Luxury wildlife on Kabini! Kabini River Lodge (former Viceroy hunting lodge) in Nagarhole National Park offers premium jungle experience. Kabini backwaters formed by dam attract large elephant herds (150+), tigers, leopards, gaur, wild dogs, crocodiles. Boat safaris on reservoir provide unique wildlife viewing - elephants crossing, drinking, bathing. Jeep safaris, coracle rides, birdwatching (Malabar Pied Hornbill, kingfishers), luxury tented camps, naturalist-led activities create unforgettable experience. Dry season (April-June) concentrates animals around water. Perfect for serious wildlife enthusiasts and luxury eco-tourism.
Day 1:
Arrive Dehradun, Transfer Mussoorie (34km, 1 hour) - Arrive Dehradun (Jolly Grant Airport or Dehradun Railway Station), drive to Mussoorie (Queen of Hills at 2005m in Garhwal Himalayas), check-in hotel on Mall Road or hillside resort, afternoon walk on Mall Road (pedestrian colonial street with shops, cafes, restaurants, Library Bazaar at one end, Kulri Bazaar at other), visit Gun Hill (second highest point, cable car Ôé╣180 return or horse/walk, panoramic Doon Valley and Himalayan views, Nag Tibba, Bandarpunch peaks visible on clear days), evening Camel's Back Road walk (3km horseshoe-shaped road, named after camel-shaped rock, no vehicles, pleasant evening walk, sunset views, starting/ending at Kulri), overnight Mussoorie|
Day 2:
Kempty Falls & Mussoorie Sightseeing - Morning drive to Kempty Falls (15km, most popular waterfall, 40ft cascade, British era picnic spot, commercial with eateries and changing rooms, bathing in pool possible but crowded, Ôé╣50 entry, best during/after monsoon, avoid weekends if possible), return and visit Company Garden (municipal garden with artificial lake, boating, flowers, Ôé╣50 entry), Mussoorie Lake (7km on Dehradun road, boating and paddle boats, Ôé╣25 entry), afternoon Lal Tibba (highest point Mussoorie at 2275m in Landour, 6km from Mall Road, Japanese telescope for Ôé╣25 to view peaks, Caf├® Ivy nearby for tea), St. Mary's Church (1836, oldest church in Himalayas, Gothic architecture), evening Mall Road shopping (woolens, walking sticks, pickles, local jams, Tibetan market near Library), overnight Mussoorie|
Day 3:
Dhanaulti & Departure - Morning drive to Dhanaulti (24km, quiet hill station at 2286m, offbeat peaceful alternative to crowded Mussoorie), visit Eco Park and Surkanda Devi Temple (optional 2km steep trek to hilltop temple, Shakti Peetha, panoramic views, where Sati's head fell), lunch at Dhanaulti, return Mussoorie, checkout, drive to Dehradun (34km), optional Dehradun sightseeing if time: Robber's Cave (Gucchu Pani, natural cave formation with river disappearing and reappearing, 600m long, walk in knee-deep water, Ôé╣25), Sahastradhara (Sulphur springs, thousand-fold spring, ropeway, Ôé╣30), Forest Research Institute (colonial architecture, museum, botanical gardens), evening departure from Dehradun airport/station, tour ends with hill station nostalgia (Best time: Apr-Jun and Sep-Nov pleasant, monsoon Jul-Aug heavy rain and landslides avoid, Dec-Feb snowfall possible and very cold, Mall Road pedestrian day time 9am-9pm vehicles not allowed)