A Day in Daroji

An overnight train journey from Bangalore brought us to Hospet, and within minutes of getting off the train, we were on the road to the Sloth Bear Resort. This was my first visit to Hampi and as cliché as it sounds, in many ways it was indeed “a dream coming true”. The 17kms to the resort was along a road filled with trees, and fields on one side, while there were rugged mountains on the other. Upon seeing the board “Karadi Cafe” I knew we had reached the resort.


Our cottage was tucked away behind the dining area, and the winding up had quite a rustic feel to it. The room was fitted with all amenities we could want, and had a balcony to sit and feast on the sunrise or sunset. We ordered a cup of hot tea, and that was all it took to have us refreshed and ready to explore the property.

We also met the naturalist Virupaksha, who promised to take us birding within an hour along the river Tungabhadra. This time eyes tuned to the vast open space around us, and ears sharp waiting for a bird call. In that one hour, we spotted quite a few birds- kingfishers, Sand piper, quails, grey heron, parakeets, Purple heron, and Hoopoes wandering near the canal.

With just two days, we wanted to see as much of Hampi as possible. Next on the agenda I was told was the visit to the Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Daroji which is where the resort draws its name from.

I had seen pictures of the bears lounging on the rocks, and to think I was going to be seeing them in real had me excited. We drove into the sanctuary, watching a wild boar cross ahead us, before driving ahead and parking the jeep near the rocks where the bears would come. We didnt have to wait more than a few minutes, and we saw a bear stroll along towards us with two cubs in tow.


Soon, there were quite a few and all they were focussed on were the sweet licks on the rocks. Did not pay any attention to us, but went about lapping up their treats. The bears soon made their way along the path towards the exit of the enclosure and we drove along, capturing them. It was wonderful to watch a mother bear protect her cub from a male that came hovering about, two bears fight for the patch of rock and how at ease they were around humans.


The sun set as we drove out back to the resort, while the bears lingered on my mind. I was already looking forward to many more treats in store at Hampi.

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