Mudumalai

Overview

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve covers 688.59 sq km of forest in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district, at the point where the state meets Karnataka and Kerala. It is for people hoping to see elephants, gaur and, with luck, a tiger, and October to May is the usual time to go. At 850 to 1,250 m the ground is far lower than the Ooty plateau above it, so days here are warm.

The name means "ancient hill range". The area became a 60 sq km sanctuary in 1940, was enlarged in 1977, joined the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and was declared a tiger reserve in 2007. Today a 321 sq km national park forms the core, with a buffer zone of 367.59 sq km around it. The reserve touches Bandipur in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala, so wildlife moves across three protected areas, and the Moyar river drains the forest. A 2018 estimate counted 103 tigers in the wider reserve, but sightings are brief and uncommon, and the forest listings name elephants, gaur, panthers and spotted deer as the animals you are more likely to see.

Where you sleep decides what you can do. The reserve's reception centre is at Theppakadu, where visitors arrange activities, and the elephant camp there is a regular stop. Masinagudi, about 30 km from Ooty at 950 m, lies in the buffer zone, and most private jungle stays and jeep operators are based in and around it. The village is described as Irula country, and its name is traced to the goddess Manasi Amman.

Rules have been changing. Safari hours, the vehicles allowed and access on the Kalhatti ghat road are regulated and have changed more than once, so confirm the current rules with the forest department before booking. Confirm both points close to your dates.

Roads shape the plan. From Ooty the shorter route is 36 km via Kalhatti, against 67 km via Gudalur, and Mysuru is about 91 km away. Rain averages about 1,420 mm a year, mostly in the southwest monsoon from June to September, and July and August are muddy.

Known for

Run through the reserve's designated routes