Old Magazine House - Jungle Lodges

OMH is a haven for birds and birders. The bird bath with the hide provides serious birders/bird-watchers a great opportunity to observe and photograph exotic endemic and migratory bird species from up close. During our stay there we also had the enriching company of a group of seasoned birders. The hospitality of the staff is impeccable. Food simply delicious. Birding guides are very good in spotting and identifying. A thorough delightful experience in which we clicked many lifers.

A very good Birding destination amidst the nature. All action happens next to the dormitory area where there is a small hide kind of set up is made and mostly the action begins around 4.00 pm. You can enjoy adventure sport like river rafting in Kali river (of course we didn't go for one) We stayed for couple of nights in November 22 in individual rooms (there are dormitories also for budget travelers) the stay was good but feel the pricing is on bit higher side for the facilities. Its again individuals perception. One caution if one is travelling during rainy season beware of leaches.

I had been to this property second time and day by day it's loosing it's charm as good birding location as every year lesser bird varieties are found here. Only bird activity one can find on the hide is after 3 PM and most of the morning goes waste. They do take you too near by places like Supa dam and Timber depot but not much is there either. Rooms are quite clean and neat but in my 2 night stay no one cleaned the room. Food is average and most of the time served cold. Being in Karnataka they don't even know how to make good dosa. Our biggest shocker was that I made full payment 2 month in advance and while checking out I was told that I need to pay additional Rs.888/- due to some software error at the time of booking. i was also told that one group had to pay extra rs.4000+ for same reason which is quite unprofessional and pathetic. I would not visit this place again.

Positives Nice big room with extra bed. Food is excellent. Staff is very helpful & courteous. The surroundings are very quiet & beautiful. Good for photographing a lot of birds, butterflies and insects. Cons: Since it's in the forest be cautious of reptiles & snakes which are a common feature. Fans in the rooms make a lot of noise.

We stayed at OMH in Oct 2022 for 3 days. It was a great experience. The jungle is exquisitely beautiful. The location of OMH is nice, close to Supa dam. The Manager Mr Nadaf and his team were extremely helpful and courteous. Food is simple but good choices and tasty. Deluxe rooms were very nicely appointed and clean considering the dense jungle environment. I would suggest that visitors avoid wet months to be able to avoid the menace of leeches that can spoil most jungle activities. Also come prepared for jungle trails and proper attire/shoes etc. IMO its not really a place for casual/short site-seeing tour.