When you love the outdoors, being stuck in a drab hotel room at night can be a bummer. That’s the reason travel Gods invented the fine art of camping. The southern part of the country is particularly conducive to camping, with open skies, beautiful forests, sprawling plantations and magnanimous hills to accentuate the experience.
All you need to do is show up and find your comfy spot under the starry, starry skies.
With its endless green hills, gushing waterways, and abundant wildlife, Wayanad sure is a camper’s paradise. We recommend a trip to Thirunelli, where you’ll wake up amidst the Western Ghats, swim in the cool waters of the river Kalanidhi, and tour tribal villages and paddy fields throughout the day. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can also splash about a muddy pond while mastering your kabaddi game. At night, you can cosy up in sturdy tents {they will be provided to you} by a roaring campfire under the clear Wayanad sky.
If you’d like to add a bit more glamour to your camping trip, we suggest that you check into the Seagot Banasura resort. Here, you can camp in luxury tents by the Banasura Sagar dam. Apart from venturing out to see the local sights, you can also spend your days angling, river crossing and mountain biking.
Distance From Bangalore: 280 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 6 hours {approx.}
For more details on the Thirunelli trip, click here.
For more details on the Banasura Sagar trip, click here.
One of the most popular camping destinations in the region, you can pitch your tent in many spots here. The best part is that you won’t have to sweat the details too much, as the likes of Thrillophilia and Life Is Outside offer camping packages. Thrillophilia offers a whirlwind tour of Coorg; through coffee plantations, historic spots, and hiking trails during the day. At night, you’ll be able to tuck into a barbeque feast, by a bonfire, before retiring to your tent.
On the other hand, Life Is Outside skips on the trekking bit and offers a stay by the Civet Creek. It’s all about taking in the sights and the sounds of the forest and the plantations that surround it, and enjoying the escape to serenity here. At night, you’ll even be provided with a telescope to explore the starry sky.
Distance From Bangalore: 268 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 5 hours {approx.}
For more information on the Thrillophilia trip, click here.
For more information on the Life Is Outside trip, click here.
Make the most of your trip to Yercaud with a stay in the outdoors. At Chrysalid Outdoors, you and your fellow travellers can settle into comfortable camping tents in the midst of coffee plantations and orange orchards. When you want to stretch your legs, you can roam the vast estate, take in the views and indulge in a few outdoor games.
Distance From Bangalore: 228 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 4 hours 30 minutes {approx.}
For more information on the Chrysalid Outdoors trip, click here.
Explore the Nilgiri Hills and the lush forests that cover it with a camping trip to Mudumalai. If you are game for a Jungle Book type of adventure that takes you deep into the forest, we recommend that you sign up with Mudumalai Adventure. Spread across the three days, you’ll camp in a tribal hut, roam the forests during the day, and get all warm and toasty by a bonfire at night.
However, if you don’t want to leave civilisation behind, book a tent at the Deep Jungle Home getaway. You can choose between basic and deluxe camping tents with thatched roofs. During the day, you can sign up for jungle safaris and kayaking.
Distance From Bangalore: 230 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 5 hours {approx.}
For more information on the Mudumalai Adventure package, click here.
For more information on the Deep Jungle Home package, click here.
If a stay in the mountains is what you are gunning for on your next holiday, Chikamagalur makes for an ideal destination. North of Chikmagalur, deep in the Baba Budungiri range, Devigiri Homestay makes for a serene spot. You can check into their rather spacious camping tents after spending your day trekking through the mountains, roaming the surrounding plantations, and digging into their delicious, organic meals.
Distance From Bangalore: 243 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 4 hours 15 minutes {approx.}
For more information on Devigiri homestays, click here.
Nestled deep in the Western Ghats {near Shimoga}, Kodachadri’s unspoiled beauty is worth exploring. The Bangalore Mountaineering Club holds regular trekking and camping sojourns to this destination {there’s one happening on June 3, 2016}. You’ll spend the day scaling the green peaks, returning back to the base camp at night.
Distance From Bangalore: 442 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 8 hours {approx.}
For more information on the Bangalore Mountaineering Club trip, click here.
By the River Cauvery and surrounded by lush foliage, the Bheemeshwari Nature & Adventure Camp is where you can go glamping. You can park yourself at well-equipped, plush tented cottages at night, after, of course, a day filled with activities like zip lining, trekking, rafting, and kayaking.
Distance From Bangalore: 101 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 2 hours 40 minutes {approx.}
For more information on the Bheemeshwari Nature Camp, click here.
Just outside Munnar, the Meesapulimala peak affords breathtaking views of the surrounding mist-covered hills. You can trek up from Munnar to reach the camping site, and then check into tents provided by the Kerala Tourism Department at the base camp. They also have a Sky Cottage {though not a tent} that perches on a mountain edge and faces a gushing waterfall.
During the day, if your aching body permits, you can even scale the Meesapulimala peak {at an altitude of 8,700 feet}.
Distance From Bangalore: 512 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 9 hours 20 minutes {approx.}
For more information on the Kerala Tourism Department camps, click here.
A short drive from Bangalore, the Manchinbele Reservoir has become a hotbed of adventure activities and a popular haunt for bird-watchers. While you can embark on a camping trip of your own, you’ll have to obtain permission from the military base nearby first. We recommend that you skip the hassle and head straight to the Xtreme Zone property nearby. You can amuse yourself with rappelling, zip lining, kayaking, and rounds of paintball, before retiring to your cosy tent in the night.
Distance From Bangalore: 41 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 1 hour {approx.}
For more information on the Xtreme Zone facilities, click here.
A hill station in the Malnad region, Sakleshpur is a favourite with trekkers and campers. The endless hills are covered in coffee, cardamom, and arecanut plantations, and make for a scenic setting. You can book your tent at the Tusk & Dawn retreat or the rustic Japavathi Camp, and settle in for a holiday filled with outdoor activities.
Distance From Bangalore: 220 kms {approx.}
Driving Time: 4 hours {approx.}
For more information on the Tusk & Dawn getaway, click here.
For more information on the Japavathi Camp getaway, click here.
