Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park

Next stop on my itinerary was every wildlife enthusiasts favorite destination; Jim Corbett National Park. This is located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Till now I was exploring the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The change in regions was evident from the people, the language and the ambiance in general. 

The major highlight of Jim Corbett National Park was the jungle safari. I had booked my resort "The Corbett Machaan" which was in the Teda village some 4 km from Ramnagar. Ramnagar is the nearest city before one enters the Jim Corbett National Park.

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve

The jungle safari into the Jim Corbett National Park is the closest one can get to exploring the wildlife in the natural habitat. Ensure to book your jungle safari in advance (at least 30 days) since the seats are limited and the forest authorities do not entertain any last minute booking even if there are seats available. 

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve

There are 3 types of jungle safaris available. One can choose among the 3 as per your convenience, availability and budget. The 3 options are:

1. Jeep safari (Approx 3500-4000 per head)

2. Elephant Safari (Approx 3000-3500 per head)

3. Canter Safari (Approx 1500-2000 per head)

The booking can be done directly on the Jim Corbett jungle safari website or you can get your hotel to manage the booking on your behalf. You need a valid ID proof to be able to complete the booking and the same ID proof is validated during the safari. 

There are 2 sessions of the safari; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each lasting about 3-4 hours. 

There are 5 zones within Jim Corbett National Park. One can book the safari to each of the zones independently. Choose your resort close to the zone in which you plan to take the safari for convenience. The 5 zones are:

1. Dhikala

2. Jhirna

3. Bijrani

4. Durga Devi

5. Sonanadi

Jim Corbett Statue

I had booked the canter safari in the Dhikala zone. The canter is basically an open van with seats in ascending order. The canter is more noisy as compared to a jeep or an elephant safari and cannot go into deep jungle. But I booked the same since Dhikala is the only zone where canter safari is available and it is also the cheapest option :)

Though it is widely believed that your chances of sighting a tiger in a canter safari are next to impossible considering the noise it makes while passing through the jungle. 

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve Canter

It was an early morning start. The canter safari starts from the forest department's main office at Ramnagar and one needs to reach there at 6 am in the morning. Since we did not have our own vehicle, we booked a pickup and drop from the hotel. They arranged an open jeep for us. We left at around 5 am in the morning. It was pitch dark and chilled. Temperature was well below 10 degree Celsius; something we Mumbaikar's are not accustomed to.

The adventure started for us right from the resort. I choose to stand in the open jeep and enjoy the chill. While it was pitch dark with only the jeep headlamps to helping us see the road, a large sambar deer jumped right across the road and the driver rammed the brakes hard to avoid a collision. And I was really impressed by his comments just as he was again starting the jeep; "It was our mistake; this jungle belongs to them. We are trespassers".  

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve Entrance

We reached the forest office at Ramnagar and the driver introduced us to the guide who would accompany us on the safari. We waited at the office and the canter came along in 10-15 mins. It was all wet with the dew all night. We wiped the seats and took our places. In some time all the other tourists also joined us. The canter left the forest office and the entry gate to Dhikala zone is about 14-15 km. This drive was extremely chilled.

We reached the entry gate and the forest officials checked our ID proofs before letting the canter into the jungle. By now the sun was out but it was still very chilled because of the dense forest. 

We came across many trees which were brought down by termites. This phenomenon as per our guide is the sign of a healthy forest wherein old aging trees are brought down and it creates space for new trees. 

Tree brought down by termites

All this while the search for the elusive tiger had already started. We saw many spotted deer just roaming around freely and crossing our path. The road condition was just about good considering that they had just opened the park a fortnight ago post monsoon when it remains closed for 4-5 months. We passed by many places where the road didn't exist at all. Our guide informed us that these are places where the rain water flows rampantly during heavy rains and damages the roads beyond repairs.   

Jim Corbett

Spotted deer @ Jim Corbett

We spotted many birds, pheasants and a python. But the python was very swift to disappear into the bushes by the time we reversed the canter. We spotted a couple of giant owls on the top of a tree. It is believed that once the owls select a particular location they can stay at that place for years together.   

Grasslands @ Jim Corbett

We reached a point where we had the Kosi river flowing alongside. By now we were nearing the midpoint of our safari from we would be returning back on the same route. Sadly we didn't sight any tigers till now. And the guide too was not very optimistic since he told us that so far this year none of the canter safari's have spotted a tiger. 

We did spot the black buck, sambar deer and multi horned deer. We also spotted elephants grazing in the grasslands. It is believed that there are high chances that the tigers would be hiding in these grasslands and these are burned in the months of Mar-April when the chances of tiger sighting become very high.  

Deer by the river@ Jim Corbett

We reached the midpoint of the safari. There were guest houses, rest rooms and a cafeteria. The view from here of the Kosi river was amazing. View pics above and below. There were many deer, alligators and birds visible in the river. 

Kosi river @ Jim Corbett

Elephants @ Jim Corbett

In about 30 mins we started the return journey. For the first 3-4 km we took a different route. This was the place where many scenes from the movie Kaal starring Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, Esha Deol and Lara Dutta were shot.  

Kaal movie Ajay Devgan entry scene @ Jim Corbett

We came across an open vast area. There were many deer grazing and having a fun time. Our guide showed us the oldest tree in the forest which was sadly struck by lightning 2 years ago. He also showed us Corbett oranges which were small and yellowish orange in color. 

Spotted deer @ Jim Corbett

We had a really good time in the safari but sadly the main attraction of spotting a tiger eluded us. And just as we were loosing hope of sighting a tiger; we came across a jeep with only one tourist who seemed to be a professional photographer signalling to us to stop the canter and reduce the noise. 

Eureka; there was the elusive tiger sunbathing by the river in the location below. 

Spotted tiger @ this spot in Jim Corbett

Though the tiger was very far and barely visible by our naked eyes; we borrowed the high end binoculars from the photographer and were able to see the tiger. 

We were overjoyed and were even more excited since we were the first group this year in the canter safari to have spotted the tiger :)

Corbett Falls

The Corbett Falls are located on the route towards Nainital and very close to Haldwani. We initially did not have plans to visit this place but our driver who was dropping us to Nainital proposed us this idea that he will take us to Corbett Falls, Corbett Museum and some spots around Nainital for an additional Rs. 300. 

The deal seemed a good bargain and we were really glad we went along with it since that gave us an additional free day in Nainital which we utilized by visiting Mukteshwar. Will cover this in a separate blog.   

Corbett Falls Entrance

The Corbett Falls are located in the forest area about 2-3 km off road. There is a small trek of about 500 m to the falls. There is a small picturesque waterfall. The waterfall now has been enclosed by fencing since the area around the waterfall has become very dangerous post the flash floods a couple of years ago. 

There is an entry fee for individuals and a pollution tax for the car while you visit the Corbett Falls. 

Corbett Falls

Corbett Museum 

The next place on the way towards Nainital is the Corbett Museum which is actually located in Haldwani on the foothills of Nainital. There is a nominal entry fee. The museum is actually the house where Jim Corbett would stay while on his visit to India and on his hunt to shoot down the man eaters of Kumaon. 

Corbett Museum entrance

Jim Corbett's furniture

Jim Corbett's furniture

The place is full of stories and artifacts related to Jim Corbett. The information includes his early life, his family, his trip to India, the list of man eaters hunted down by him in the Kumaon region. There are many old items like his furniture, books, hunting equipment's, utensils, hunting sack, etc. The place is worth a visit while on the trip to Nainital from Jim Corbett. 

Jim Corbett's hunting sack

Jim Corbett's house @ Haldwani

A visit to Jim Corbett National Park should be on every wildlife enthusiasts bucket list. So, when are you planning your trip ?

Many more memoirs to share ...... Sachin