Old Magazine House

It's a birder's / bird photographer's paradise. You get to see and photograph many varieties of Western ghat species of birds in and around the property. You can also sight many amazing insects, spiders, butterflies, lizards, snakes, etc. The staff is very courteous, the food is delicious and the rooms and the dormitory are very comfortable to stay. You can also do some water activities like river rafting. A guided trek will also be arranged if you're interested. Overall a very nice and peaceful place to spend in nature.

A space perfectly integrated into the forest. A bird observatory that is not very busy but has enough visits from local birds to satisfy bird lovers and allow them to photograph them calmly and without much work.

Must visit place for bird lovers!

A classic place surrounded by dense forest. Lots of opportunities to photograph birds in and around the resort. Migratory birds visit the place during winters.

Food quality is excellent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the package.

Staff is humble and helpful.

A great advanure place within dense forest having Maharaja service for food & stay in cottage given by entire staff. The GM has excellent knowledge & very co-operative & helpful natured. Staff always on stand for service im cold, rainy forest area for their guest. I vote 6 from 5 (+1).
Please book this place online & visit for birds watching

It’s a paradise for birding. Have a check in weather birding might be not possible at all if it rains otherwise it’s amazing

This place is especially for nature lovers who love peace, wildlife and birds
Food is delicious and staff treatment is outstanding
Thanks to appasaheb (manager)

Excellent location for birdwatching, we don't need to walk around too much for sighting, many birds visit the birdbaths in the campus.

Naturalists here are well informed abour wildlife around, will assist you to spot them and give plenty of information.

Food served here are simple and delicious. Naturalists was

On top of all these enjoyed the Kali river rafting too!

What a place it's for all the Bird loving and Jungle loving people! And the way d staff behaved what to say simply made us to feel like some kind of Royal person! Food was delicious and loved d way they tried to include local delicacy. I would mention Mr. Appa Shabe who has done a remarkable transformation regarding service to guest. And his team do really stand up to his and all d guest expectations.
Thank for making in a wonderful stay.

We didn't stay here so no idea of rooms. But it is beautiful location, nice arrangement for bird photography, nice guides,

Had stayed here for 3 nights. 22nd-25thMarch.

Rooms: Clean and spacious 5/5
Food: Buffet and simple tasty homemade types. 5/5
Behaviour of staff: Very friendly and polite 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Peaceful, quiet and detoxing.

Birds: 1000/5:)
Please visit to experience it.
Best season: Nov to March.

Only for bird or wildlife enthusiasts.

A fabulous lodging in the forest with a beautiful bird hide. The place is natural and there is so much of wild life inside. The food and lodging is great too. This is a place that is best for wildlife and nature lovers as it offers decent accommodation without any frills, but offers a lot of opportunities for budding birders, butterfly enthusiasts, and even night adventurers to explore and understand the nature. I loved my stay here and would love to go back again.

This is a very Beautiful Place. Being a bird lover i enjoyed a lot, as we can see variety of Birds come here to drink water and take Bath. We were so lucky because we could see VERY VERY RARE BIRD (SPOT BELLIED EAGLE OWL). Winter months are best to Visit this place if you are going mainly for bird watching. Complete Video of Resort @ my Youtube Channel. @Nisarga_Nature

Love everything. Except the fact that I and my friend stayed in the dormitory We paid equally the same amount of money like the one in the private room. But we had No wifi facility in the dormitory and no Network for cell phone. In case of emergency I want to know if hotel will take responsibilities.
I don't mind paying extra for wifi but get an internet wifi arrangement done in the Dormitory & cafeteria area.
If it Disturbs the birders & the birds photography, keep the wifi closed from 7am to 7pm. But in the night wifi is a Necessity as there is no option for Emergency calling or calling the ambulance.

Epic place to stay for bird watching and photography. Resort staff and service is awesome. Food taste is very good and they serve tea/coffee and snacks in morning before trail walk and evening.

Place is inside thick forest away from crowd, lot of unique birds around here also spotted bear.

This place is amazing for birding, nature lovers. Brilliant ambiance and hide setup for birding along with nature trails. They serve authentic tasty food and absolutely no complaints. Note this is only for nature lovers and those who love peace and natural sound only. None from the group over there played music on any device and so I loved the place more. Thanks for the amazing hospitality. Will definitely visit soon. We saw many bird species and had clicked some brilliant captures.

Paradise for bird lovers. If there is one place a birder will choose to go, for a pilgrimage, this is it. Though the machan is overused, it never ceases to surprise. Mornings are dull. Evenings is when action starts. Go walking down to the main road, in the mornings.

We didn't stay here. Booked a 12km river rafting through this resort. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Pretty run down and poorly maintained for a JLR property.
Service is very average too.
The location still attracts plenty of birds and that is the only draw.

Excellent location, good place for bird watching. Backwater view is ossem if you opt for trekking. But be carefull, no water activities here. Super hospitality with delicious food. Pls is neat and clean

Great place for bird watching. You will see se rare and beautiful birds.
Note: Dont make noise here. Even the car horn noise will disturb the bird watching.

Awesome place for birdwatchers & wildlife lovers. Others may not like it. You can see most of the birds within the property and more sighting assured within a radius of 1 km.
Freshly prepared tasty food is a highlight. All the hotel staff are courteous & ready to help.

We stayed at OMH in Oct 2022 for 3 days. It was a great experience. The jungle is exquisitely beautiful. The location of OMH is nice, close to Supa dam. The Manager Mr Nadaf and his team were extremely helpful and courteous. Food is simple but good choices and tasty. Deluxe rooms were very nicely appointed and clean considering the dense jungle environment.

Had been to OMH last week that’s the beginning of the birding season… was on the way back from Goa when we decided to take a break. It is a must visit place for all birders.amazing property and ppl.must mention that all the staff and manager mr. Nadaaf were very helpful from booking till hosting us. We did find about 21 different types of birds. Special mention to the amazing hospitality and food. Would definitely go back there.

Extremely good, no croud, no sound, you can watch birds, service is excellent, very kind people.
Overall too good

Very badly maintained place. Uncomfortable stay. Rooms are not clean and full of various kinds of insects that are inside the room. Was booked for 3 nights. Regretted that. Happy to get out of there. The only positive was well behaved staff.

We had Great experience in old magazine house, best place for bird watching. Accommodation, food and service everything is awesome. Worth to visit.

Good place for birding enthusiasts. Reasonable food, good cleanliness. Friendly and helpful staff.

Little nest tucked away in deep jungle. No mobile phones but birds call will wake you every morning. Staff extremely courteous and food was surprisingly tasty. PS: Go there only if u love birdwatching, jungles. Nothing much to do there except being in the jungle.

Heaven on the Earth. I can stand on the top world and say if you want see HEAVEN please do visit this palce.

If you are a nature lover or a bird watcher or a photographer, Old Magazine House is a place to be. Especially during the winter months.
We have visited this place a couple of times and have never been disappointed. The staff is courteous and the place is nestled in a secluded place making it the best place to relax and rejuvenate.
If you are looking for adventure or too much of activities or maybe to have some kind of a party or something, this is not your place. You should look elsewhere. But if you are a peace-loving person and love to be in a calm and cool place, this is the best place there is to unwind yourself.

We stayed 2 night 3 day stay & it is ok.
Small resort compared to other Jungle lodges.
Food is good & staff are well behaved barring one/two.
No Activities at all.
Barring bird lovers rest will get bored.

Complained to manager about (room no. 4)
*Rooms have little bit dampness smell
& Bathroom (too much bad smell, may be blockage in drainage).

We enjoyed rafting which we need to pay extra.

Suggestion
If rains little, visit to supa dam can arranged to guests, since no coracle ride/trekking

Old magazine house isn't called as birders paradise for nothing its probably the only place where you get rare birds as commoners in one place and almost 90percent chances of sighting very rare birds like Malabar trogon taiga flycatcher great hornbill etc. The stay is just exceptional and as usual very friendly staff and amazing food. Overall a must visit place

The place is so clean and the food so fresh and tasty. It is a paradise for birders since they have a hideout. The staff is so friendly and courteous!

Lovely peaceful place for bird watching, Well maintained rooms. Good staff. Good food, got good clicks,

Amazing location for the resort. The food here is delicious and it's totally serene for bird watching. One of the best places to be amongst nature outings.

Great place for birding and birders. Stay was comfortable. Food was good and decent. Not much verity but good food.

This is the place where we were able to book tickets for River rafting at Dandeli. Its a govt set up and the staff was very helpful.

Good for Bird Watching, OMH has made extensive arrangements for a pleasant stay

For more info: ettok.in

This is heaven for birding lovers and photographers. No disturbance and good food. Knowledgeable birding guides and a good hide for bird photography.

The best place to be in Dandeli for birding. You'll find so many species like Emerald Dove, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Minivet, Shama etc and the Malabar Giant Squirrel. They even take you to spots where you can spot Hornbills. The Timber depot is the place to see 3 Hornbills

Awesome place! Cozy rooms! Even dormitories are decent and washrooms are clean.delicious food! Polite staff. Appreciable hospitality.

A very nice place for birders. The setup.is simple and may even be classified as rustic, but well maintained.
They have about six rooms. Each is equipped with three beds. They have an RO filter setup for those particular about the water they have.
The setup for birders (see photo below) has netting protecting the area where water is kept for the birds. There are also perches where the birds can sit. In the background is the forest.
Many birds like the Asian Paradise fly catcher, the Oriental white eye, Shyama, Fulvetta, Yellow Bulbul, Red whiskered bulbul, Monarch, Tickle Blue fly catcher come. The birds vary based on the season. They will take one to a place called Timber Depot which is not very far. This place has nesting of Hornbills and it is easy to photograph these at relatively close quarters.
One can also see Malabar Giant Squirrels in the trees surrounding the place.
If one walks down to the main road one can see a more birds and if one gets lucky one can sight Malabar Trogons too.
Go and enjoy if you are a birder.
Beware of going on weekends, it can get crowded and you may end up with a non-birding crowded and it can be a nuisance.

One of the best places in India for bird photography. Many endemic species of western ghats are found here in abundance.

Lovely peaceful place in nature for bird watching. Good food. Well maintained rooms. Supported staff. Impressed about their knowledge of birds, their calls, names

Best place for birding, good place to stay, top most cleanliness maintained, best guide for birding Mr. Vinayak, Mr. Manju prepares tasty food, Mr. Srishail and Mr. Ramesh available all time for any help.overall best place to feel nature and to be peaceful

The best place to stay at Dandeli for those in search of peace of mind.
The place is situated right in the middle of the jungle and you cant hear a man-made sound (of vehicular traffic etc). Even playing loud music is banned.
They have a couple of well experienced jungle guides which help you in spotting birds. Excellent spot for bird watching/photography.
The rooms and wooden cabin are very well maintained.
Can't complete the review without writing about the food. The place has a common roof top dining area. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are served there. The chef does a very good job. The support staff is very well behaved, polite and helpful.

Purest forest experience ever with rich wildlife, amazing food, good staff, very clean and beautiful rooms

Very calm place and perfect place for watching birds, prefer to visit every time when I get leisure time, Good to spend with the staff

We did not stay in Old Magazine House but stayed in Kali adventure camp. As part of our two day stay bird watching to Ganeshgudi's Old Magazine House was a part of the itinerary.

We saw a lot of professional photographers stay put in OMH and saw them enjoyings the sights of the pretty birds.

The place looks a little run down but a few new cottages have been built as well.

A great place for bird lovers and photographers.

Dandeli is a great place to visit.

A paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers. Please do not forget to carry your camera as you will get to witness an abundance of birds including the Malabar Hornbill, the Paradise FlyCatcher and the Blue Monarch. The rooms have no Ac but being in the jungle it is not required.it was so cold, we slept with the fan off. The buffet style meals were carefully prepared and very tasty - not too spicy - mostly vegetarian food but at least 1 non veg dish. It gets way too crowded over the weekend with a lot of birders with their camera gear and long lenses and it does get difficult to get a good spot of the birds at the water baths. I would suggest a weekday especially if you're using a tripod and long lenses.

A nice quiet place for serious bird watchers. A platform for photographing migratory birds is created. Dormitory accommodation for 20 are available, discounts are available for week days. Bathrooms and toilets are on shared basis which are kept reasonably clean. Apart from this there are twin sharing rooms. Decent food is provided and is included in the cost. Knowledgeable Guides are available thru the day. The approach roads are very good, the last 500m are unpaved road. Not a place for taking preschool children.

This place is fast losing it's charm. There is next to none maintenance at the main attraction of this place, the birds hide.

Best place for birding and especially with the experience of Mr Joma who is naturalist over there, it becomes even better! Try and ask for Joma to guide you around Ganeshgudi and he'll give you the best memories of birds you can relish.

Nice place. Staff and Guide are very helpful. Enjoyed stay also coracle ride was best.
Birding is truly amezing here.best for bird lovers.

OMH is a place where we can sight many of the Western ghats birds and migratory birds that visit this range.

Amazing place to Relax and enjoy Watching or photographing Avian beauties.

Sharing some pics in and around OMH.

Accommodations simple. The staff and the food was great! The cottages were in front of the river. We had everything we needed.

Excellent place to get away from the busy city life. We visit this place once every year to rejuvenate ourselves. Situated in Ganeshgudi, old magazine house is a bird watchers paradise. There are perches set up here and birds visit in great numbers to take a refreshing bath. Paradise flycatchers, fulvetta, thrushes, babblers, bulbuls, warblers, drongos, Robin's are the most common visitors.
They have a boundary setup so visitors cannot go beyond the barricade and this allows the birds to do their activity without disturbance. The staff here is very courteous and friendly. The naturalists have very good knowledge about the birds of dandeli. The stay and food are great as well. At nights, the gates are closed post 9.30 pm because there have been sloth bear and leapord sightings on the trail leading to the resort. One can hear loud sounds of Malabar giant squirrels that inhibit the trees inside the property. A must visit for every bird lover. There are also sightings of hornbills, woodpeckers and owls inside the property.
They also provide kali river rafting facility which is also a great experience. One can also request them for Anshi tiger reserve safari. Though the sightings are not that great, it's good for one time visit.
Bookings need to be made online on jungle lodges website. Peak seasons for bird watching is between October and March.
There is a bridge around 3 to 4 km from the resort (near Supa dam) where one can see hornbills flying around during early mornings and late evenings.

Coracle ride and evening trekking is a part of the stay package. One can request the naturalist and they will assist in these two activities.

HEAVEN for bird photographers. Nice rooms, tasty foods, good staffs. Situated in the middle of jungle, perfect place for nature lover also. Loved it

Nice cosy place that's for a change priced well for a JLR property. But the rooms need over hauling and are now old and battered. The dining room is on top of the kitchen that needs climbing up a slightly precarious spiral cast iron stair case. So people beware of this. The best part is the hide photography area where birds a make a beeline for water kept in feeder bowls making photography pretty easy. They have some activities like morning nature walk and a coracal ride. Food got predictable after 2 meals and was kind of repeatative after that especially for vegetarians.