Mysore has a handful of nature and forest getaways that are within a couple of hours. Of them Kabini, about 75 km to the Southwest, has to be the nearest as well as most beautiful since it combines hills, forests and river. Part of the Nagarahole National Park, it is on the periphery and is beautifully located with thick forest on one side and a gentle river on the other. Though named after the river, the area is actually the banks of the backwaters of the dam built across the river Kapila. There are a variety of accommodation options in the area including the pioneer, Jungle Lodges’s Kabini Resort. More than three decades old, the resort is also somewhat of a heritage structure since it used to be the Maharajah’s hunting lodge. Though a jungle safari is the thing to do here, more interesting is the boat safari, either at dawn or at dusk, besides which there are also elephant rides.