A Corbett Safari

These days, time out or a holiday is just not a break from routines but also building in an activity that is pleasurable. With increasing awareness of the importance of health on the one side and considered leisure activities on the other, holiday makers are honing their travel time.  One such activity that is gaining popularity is a holiday with a safari. One of the best safaris in India is Jim Corbett Safari. Our chosen stay at the park was at the Le Roi Resort a Jim Corbett Resort. The resort situated as it was, on the edge of the national park, seemed the perfect place. Its location close to the Bijarani Gate of the Corbett Park seemed ideal for all that we had planned.  The resort is well maintained and well equipped to handle customer requests. We had our plans in place and were very happy that the resort staff went out of their way to accommodate our wishes and help us plan a superb time.

We planned the safari to be part jeep, part by canter with other tourists in the resort and part by elephant.  Being in the heart of the jungle and experiencing the wild made for memorable moments. The motor vehicles would go only this far. Deeper into the jungles, we had to rely on the elephants to carry us.

The Ramganga River, the Dhikala and Bijrani areas are popular safari areas of the jungle of the Corbett National Park. The jungles were thick with the trees and the undergrowth. We came across these carefully cultivated empty spaces which sprouted grass. This was part of the Park maintenance and made to attract deer to feed on these patches. Naturally the deer would attract the tigers. Apart from the wonderful tigers, the abundance of other wild life in the area like leopards, black bears wild birds and other mammals were also waiting to be discovered.

The Himalayan mountain regions of which the Corbett Park is a piece, is therefore rich in the bio diversity that is to be found in these parts. Apart from the tiger, bird lovers find the diverseness and variety of birds, a delight. We ‘googled’ later in the evening to learn at least some of the names of the gorgeous birds we were fortunate to have seen. The Corbett sal forests protect and provide for a whole range of species within its fold. The children wanted more. All good things have to come to an end and we left with a promise to return again.