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IT is a forest camp in a magazine house. It had been an ammunition dump, last used to store dynamite nearly 20 years ago. And the dynamite was used to blast granite hills to build the Supa dam. Impounding the waters of River Kali, the dam now generates electricity from deep within the thick forests of northern Karnataka, its outflow driving four other power stations down river before it disgorges into the Arabian Sea at Karwar.

Haven for nature enthusiasts

Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), a unit of the tourism department of the Government of Karnataka, was quick to spot the potential of the old magazine house lying disused in the forest near a little village called Ganeshgudi. They promptly acquired it. Today it is a haven for nature enthusiasts and travellers seeking solitude. Peace and tranquillity abound here, surrounded as it is by an extensive reserve forest and perched at an altitude of 1,800 feet. The climate is salubrious round the year.

The camp originally consisted of only two warehouses. JLR added a string of bamboo huts between the two red-hued structures. One has been converted into a dormitory and kitchen with a dining area on its covered terrace while the other is used to store adventure sports equipment and doubles as living quarters for British guides who oversee all outdoor activities. What you find here is a window to a life that seemingly comes closest to Mother Nature. That bond, forgotten and trampled under the rush of modern-day living, gets a wake-up call here as it were and you experience a sense of peace and quietude you haven't felt in a long time.

As night falls, the ambience takes on a different hue. Hurricane lamps strung from poles beside the huts mark their positions in the dim campsite. Electricity is used sparingly and the surrounding forest comes alive with night sounds. Scraps of conversation you had earlier in the day with Mike, the rafting guide from Wales, drift across your mind. "This is panther country," he'd averred. "There are nine black panthers in the range, and leopards. As for herbivores, there are elephants, gaur and deer." Late in the night, curled up in bed with a book, you look at the flimsy bamboo door of your hut and the flimsier latch with some trepidation. Then you remember the tall steel fence around the camp and the uniformed guard inside the security post and you relax... and perhaps let your thoughts drift to the campfire and barbeque earlier in the evening. "Today we make Nepalese chicken barbeque." That would be Kim, the Nepalese man Friday in the camp — water sports guide, naturalist, specialist cook, all rolled into one. As the guests sit around a crackling bonfire under the canopy of a huge tree on inviting rattan chairs, Kim deftly manoeuvres skewers of marinated chicken on the grill. Jumma, his assistant, scuttles between the kitchen and the campfire bearing kebabs and drinks on wooden trays. Softly blowing wind, chirping crickets and hooting owls provide a soothing serenade. Night heightens the sense of isolation.

Getting there

Actually, you begin to sense it even as you drive up to the camp from Hubli. A left turn at the Hubli bypass, another 25 km ahead and you reach the Goa road. A right turn next; three km ahead and at Narayanpura another right turn will lead straight to Dandeli. Finally, a last stretch of 25 km and you are in Ganeshgudi. It's from around Narayanpura that you begin to notice the change. Thinning habitation gives way to an increasingly wooded terrain. For miles, you meet no one, just trees and more trees. Langurs or an occasional fox dart across the road, while birds call out from the surrounding foliage reminding you that you are trespassing on their territory. Before long, even the drone of the engine begins to jar.

Variety of activities

Once in the camp however, you can pit your wits against the River Kali. The river, especially in the latter part of the year, provides endless opportunities for fun. Experienced guides take you on white water rafting and kayaking expeditions. Mountain biking, jungle safaris and trekking are the other activities. For the less adventurous, a slow coracle ride on the placid stretches of the river to view crocodiles and water birds; languorous elephant rides into the jungle; or angling by the riverside are the options.

John Pollard, an Englishman, who runs the camp on behalf of JLR, is sanguine. "This place is yet to be fully discovered by tourists, it's not yet on the regular circuit. But I'm optimistic." He's quite right of course. And the low tariff won't hurt its popularity either.

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