Run by the Karnataka state-backed Jungle Lodges & Resorts group, River Tern Lodge sits on the edge of the Bhadra reservoir’s backwaters, reached by a short boat crossing that sets the tone for a stay built around water as much as forest.
Simple cottages set along the reservoir shoreline, each with views across the water toward the surrounding hills of the Western Ghats.
Straightforward South Indian and regional Karnataka cooking, served with views over the reservoir, in keeping with the lodge’s unpretentious, nature-first style.
Boat safaris across the Bhadra reservoir, forest walks and game drives into the surrounding sanctuary, known for its tiger, elephant and gaur populations.
Bhadra’s mix of reservoir backwaters and dense forest supports tiger, elephant, gaur and an excellent waterbird list along the shoreline, with river tern, the lodge’s namesake, among the more visible residents.
The reservoir’s edge at dawn, when mist sits low over the water, offers some of Bhadra’s most atmospheric wide-angle landscape opportunities.
As a state-run eco-tourism property, River Tern Lodge channels revenue directly into Bhadra’s forest department conservation programmes and local community employment.
To arrange a tailor-made journey to this lodge, speak with your Kipekee Journey Lead.
