A trip out on the river has you floating in the midst of two National parks flanking the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With Nagarhole on one side and Bandipur on the other, their habitants step out onto these banks to quench their thirst. While herds of elephants, deer, bison and even the mighty cats come out for a drink, the reservoir’s most frequent visitors are marsh crocodiles and water birds like herons, kingfishers, cormorants, spot-billed ducks and many more.