By Mukti Sharma
Its not the time, it the enthusiasm which takes you here. Nestling amongst
the thick forest this tiger territory is full of adventure and thrill.
Spread over an area of 13 acres, filled with exotic shurberry, alive with
flowers and trees all around. Its the best one could have found in a Man
Made Jungle – the Real jungle.
My idea was to get a hideaway for one or two day from the harsh conditions
of the city jungle but this one seemed to a better one. And whats more,
apart from the 176 mango trees, there are the Jack fruit trees, bamboos,
hibiscus, rain flower, gandharaja are also there. This beautiful bounty was
sure to catch the fire. Any person visiting this place is bound to stay here
for at least a week.
If you intend to stay here in one of the Cottages then make sure some of
the basic facilities are provided 24*7 like running water, tea and coffee, a
television set and Jeep Safari arrangements. Most of them provide these
facilities, but they differ in services.
I was staying in the Corbett Hideaway and it provided me with the best of
the facilities – sloping tiled roofs, cool stone floors with throw
rugs, modern wood furniture, a television set, modern facilities in the
bathroom and room services at all hours of the day.
I reached the Corbett park in the afternoon. Unpacking the bags, and after
having lunch in the afternoon, we went for a stroll in the nearby areas o f
the Corbett Hideway. Lush green trees with the fruit s dandling with them,
the Cuckoo singing to its own rhythm it was pleasant walk. On the way the
our guide kept on telling us about the nature of the Tigers and what way we
should behave in case the
Tiger
comes in front of us in the Safaris. He told us, we had three options for
the Safaris
Elephant,
Jeep or Horse Safari. Different tracks were used for the three of them
seeing the security of the travellers.
It was getting dark and we moved towards the Cottage. Dinner as we were
told will be served early. It was just 8 p.m. , and there the dinner was
laid out. Deep fried kebabs, kumaon sabzi and minestrone soup the food was
quite elegant. Tired as we were we went to sleep in the nice and cosy room.
It was quite early when we were woken up by the Tea Bearer. I saw the clock
– it was 5 a.m. After refreshments our guide took us for the Jeep
Safari. As per his say it was a good time for us to see the rising birds,
fluttering birds, tigers coming out of their den, cubs playing in the
grounds and the elephants bathing in the lake. And it was truly beautiful.
It was 11 o clock when we came back to the cottage – hungry and a
little tired. Still after the breakfast we went on for the second round of
safari. It was the time when tigers came out for the shikar/ prey. It was
ride different from the morning one, with the rugged terrains and less
number of trees. There were large number of grass lands – we were lucky
enough to see a tiger with its two cubs crossing the Jungle road. The
magnificence which Corbett has described in his books is so much real.
Silence prevailed as the Tiger went by. That was the first and last sight of
a tiger walking in the open .... . With a few more rounds, we went back to
the Cottage. In the route we saw some of the endangered species of birds,
the sloth bear, dhole – the wild dog, himalayan black beer,
neel
gai and some tortoises. Our Guide told that there are also some
pythons but they never come near the Cottage.
The clock stuck 3 o clock when we reached our cottage. Lunch was served and
then we lay dead in our rooms. In the evening some of us went for the
Ayurveda packages which were being given by the Ayurveda Centre in the
Corbett Hideway. The night was spent watching the stars and listening to the
Night Birds.
The next day we went for a stroll and laid down like lazy owls. With two
days of rest and
adventure, now we were ready to
pack our bags..
Fact File :
Corbett National Park is at a distance of 300 kms from
Delhi near
Ramnagar. Ramnagar, the closest town is 10 kms away from the Jim Corbett.
For staying in Jim Corbett, you have to book a cottage, either in the Jim
Corbett itself or some of the hideouts in Ramnagar which is 10 kms away.
Usually the deluxe cottages charge upto Rs 4000 per day which is inclusive
of stay,food and 24 hours of service. The
food
served here is Continental and Indian Menu along with soups in the dinner.
Here is also the Gurnery House where Jim Corbett spent years of his life
devoting to the wild cat. There is also a collection of Jim Corbett's Books
which can be taken for reading. Once read these have to be deposited back in
the Gurnery House.
