The River Tern Lodge - Junglelodges

There is only one issue which I want to get out of the way. The restaurant is a fair bit of walk from most rooms and for older people it can be a bother though they do serve food for them in the rooms. Apart from this place there is everything to recommend here. Rooms and the views are amazing, safaris are long but well organized - both jeep and boat. The food specially non veg is outstanding. The per nigh charges seem high but once you factor in the food and the safaris it all seems well worth it. Not to be missed for animal and nature lovers.

Located at the Serene backwaters of Badra is an ever charming JLR property is a must visit to witness the natural wonder of flora and fauna.

It's my second visit to this place.
One of my best favourite JLR after kabini.
Manager Mr. Karthik is very friendly and practical.
He explained to my son about when to visit and not.
All the staff are very courteous and helpful.
If you have any reservation about the food, they cook and serve you separately with no extra cost.
The beauty of the resort is boat safari and jungle Safari.
Pleasant atmosphere and natures gift.
Chickmagalur is God's own country of our proud Karnataka.

The place is very picturesque. But the maintenance of the property is not satisfactory. May visit during monsoon for experience but be prepared to share your rooms with creepy crawlies. And withstanding the wild weather is not very easy for those who are not acquainted with this kind of weather. Definitely shouldn't try massage here and end up worsening your pains. Can enjoy the place better during non-monsoon times. Have to walk miles to the dining area to find your food.

Very good Resort at an Amazing location! Food, Jungle n Boat Safari n Ambience is Exquisite here. Food is exceptionally tasty n yummy I strongly recommend this heavenly place to everyone! Worth visiting this resort once in a lifetime ️

Rooms are very good.
The interiors are old need an upgrade.

Overall a nice pace

Amazing place! Right in the lap of nature. And shout out for the simple yet tasty food:) must visit for all.

A great place to visit outside your busy schedule, ideal time to visit (October to march). Comes with great safari experience and food. Don't forget to carry binoculars and camera along with good pair of trekking shoes. Also carry a mosquito roll on and try wearing full clothes. The rooms are too good with a great and different view for each room. Packages may vary from time and demand. Don't forget to check out various websites for booking. Veg/ Non- veg both options available.

Great Hospitality, the staff is very courteous, the facilities are amazing.
The safari team makes all efforts to see wildlife sightings, but end of the day, it is all your luck.

Good food, helpful staff, great scenery, but many mosquitoes, safety secured place, great water sport activities

Very good place. Good activities. Good food. Good arrangements for safari. But too expensive. Not worth a money.

Excellent location to enjoy. Geep Safari, Evening Documentary Show, Boat Safari, Water Sports, Swimming, Sumptuous meals Lunch, Dinner and breakfast, Tea, Coffee, Snacks. Excellent experience, given the schedule. Beautiful scenic views from rooms.
Serene, peaceful properties.
Full of green trees and water everywhere in the month of November middle.
Little costly for two persons.
Worth it.

We had a very nice experience at river tern lodge. The river view from the room was nice. Both Jeep and boat safaris were good - very peaceful and beautiful. We spotted so many birds, deers, gaurs and elephants. The guides give lot of interesting information about the jungle. Food was simple and tasty. Kayaking experience was also very nice!

Awesome place. Heaven on the Earth.you should visit once in life time.very good food.staff are very friendly.

Good managed resort. Food.accomadation& Amenities are good. Staff are good. We enjoyed the vacation.

Beautiful place to visit.need to do online booking.food is good.inclusive of lunch.snacks.dinner.breakfast.jeep Safari.boat Safari.and water sports.staff are good.and we'll maintained place.scenic beauty place.

Awesome getaway with a 2-3 day stay plan. Safari, boat safari, kayaking, pedal boat, awesome food, bonfire, awesome views of Bhadra Dam. Spend enough time for all activities

Super fantastic resort.
But not available without reservation.
Majority government officials crowded therefore ordinary people can't poke their entry.
Reservation through forest department will be there.
Totally a British rule
Water sports, jungle safari. Many more.

Great experience and really well organised by JLR team. Such great hospitality in the wilderness is really appreciated.

We have recently visited Bhadra & Kabini from Goa, where we couldn't get the wildlife Safari. Forest department has only few buses and no jeep for the safari. Jungle lodges has the majority of the buses and jeeps, it is only available to the people who stay in these resorts. The basic tariff itself to stay there is too costly where a common people cannot afford it. It is unfair that a wildlife enthusiasts like us are not able to get a Jeep Safari. Safaris in other National parks in other states are under the control of forest department and its far better managed than in Karnataka. We didn't expect such a system from Karnataka Tourism. After trying alot we returned with no safari and huge disappointment.

One of the best JLR in terms of staying with great view of Bhadra reservoir from the balcony. Also felt the current price which includes:

1. Buffet Lunch, Buffet Dinner, Buffet breakfast and snacks
2.3 hour Jeep Safari
3.2+ hour boat safari
4.1 hour of kayaking/ swimming

Season: For great views and water (post monsoon)
For good views of forests and some animals (dec- Jan)
For wild sightings and river tern colony (summer)

Access to place is easier with well paved roads from the dam till the JLR.

Food was amazing with good options for everyone.

Safari- spotted Gaur, monitor lizard, spotted deers, lapwing, wagtails, cormorants.

Had a wonderful stay at this jungle lodge, food was amazing, enjoyed the boat safari and the jungle jeep safari, overall a blissful stay.

Excellent weekend getaway from Bangalore! The sceneries from the balcony are extremely breathtaking. The boat safari and the jeep safari can spring a few surprises!

Wonderful holiday. Serene surroundings. Excellent food by the main chef, who I am told is from coondapur

A heaven on earth. Set on an island in the Bhadra dam it provides an unique experience. The serene waters of the dam intermingled with submerged land mass and the hanging bridge which connects the island with mainland makes the place even more picturesque. The safari and boating are the center of attraction. Worth visiting.

As usual JLR's Well maintained property
& Accommodation is at island (chosen Room #18, which has dam facing view from balcony) & stayed two days.
Kayaking is awesome & we did when it was raining.

Beautiful place to visit during the monsoon. Extremely courteous staff. Great food. Decent accommodation. Make sure you pack some clothes for the water, since they offer kayaking.

This is awesome place to go.it has small cottages like room.with balcony on river side. The rooms and everything has got old school feel. Food is another plus point. Beauty all around mesmerize you

The best place to relax & enjoy the pleasent environment. Clean rooms with great view towards the river. Delicious food, I requested rice bath for breakfast although it was not the part of the menu still I was provided with it. Friendly & very helpful staff. The safaris were mind-blowing on one hand Jeep Jungle Safari - the drive into the thick forest was amazing great drivers with good knowledge about flora & fauna, on the another hand Boat Safari - the driver is extremely talented & explains all the information about forest, animals & the river, it was a great ride don't miss boat Safari. Water sports are also really enjoyable. Would love to visit again

Location is awesome. The water activities are fun. Food is really good and the catering staff is very courteous. Couple of room issues if they can address this will be one of the best run jungle lodges. There's a severe problem with lizards in the rooms. So much so that there are droppings on the bed sheets every where you look. Some of the rooms are way too far from reception and dining area. People with accessibility issues should double check room distance from reception before booking. Safari experience is a hit and miss.sometimes you get a naturalist traveling in the jeep with you or sometimes they over crowd the jeep with tourists.

Must visit property of JLR
Food is good, lot of veg and non veg options. Curtious staff. Always smiling
Rooms are good and clean. Bathrooms are clean

Things can be improved

Our room no was 19 which is very far from the dinning area and almost have to walk for 15 mins each way. I saw cable cart there but it was not functional. Would have helped coz we spent a lot of time in going up and down.

This place is heaven on earth. Visited in rainy season and experienced the scenic beauty. Very clean and hygienic place. Very well maintained. Food was so tasty. Humble staff. The jeep safari of wild life sanctuary is amazing. We spotted deers, peacocks, peahens and a variety of birds. Although we couldn't spot a tiger because it was raining but the experience of the lush green thick forest was out of the world. The boat safari was mind blowing. It was worth getting up so soon in the morning. My toddler enjoyed the water activities a lot. Staying for only a day is not enough. I will definitely visit this place again.

Excellent location! Relaxing and rejuvenating stay. Every room has a fabulous view. The staff are courteous and attentive, and the food is delicious. We enjoyed a comfortable stay during the monsoon when the jungle is lush and the reservoir is full to the brim. Kayaking and boat safari are must-do activities.

This place is worth every penny. The room was extremely comfortable and the view from the room was absolutely amazing. The room overlooked the Bhadra river. The staff are extremely courteous. Covid protocols were maintained. The food served was extremely delicious and just like home cooked food. The jeep safari on day 1 lasted about 3 hours and we managed to see a few animals, though not many. The guides are extremely knowledgeable. The boat safari next morning was worth the early morning wake up. There is a provision for water sports which is extremely safe and fun.

Good place to visit. Rainy season is probably wrong time to visit for jeep and boat safari as very rarely animals can be seen

It's a beautiful experience to be staying by the banks of a huge river, sitting on ur chair relaxed looking over the river, having a coffee.
The staffs are quite welcoming and organise the holiday well.

Absolutely best place for a nature retreat. The evergreen forest and Bhadra reservoir make this place feel like paradise. Good amount of activities fo the whole family, there are boat and jeep safaris. There are watersports as well. Excellent food and very courteous staff. I would say complete value for money and I wish I could have stayed there longer.

I don’t want to call this a negative but including this to help anyone who has people travelling with leg injuries. There are stone steps which wind up and down to the buffet place and to the rooms. So there is a fair bit of climbing and walking to be expected.

Please wear good quality foot wear. I don’t recommend the place for anyone with knee problems.

One of the best Jungle lodges. Place is well managed and the itinerary is planned with amazing activities.

Both boat as well as jungle safari stretches over 2 hours with detailed info from the guides

Food is yummy and freshly served. Liquor is available and is reasonably priced

Overall, this is a must go place to enjoy off the city environment

Excellent stay and tasty food.the place is peaceful and relaxing.we had a nice weekend.also the hospitality was wonderful

River Tern Jungle Lodges, Govt of Karnataka tourism, located at Bhadra got its name from the bird River Tern, which migrates to Bhadra reservoir predominantly between April and July from the far away foreign countries.you have to reach this place by your own vehicle. You get 2 packages. Take the Rivern Tern Package and the River Tern rooms.you need to cross one bridge to reach these rooms. If you have parents and other people who don't prefer much to walk, then take the Osprey packages.all the rooms have the balcony facing the most beautiful Bhadra reservoir. Jungle Lodges served us excellent food and showed us the Bhadra documentary. Package includes Jeep safari into the Bhadra tiger reserve and a boat safari in the Bhadra backwaters. Also included watersports like Kayaking.
One of a kind in Karnataka. I have never ever seen such a beautiful place in Karnataka. When we have such masterpieces close to our hometown, why travel to far off foreign countries? Think over it.

Place is not well maintained and not worth for money. Lizards and snakes are there inside the cottage. They don’t have proper parking facility. I won’t recommend this place. Checkin time was 12PM and rooms were not ready and they made us wait till 2PM

Amazing place. Had stayed here twice. They have amazing cottages facing backwaters. The food is excellent and friendly staff. They provide two safari on Jeep and Boat. I could see both water levels as once in June the island within backwaters was full of riverterns and second while I visited during November where the dam water was full. Amazing experience and wish to go there countless times.

It was amazing! The cottages have a beautiful view of the river. In the night there is a cool breeze and standing on the bridge and gazing at the stars is magical. The safari was really fun, a lot of monkeys, elephants, deer, peacocks, boars and gaurs can be spotted. The morning boat ride was very picturesque. Different kinds of birds can be seen. The River Tern island that can be seen at the end of the boat ride is especially mesmerizing, hundreds of river terns flying in formation at the same time. The water sports (Kayaking and swimming) is super fun! Swimming in the river is a nice experience, seems better than a swimming pool. A life jacket is to be worn while doing water sports. The food is delicious and very homely, a variety of dishes are prepared every meal.

Overall, this is a great place for a getaway and great for photos. Do visit!

River tern lodge is an excellent properly located nearly 300kms from Bangalore. Drivable in 5 hours. Beautiful resort spread over two hillocks with great hospitality and food. Food is served closer to reception and one has to walk a lot through steps and hanging bridge for every meal if you're room is on other hillock. All for room on this side of travelling with people who can't walk much.
Resort is adjacent to forest and is right at Bhadra dam which has submerged area of about 186 sq. Km. There is boat Safari and keep Safari for Bhadra WLS. Place is famous for river terns that breed on Islands in April.

The place is super. Atmosphere aslo nice. Stuffs r good. I visited 10 & 11th april, 2021. Lunch & breakfast was super bt the dinner was not good. Actually i think that the price is so high for the 24hours. 13000/- is very much high for this trip.

One of the best places I stayed, mesmirizing views, extremely courteous and helpful staff, and the best regional food, cooked and served with passion.

We visited this place for our anniversary and it was THE BEST experience of our life. Yes, the schedule of all the activities involved will look tiresome but the experience you get makes you forget everything.

The package includes a Jeep Safari, Boat Safari and food buffet. Staffs are very friendly and the food was so delicious. This was our first JLR experience and now we are looking forward to visit and experience more places under JLR.

Below are some of the pics taken from our phone with the help of binoculars.

Can't say enough good things about JLR. Top-notch hospitality and they are so accommodating - they changed our room midway through a single night stay because my mother was having problems with the long walk+steps from the faraway cottages.
This meant that they had to clean two extra rooms? Yet they were happy to help and accommodate our request - special shout-out to Ravi and Abhinandan

The rooms, food, view, itinerary all are carefully planned. Food is excellent.

Very important: If you even have a slight bit of doubt that someone in your group will have the teeniest bit of a problem walking up the stairs, only opt for the Osprey package rooms. These are very close to dining, reception and keep/boat safari points. DO NOT opt for the faraway cottages (part of River Tern package.

Excellent location in the cradle of nature. Beautiful cottages overlooking the River. Spotted a lot of wildlife on the boat and jeep safari. Great service and friendly staff

Serene location. On winter you can't spot animal during Safari.but you will get a spectacular view of jungle. On summer you can spot lot of animals

If you love nature come visit river tern lodge jlr.pretty rooms with breathtaking views, knowledgeable naturalists to take you on memorable safaris.sighting of big cats maybe rare but everything else is as good as they can be

This is an incredible place with amazing views of the Bhadra reservoir and the backwaters. The dam is also seen from the bridge connecting the 2 lodges that are here. It's a must visit place during the summer months if you want to see the river terns and the occasional big cat (if you have the luck). The entire property is well maintained. If you have older people or small kids with you, please choose the Osprey package, else you should go with the river tern package for better morning views from your room.

If you want to enjoy a quiet stay amidst the jungle, please plan the stay during the week. Weekends bring in all kinds of tourists and may get very noisy.
Loved the place. The staff is every so pleasing and helpful. The jeep safari and the boat safari has guaranteed animal sighting. The roooms are fabulous with beautiful views.
The food speard is excellent. Healthy and flavourful food. Excellent filter coffee for breakfast! Good for kids of all ages. Bird watchers paradise.

The only not so awesome part is the walk from the rooms to the restaurant or reception.

Located in the midst of such a natural splendor. Ideal place for nature lovers.
Great hospitality. The staff take care of every guest with great care. Staff are very friendly, humble and cooperative.
Cottages and Log huts built on two small hills, both connected by hanging bridge. Cottages are little away from the dining area. We have to go down the hill and cross the hanging bridge and climb another hill. But the walk is enjoyable.
Lovely rooms. All the rooms are facing the Bhadra Reservoir. Main attraction of the Cottages was the huge balcony. Spectacular views from the balcony and even from inside the room due to large glass window panels.
Rooms are spacious, neat and well maintained.
Delicious food. All the meals are Buffet style with veg and non veg dishes.two non veg dishes served with lunch and dinner. Caring and smiling faces of the staff in the restaurant makes our stay more memorable.
After Breakfast we went for Kayaking and pedal boating in the Bhadra backwaters.water is very clean and clear.
We went for Jeep Safari in the morning and Boat Safari in the evening.both lasts two and half hours.
Naturalist Kishore accompanied with us during Jeep Safari. Forest was dry. We didn't spot wild animals.we spotted Sambar deer, barking deer, spotted deer, Gaur, Jaunt Malabar Squirrel, Hornbills, dancing peacock and many birds.lt was cool and climate was very pleasant.we enjoyed the forest drive
During Boat Safari we spotted Osprey, Cormorants, great egrets, wood swallows and thousands of River Terns. Both driver Mahesh and naturalist Ms. Saindavi were very informative and knowledgeable. During Boat Safari they halted for some time to enjoy the sunset.
Thanks to River Tern team. You made our stay comfortable, enjoyable and memorable.
One negative thing. Toilet wall is not fully covered with a wall till roof in our cottage (No-18)

Wow experience.fantastic resort.must for people who loves nature and not obsessed to see big cats.

Breathtaking view from the cottages and loghuts. Great service. But food needs improvement. The resort is right in the lap of nature.

One of the best resort. The staff are very courteous and humble. The quality of products and service and process are great. Great value for money.

Good jungle lodge, well maintained, courteous staff, boat safari is a must to do, bhadra has 3 major predators so it's a healthy jungle. We did kayaking, jeep safari, boat safari. Food is delicious here

Fantastic location. One of the best views from the rooms. Overlooking the bhadra dam backwaters. So serene and peaceful. Great safari. Spotted a leopard which is quite rare. Great food and hospitality. The water safari is great for birding.

Been visiting them almost 2-3 times a year for the last few years.you won’t be disappointed.very friendly staff.beautiful place if you want to be one with nature!

Awesome place to go with family and friends. Excellent staff and excellent food. Great place for short trip. I will visit again.

Nice location, right in the bank of reservoir. Nice tasty food. All rooms with nice river view from balcony. Boat Safari is really enjoyable.

Beautiful place, great location, calm and scenic,
Well mannered staff, friendly, awesome food, river and jeep safaris were worth the money.

Excellent stay! Went with family, the food and stay were absolutely amazing. I was ill and they catered to all my requests with a smile. I asked for hot water during the first buffet meal and without having to ask, there was hot water ready for each of my meals after. Gorgeous sunset and sunrise views, you can hear the birds chirping and the silence is so calming. Absolute must visit to escape into nature and enjoy the bliss away from cities. Super clean facilities, great road and boat safari, very friendly and knowledgable staff.
Worth every rupee. Must visit.

Mind Blowing place, it has beautiful senci view from all the rooms and the food is very tasty and healthy, we get lot's of options in food. The staff are very courtios and friendly.

There seems to be a nexus between the so called Government undertaking- The River Tern resort and the Forest department. If you are not staying here the Forest department will refuse for the safari giving some excuse - for example jeep undergoing repairs. At the same time we noticed the River Tern jeep (government jeep) going for a safari. They obviously refused to take us even though they had vacant seats since we didn't book rooms with them. Hence the entire arrangement doesnt favour walk in wild life enthusiasts. Sad that such a situation exists in today's day and age.

River tern is a bird name, mostly those birds can be seen during summer seasons, that's why this jungle lodge was named River Tern Jungle lodge.

Two benefits, thick forest with bandra river flowing, you can view animals either in boat safari or Jeep safari. Both were included in the package, don't worry.

Food and people were too good and service were awesome.

Two type of stay available, one is log hut which is located near to restaurants, if you kids less than 3 years or any senior old people were accompanied, please book LOG HUT rooms.

Another one is COTTAGE room, you need to cross the river by hanging bridge, don't worry it's pretty safe, but kids n old age people might feel hard. You need to walk for room, minimum it will take some 4 to 7 mins. Young couple and family person can book these.

But view from all rooms will be same River view, from balcony it will be awesome.

Food - Excellent
Service - Excellent
Safari - Good (we didn't find much animals)

Born fire was available.
Bar also available.

No room service and beware of MONKEYS.

Enjoy your stay in thick forest jungle.

Very nice place. Location is just beautiful, rooms are clean, staff super friendly, food is amazing. Have visited that place twice already!

Beautiful location. The events were organized and enjoyable. The staff were incredible in all ways, such as hospitality, resourcefulness, wildlife knowledge, cooking, and overall friendliness and accommodation. However, some of the rooms had issues with cleaning and maintenance (rotting wood on doors, poorly closing doors and windows, nonfunctional a/c, etc.). This did not detract from the quality for me personally.

This resort is in a unique location, located on the reservoir load among trees. It has great views, waters sports facility and wild life Safari. Like all JLR lodges it is eco friendly, well organised and inclusive with all meals. The resort has been expanded with more cottages added connected via footbridge. The speciality is nesting of River Tern birds on an island that can only be accessed via boat as well other bird species nesting on submerged trees. Visit it in May-June before monsoon to view the nesting. Wild life Safari is conducted via Jeep as well as boat. After the monsoon, the reservoir will fill up, water sports will be more enjoyable. Worth visiting with family.

Very courtesy staff n extremely well maintained property! Food is great and safari is an amazing experience

This is one of the best places for nature lovers. Good rooms, simple food, great hospitality and amazing experience of jeep and boat safaris. Special mention to the tour guides who made the safaris memorable.

Very good location. Bhadra river back waters. They took us for boat ride, the guide waited patiently for search of wild animals. We got see from a distance.and migrator birds, elephant.food was also good but I feel it is expensive.

A JLR Experience.nothing can go wrong here.the staff is very helpful and ever smiling, when there is no rush one can experience hot roti straight from the fire very delicious. This place has a unique ambience with a lake on side and the Bhadra reserve on the other side. As it was raining heavily did not spot any game but the drive thru eh lush green forest is an experience in itself.

5*s.

One of the best resorts I've been in India.
Located right across Bhadra dam, this jungle lodges is simply outstanding.

If possible get the room far from the reception (where you get to walk on a bridge) to experience the river view from room. Food was good but not outstanding but that's ok when the place itself is serene.

Take the jeep safari and make sure you take some time out for water sports.

This place may be costlier compared other resorts nearby but worth every penny.

Beautiful place to visit with family. Best place to spot wildlife as it is situated in the Bhadra tiger reserve. The resort offers delicious food and clean and big rooms with hot water and air conditioning. There is a jeep Safari and a boat Safari offered by the resort. You can spot man birds and mammals and if you are lucky then can spot wild animals like tigers and leopard. The resort is named after the river term bird which bears a banks of the Bhadra river. These beautiful birds can be seen during the boat Safari. Overall a wonderful experience. A must visit place with family and friends.

Amazing service experience, the staff is too friendly. The view from every cottage is awesome. Very clean environment and the lush greenery makes your stay relaxed. Boat safari experience was great.