The focus of this trip, Jim Corbett National Park, is arguably one of India's most beautiful wildlife areas. With a tiger population numbering an estimated 160 animals, it is an important stronghold of this endangered cat. The park's 600 square kilometers of virgin forest and jungle are home to numerous other species of fauna from the rare Himalayan black bear to the common spotted deer. For bird enthusiasts, the area is considered one of the best bird-watching areas in India, with some 600 species having been sighted in the park.
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Day One
Today, you will begin the drive from Delhi very early in order to avoid rush-hour traffic. The drive will take you through the towns and villages across the Gangetic plains, before reaching Corbett Park, nestled against the foothills of the Himalayas. You will stop en route for a packed snack. Upon arrival in the early afternoon, you will have lunch and then have a few hours to relax before going on the first of three trips into the park. Open jeeps will collect you from the lodge and you will enter the park for a three-hour jeep safari. Upon your return in the evening, gather around the bonfire (if the temperature warrants it) for drinks and snacks, followed by a sumptuous dinner.
Day Two
Today will be spent almost entirely in Jim Corbett National Park. Before sunrise, jeeps will take you into the park for a two-hour elephant safari. Afterwards, you will return to the lodge for lunch, and then reenter the park in the early afternoon for a jeep safari.
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An elephant safari is a unique way of seeing Jim Corbett National Park's jungle that is particularly spectacular soon after dawn as the mist rises over the riverbeds and the forest wakes up. One has a chance of seeing any of a wide variety of wildlife including several species of deer and monkey, wild boar, elephant, leopard, tiger, mongoose and fox to name just a few. The park is also known worldwide for its prolific birdlife.
Another way of seeing Jim Corbett National Park is to go on a jeep safari. We seat a maximum of 4 people in a small Suzuki jeep, so that each guest has access to good wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities. In jeeps it is possible to cover more of the park and thus experience a wider variety of scenery and vegetation types than was possible on elephant. Also, as animals have become somewhat accustomed to vehicles in the park, you are more likely to get close to animals than on elephant back or on foot.
Click here for images of recent sightings. |
Day Three
Today you will go on a relatively long but easy walk into the forests of the park's buffer zone. During the walk there is a high likelihood of coming across tiger pugmarks, an ever-present reminder that you are truly in the realm of the wild creatures. Picnic in the forest en route and then return to the lodge for a relaxing afternoon.
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A walk in the wild...
The very best way to get a true feel for the many aspects of the Indian jungle, is to go on a guided walk. From the lodge, we will enter the buffer zone of Jim Corbett Park where we will pay close attention to all the denizens of the jungle. An estimated 600 species of birds have been sighted here, many of which are shy and retiring and only emerge when we stop to listen to the eerie silence of the forest. The trees include the majestic Sal, the contorted Banyan and the towering Silk Cotton, and the animal trails we follow that wend their way between their trunks, often bear the signs of passing deer, boar, elephant and, without fail, the tiger! The realisation that we are at the very bottom of the pecking order in this jungle realm is humbling and exciting... |
Day Four
After breakfast, embark on the six-hour drive back to Delhi that will take you through bustling provincial towns as well as the picturesque farmlands of the Gangetic plain. En route, stop at a local teahouse or dhaba for morning tea and again later for a packed brunch. Clean facilities are available along the way and stops will be made as required. Arrive in Delhi around mid afternoon where you will be dropped at your hotel.
| Nights |
Property Featured in this Itinerary |
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Deluxe |
| 1-3 |
Wildspace Lodge |
| *Please contact Wildspace for the pricing of this itinerary. |
Inclusions |
