The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges
Near Bhadra Forest Area, Lakvalli, Chikmagalur 577115 India
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Location
4.8
Cleanliness
4.3
Service
4.4
Value
4.0
Nestled in the Western Ghats the River tern lodge gets its name from the nearby island that attracts hundreds of river terns during the breeding season. It is located on a hillock on the edge of the Bhadra reservoir, near Lakkavali: a stone's throw away from the northern boundary of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, in the Chikmaglur district. Chikmaglur was once a princess' dowry - and still holds the charms of a place that a king's favourite daughter once took as her dowry. Amongst all this, is a perfect place to form a whole new bond with nature.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Lazy river
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Airport transportation
Room features
Private balcony
Bath / shower
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HOTEL STYLE
Family
Location
Near Bhadra Forest Area, Lakvalli, Chikmagalur 577115 India
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Location is very good, rooms are ok. No room service. Safaris were good but did not find much animal sightings. Food was nice. Little difficult for older people to manage if we get rooms on the other side of the hanging bridge.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
River tern lodge is a very close to nature resort situated in the bhadra dam reservoir in karnataka. It is one of the resort owned and maintained by the government of karnataka under jungle lodges & resorts aka JLR. The package included all the meals, 1 jeep safari and 1 boat safari. It is a very refreshing environment with water body and greenery all around. Meals were also excellent.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Must admit I was a bit apprehensive of the property before booking. However when we reached the entire experience right from the food to the stay to the safari arrangements were exceptional. Staff were courteous and very helpful. Highly recommend visiting ‘ The River Tern ‘
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We loved our 2 night stay at the RTL. All the staff were very attentive, caring and kind. The guides were very knowledgeable. The programme was diverse, with water sports and different types of safaris including boat and jeep. The food was truly special, not only varied but every dish was delicious. I recommend this resort to anyone looking for see wildlife in Karnataka/India. It made our trip very special.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
One of the best Jungle resorts. Excellent cottages. The resort is located very close to Bhadra dam and the views from all the rooms overlooking the backwaters are amazing. Breakfast/lunch/dinner spread was very good .The Boat/Jeep safari trips are organized very well and I truly appreciate the since efforts by the staff to help us spot the animals and birds.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
The River Tern experience was one of the best wildlife experience so far. Right from check in to cleanliness and quality of the Room to the best in class Service to sumptuous Food to Safari arrangements to Water sports - everything was 10/10. I could not find a single flaw. Minutest details like Non veg items kept separate from Veg dishes and a log book kept inside the drawer with a checklist, shows how much they care for their Guests. The cottages are located bit far from the Restaurant but we stayed in a Log Hut which was much more convenient. Each hut has a superb view of River Bhadra backwaters. The food served was excellent and the range, simply awesome. Service with a smile is their motto, which we normally do not come across in Government managed properties. The common tip box at the Reception is a great idea so that we do not miss anyone. I would love to go again just for a great staying experience.…
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Room Tip: Choose the Log huts unless you are fit enough to walk a long distance to the Cottage
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
Location of this resort along the Bhadra backwaters is awesome. The backwaters are clean and we did water activities post morning safaris... Beautiful to swim and relax. The resort is also well spread out with great views from the loghut and cottage. Cottage room is slightly bigger than loghut. We stayed in loghut 7,8 for a night and then obliged to switch over to a cottage for 2 nights as one of the group had older people who could not handle the long uphill/downhill from the cottage. So, be careful when you book the room. We got lucky with safaris as Bhadra is not known for good sightings... We got 2 different sightings of leopards and one sighting of 2 sub-adult tigers. Few new raptors as well in the boat safari. Jungle has good views, but sparse wildlife as there is plenty of vegetation and water and hence animals don't come out much. Got to see a huge herd of 15 elephants, sloth bear, besides other common mammals. We got to enjoy a lone tusker cooling itself in the water in the boat safari which was amazing and lastly we got a serpent eagle catching a small rock python. Jeep safaris are bumpy - though the drivers do their best and are polite and knowledgeable as well. Boat safari is relaxing and nice - I liked the smaller boat better as we can get closer to wildlife and views are unobstructed. Food and service is very good - the staff cares about you and does their best. Best food among the different JLRs that we have been to. Homely, great variety and tasty. Only feedback was to reduce sweetness in the sweets which they did. Recommended place - we will go again in a different season to experience the river tern rituals.…
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Date of stay: December 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
I had visited River Tern Lodge for 2 days in the second last week of December with my mother, son and wife. We drove from Bangalore and the roads were a pleasure to drive on. Our entire travel time was 5.5 hours (303 kms) with a 30 min break. We had packed a lot of sweaters but the weather was quite sunny and hot. However, the jackets and shawls did come in handy during the early morning jeep safari into the forest. We stayed on the island (which is across the cable bridge) in cottages 14 and 15 but the walk and the climb was too strenuous for my mother. The log huts on the mainland are slightly smaller than the cottages and these are quite close to Gol Ghar - the restaurant. One would still have to climb up from the main reception, boat safari or water games to reach these. For senior citizens or those with mobility issues, the log huts would be a safer option but some physical exertion would still be involved. The package covers breakfast, lunch and dinner along with tea/coffee in the evenings. The rooms also have a kettle with milk, sugar, drinking water and tea/coffee sachets. There is no wi-fi service anywhere in the resort and neither do the rooms come with phones or tv. Mobile network is mostly sketchy so it turned out to be a real getaway with no outside contact. Every single cottage and hut overlooks the river so its absolutely blissful to sit in the balcony and take in the gorgeous views. The chirping of the birds is heavenly. Surprisingly, there were no mosquitoes! We were also very happy to find the rooms/toilets spotlessly clean with no musty smell or ants running around (we have faced this problem in other resorts). Food in the restaurant was very delicious and the spread kept changing during our stay. There is also the option of room service for those who cant make the steep climb to the restaurant. The most memorable part of my trip was the experience with each and every staff. They are extremely courteous, friendly and go out of their way to make the guests comfortable. I would like to particularly thank Messrs. Suresh Babu, Lokesh (our guide on the boat), Suveen (our guide for the jeep safari), Ravikumar (restaurant in-charge), Manju (front desk) and Venkatesh (operations). I have never experienced such hospitality in any other resort. They are passionate and take pride in what they do. We thoroughly enjoyed the safaris and were lucky enough to spot many species of deer, wild dogs, boar, crocodile, monitor lizards, elephants, gaurs, langurs and a variety of birds. Unfortunately, the tiger and the leopard kept us guessing :( - my mother could not join us on the jeep safari and I wouldn't recommend it for people with back problems or motion sickness. The ride is extremely bumpy and can get a bit painful at times. The most comfortable seat is the one just behind the driver. I would like to thank the management of River Tern lodge for a lovely experience and it was the perfect holiday for us! Would definitely recommend this place to anybody and attaching a few pics for reference. …
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Date of stay: December 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
We stayed at this lodge for one night. Like other JLR properties, staff at the lodge is very courteous and professional. The resort is located very close to Bhadra dam and the views from all the rooms overlooking the backwaters are amazing. Food was authentic & very well made. Breakfast/lunch/dinner spread was very good and the variety was more than adequate for eco resort like JLR. Activities at this resort include 2 hour evening safari into Bhadra tiger reserve as well as 2 morning boat safari in the backwaters. In addition to that you can do kayaking, peddle boating etc. (included in the room rent). We were very lucky to spot male leopard during evening safari despite thick winter vegetation. Fall colours in the forest very amazing and the vast expanse of water was mesmerising. One of the best JLR properties for sure!…
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
The location of River Tern Lodge -JLR is on the Bhadra dam backwaters, you can have a superb view of slient water and the bhadra hills. The Log Huts are located close to the dining room and the reception area while the Cottages are located on an island which is connected to the main land with a cable bridge. Its a bit of a walk to the cottages but its worth it since the cottages offer the best view. We stayed in cottage #13, which is the perfect. Food is good in all the JLR properties, we enjoyed . We have Boat Safari and the Jeep Safari, Both are really good that we go on a boat in the backwater for 3 hours for animal and birds sightings . We go into the bhadra tiger reserve forest in the Jeep ride, which is really good but one must be lucky to sight Tigers :). This property also has the Ayurveda Kendra - massage was good. The documentary show in the evening was really worth watching, followed by bonfire. We had a fantastic stay @ River Tern. I Definitely recommend the Place.…
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: Cottages has best View
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Palette - The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges
LOCATION
IndiaKarnatakaChikkamagaluru DistrictChikmagalurLakvalli
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
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Claim Your ListingTHE RIVER TERN LODGE JUNGLE LODGES - Updated 2023 Reviews (Lakvalli, India)
Frequently Asked Questions about The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges
Which popular attractions are close to The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges?
Nearby attractions include Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (0.8 miles) and Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary (0.04 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Does The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges have airport transportation?
Yes, The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does The River Tern Lodge Jungle Lodges have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the river view available here.