Bannerghatta National park

Bannerghatta National Park is a national park near Bangalore, India. Spread over an area of 100 square kilometres, it’s a popular tourist destination . There is zoo, a butterfly enclosure, an aquarium, a snake house and a safari park.

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The zoo is fairly well maintained. Take a right at the entrance and that leads to the zoo. The left leads to the safari. A plethora of animals, birds and reptiles are housed including some rare birds from other continents. The large animals/birds are housed in open cages around the zoo, tourists needs to walk around or book a ride on a small battery operated vehicle which will take them around for a fee. However since the vehicle carries a different groups, the flexibility to spend extra  time a particular spot is reduced. It’s a good option for the aged/kids though.

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There are a couple of bakeries inside which offer puffs, burgers and other refreshments. People are allowed to bring their own food also, so find many families enjoying their weekend picnics here. There is ample space to sit and you can refill your water bottle for a small fee as well.

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It will take about 3 hours to complete the zoo tour. The fee for the safari and zoo are different but there is combo offer also available. There is also a special AC safari for a higher cost but I am not sure how many take that. 

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The safari lasts approx 40 mins and animals that you can view include Royal Bengal tigers, black bears, Elephants, White tiger and Lions. Tourists are taken around in small bus enforced with railings on the window. There is an opening for the camera lens to fit through but it is not appropriately placed, so it is difficult to position the lens.

Extremely Important Tip
Reach Early by 10 a.m and head first for the safari. It gets extremely crowded on weekends and you will end up waiting in line for more than 2-3 hours in the hot sun. So finish that up first and then head for the zoo.

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Logistics
Bannerghata National Park is easily accessible via buses from bangalore city or personal transportation.
There is a well maintained bus stop at bannerghata national park and buses from all over the city bring in tourists. Use google maps to get hold of the specific bus numbers.