Never mind the tiger spotting, Corbett is thrill in a thousand ways
Never mind the tiger spotting, Corbett is thrill in a thousand ways
Every holiday starts with a wish. We had two. The wife wanted to spot a tiger. And after a rather noisy week, I wanted some quiet. Corbett seemed like the best bet. "It's not the best season for tiger spotting," a friend warned (an advice I hid from the wife), "but winter is wonderful in Corbett. It's an alternate reality."
ADVERTISEMENT
Alternate reality apart, I was excited by the fact that we would be far from the crowd of holidayers that flock the many resorts at Corbett on winter weekends. The Hideaway River Lodge is in the middle of a jungle with no power and scant cellular network, something boisterous Indian families would give a miss.
From The Corbett Hideaway, which is outside the jungle, we got onto a Gypsy and after 45 minutes entered the jungle (the northern zone). We drove through a rather bumpy trail for another 45 minutes, even taking a detour when our driver Munnabhai claimed he had spotted fresh pugmarks, and suddenly the trees gave way to the river. Or what was left of it after a bad monsoon.
 |
|
Tents here are lit up by sunlight in the day and solar lanterns in the night |
The river lodge is 10 tents (five deluxe, five superior) overlooking the riverbed (white because of the surprisingly clean rocks) with a green tinge (green because of the surprisingly clean water reflecting the algae) and the only flat grassland in the entire zone. Tents lit up by sunlight in the day and solar lanterns in the night, which offered peace despite the brimming sounds of the jungle. Just sitting in the garden was enough to smell and feel the forest.
And that's what we did. Though we went on safaris looking for animals, it was just the subterranean feel of the jungle that did it for us. I wanted to ditch the Gypsy (it never occurred to me how jarring motorised sounds are) and walk, but that wasn't allowed. The elephant was a better option, though ours had a wily mahout who took the beaten path on what was supposed to be a wild safari.
But it was easy to forgive him, as it was easy to forgive a lot of people. I guess it was the smell of the jungle that was intoxicating. As for the wife, well, she didn't spot the tiger, but she learnt angling, even caught a few fish. Should keep her happy for a while.
The Corbett Hideaway, Corbettu00a0 National Park
The cost of package on the Christmas weekend for a couple for two nights and three days from Rs. Rs.26,000 to Rs.35,000 and the package is valid from December 24, 2009 to December 29, 2009.
The cost of package on the New Year weekend for a couple for two nights and three days is from Rs.36,000 to Rs. 42,000 and the package is valid from December 30, 2009 January 3, 2010.
Apart from luxury stay, it includes:
>>All Meals
>>Hard drinks on the house on Christmas Eve (24th Dec) & New Years Eve (31st Dec). Evenings Only. House brands
>>Cocktail snacks (All Days)
>>1 Jeep safari during stay
>>Picnic lunch
>>20 per cent off on all therapies at spa
Contact: Leisure Hotels Ltd., Fu00a0- 3/6, Ground Floor, Okhla Inds. Area, Phase I
Call: 4652 0000
Website: www.leisurehotels.co.in
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
