Have you ever dreamt of taking a stroll over the canopy of rain forest? If yes, then it is going to be a reality. The Karnataka tourism department and the forest department are joining hands to provide such a unique experience to the travellers.
You can take this out-of-the-world canopy walk at the Kuveshi Wildlife Castle Rock range in Karnataka. The famous Dudhsagar Waterfall is near this forest region that is part of the Kali Tiger Reserve. The tourists can embark on a walk through the narrow bridge, which is 30m above ground level, over the verdant rain forest of the Western Ghats. This forest area houses trees such as Malabar tamarind, cinnamon, bamboo, bauhinia, eucalyptus, lantana, silver oak, teak and ‘jamba’, besides many more than 100-year-old trees of different varieties.
The 240m long elevated walkway had been built at a cost of Rs 84 lakh. The entry fee for adults is Rs 500 and for children Rs 300. Toilets, drinking water and drivers to ferry in tourists are available at the spot. A group of 10 people, along with a guide, can walk through the structure at a time. In the first year of its opening, the bridge was closed for a few days during the monsoon season.
It is pretty easy to reach Kuveshi as it well-connected by air, rail and road. The nearest main airport is the Belagavi airport in Belgaum and the Castle Rock railway station is near to the canopy walk. Accommodation facilities are available in Dandeli, which is nearly 60km away from Kuveshi.
It is noteworthy that only a few countries provide canopy walk experience for backpackers. The world’s longest canopy walk, which is 500m long, is at Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia.
