maharaja of Kolhapur add to the regal grandeur. The majestic black stone arches forming the verandah and the porch are beautiful.

The Pandhra Rassa served with the Maharastrian Thali is superb.

Captains Log; Star Date 2711.2010

Early morning I am at the verandah to capture the morning and Grey Hornbills – sight about a dozen of them.

Walk down, past the Rankala Lake, to the Mahalaxmi Temple to pay my respect to the Goddess and pick up some pedas.

1115 hrs its time to head back home!

Birds Spotted:

1. Indian Grey Hornbill
2. Brahminy Kite
3. Asian Koel
4. Great Tit
5. White Wagtail
6. Indian Robin

Route

Map