Review: Jungle Lodges Kabini resort

Kabini river lodge is the 4th JLR facility I've explored (after Bheemeshwari, K Gudi, Galibore, Rivertern Lodge (Badhra river)). Kabini river lodge is one of their most expensive facilities, with per person charges for Indian nationals currently at INR 5000. This includes couple of safaris and food.

There're not many accommodation facilities around Kabini and all of them are equally expensive or more. (Orange County Kabini, Kabini lakeview resort etc are few other options). Almost all of them rely on JLR for forest safari. (few other guests boarded our Safari vehicle outside the campus)

I'm told the resort has a capacity for 120 people, which consists of tented cottages, maharaja cottage and other types of rooms. Resort runs full during weekends and weekdays would have much less occupancy at about 30+ people. My 3 months advance booking certainly helped.

Kabini JLR has electricity supply and doesn't feel like we're in deep forest. In comparison, K-Gudi was different with no mobile signals, no electricity. Kabini area has several mobile towers and lots of villagers, hence doesn't feel isolated.

Liquor is sold generously in Kabini. K Gudi and few other places didn't have this (or is it introduced recently?)

As we went in March, the campus was all dry. It would look great post monsoon I assume. There were no adventure activities.
A documentary is shown every evening at 7.45 PM, but it was the same video we'd seen at K Gudi.

Food was just fine.

Two goats were tied near the cottages. These goats were very afraid of people, but managed to go close and pacify them.

The guests were surprisingly punctual, even ahead of time. When we went for Safari on time, we were the last, others were there much earlier.

Bird sighting within campus was very few. Monkey menace is considerable. Be sure to secure your room and stuff.

Staff courtesy was fine. We'd booked 4 rooms and I was asked to adjust in 2 rooms for sometime, since guests of two other rooms hadn't checked out yet. After I made some noise, they gave 2 more rooms.

A one day visit, which lasts 22.5 hours, as we experienced, will be a bit hectic. Longer stay is recommended, but that would punch even larger hole in your pocket.

The last 12 kms leading to the resort were in bad shape. Some construction work was going on. Hopefully it will be better soon.

Also see: JLR Badhra Dam * JLR general review * Elephant bathing at K Gudi * Comparison of all JLRs * Kali misadventure camp (a bad experience we had)*