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By Root 2480 0

Garden NORTH INDIAN/ECLECTIC The in-house restaurant at Windflower Spa and Resort (reviewed above) offers alfresco dining in a leafy garden with geese and wind chimes for company. Arranged on landscaped terracing, the dining area is surrounded by water and reached by tiny bridges. Most of the dishes are Indian, with a good range of kebabs offered, but you can also order Chinese or choose from a small selection of Continental dishes. We recommend the murgh malai kebab (chicken grilled with fresh yogurt cream) or the Peshawari kebab (pistachio- and almond-flavored grilled chicken). The owner of the resort is also the proprietor of Joy ice cream, famous in this part of the country, so it makes perfect sense to end with a bowl of delicious butterscotch ice cream or the Olive orange-flavored caramel custard. Incidentally, you won’t find better iced coffee (don’t ask for ice cream in it) anywhere else in Karnataka.

Maharanapratap Rd., Nazarbad. 0821/252-2500. www.thewindflower.com. Main courses Rs 150–Rs 300. MC, V. Daily 11:30am–3:30pm and 7–11:30pm.

VISITING RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL PARK

Originally the private property of the Maharajah of Mysore, Karnataka’s most popular elephant hangout became a national park in 1955, 3 years after the princely state of Mysore was absorbed into post-colonial India. Situated 95km (59 miles) southwest of Mysore, and spread over 511 sq. km (199 sq. miles) filled with teak, rosewood, sandal, and silver oak trees, Rajiv Gandhi National Park is also generously populated by dhole (wild dogs), gaur (Indian bison), antelope, sloth bears, panthers, otters, crocodiles, cobras, pythons, falcons, eagles, and great Indian horned owls. Keep an eye peeled for tiny muntjac deer; they stand only .6m (2 ft.) tall and are crowned by finger-length antlers. The big draw, of course, are the tigers (btw. 60 and 65 reside here), but sightings are subject to a great deal of luck—although when Goldie Hawn came here to shoot a documentary, she apparently spotted several. Ms. Hawn stayed at the popular Kabini River Lodge, the most practical place to be if you want to have access to the park without any organizational fuss. A charmingly rustic retreat some 6 hours by car from Bengaluru (3 hr. from Mysore), Kabini is spread over 22 hectares (55 acres), incorporating lush forest and largely untamed vegetation, just the way a “jungle resort” should, with the maharajah’s original 18th-century hunting lodge as centerpiece. Accommodations with the best positions are the river-facing cottages. Expect small bathrooms, dated green sofas, and lumpy mattresses covered with charming Indian throws. Eyeball the skies for birds like hoopoes and drongos, try a brief coracle (boat) trip, go for an elephant ride or tiger spotting, and—of course—partake of the meals and tea laid out for you according to a precise schedule. The lodge was set up by Col. John Felix Wakefield, who at 92 still lives on the premises. Book a room at Kabini well in advance, and plan to arrive there at least an hour before the afternoon safari, which begins at 4:30pm ( 08228/26-4402 through -4405; head office in Bengaluru 080/2559-7021, -7024, or -7025; www.junglelodges.com; standard package 2 days, 1 night per person, $160; includes all meals, safaris, park entrance, and elephant and boat rides). For companies that offer the services of a car and driver for the 3-hour drive, see “Guided Tours & Travel Agents” under Mysore “Essentials,” above.

Resorts have also begun to spring up in this hitherto lesser-known area. Across the river from Kabini River Lodge, Orange County Kabini (www.orangecounty.in; 080/4191-1000) offers two kinds of lodging—private pool huts and Jacuzzi huts, ranging between $360 and $460. The huts—mud cottages with thatched roofs—are as close to “spirit of the land” as you’ll get, for luxury is the defining word here. All cottages are tastefully designed and spacious, but the pool huts are best for location, with the river virtually lapping at the edges. Those coming for an eco-experience or wanting to be more in the thick of the wildlife will find