On Friday morning we headed for Corbett National Park in Uttrakhand with like minded friends of Rotary Akash,Delhi. After collecting all of them on the way in a deluxe bus we left Delhi by about 8 AM.We were a group of 25 including children.After stopping at Gajraula(Meriton) for some excellent breakfast (pre arranged)we could reach Corbett by about 2:30 PM for lunch in good time. The resort was a new one which we were trying out for the first one. It turned out to be an excellent choice as Tarangi, our resort, was a riverside affair and housing 21 beautiful cottages in 20 areas of vast Green lawns. At first it was difficult to find our way in the big resort. After taking a sumptuous lunch, we did not rest much and were by the river and then in the river soon. The river by the resort is Kosi and though it did not have too much water but enough for a cool dip. The cocktails were at the riverside lawns and every body was in the holiday mood. We had to retire early as we were booked for the morning Safari and had to leave the resort by about 5 AM.
Next morning we were 30 minutes late (thanks to a dear friend)and reached at the Jhirna Gate at about 6:30 AM. You have many gates for entry to core area of Corbett like Jhirna, Bijrani,Durga Devi, Sitabani, Dhikala etc. Each leads to a different part of the jungle and one needs a permit to enter. One can prebook the morning safari or go for a current booking for the afternoon one. Most of us go to Corbett with an aim of only seeing the Tiger and feel that if we don't see a Tiger it is a waste of time. I think that thinking should change and one should really enjoy and see the jungle as a whole instead of just the Tiger. We saw a lot of animals and birds like the spotted deer, barking deer( a deer that barks like a dog), wild boar, mongoose,kingfisher, tree pie, monkeys and langurs etc. Some of the friends were disappointed not to see the Tiger and wanted to again in the noon or next day, but sorry no luck, everything was booked. We came back to the resort and went straight for the breakfast, the variety in the bfast on both days was amazing, giving a choice of more than 10 things to have. Before noon we enjoed a game of cricket and after noon we went to a bridge on the Kosi near Garjia
temple for some adventure activities. The activities were loved by one everyone specially the children. It was amazing some of the six year olds trying their hand at flaying fox and rappelling. After the activity some of the friend went to the nearby temple while we decided to walk back to the resort, covering a distance of about 3km. It was a nice and cool walk covering all the resorts like Corbett Hideaway, Country Inn, Corbett Riverview etc. This road in fact now looks more like a Mall road with all the hotels and resorts instead of a jungle road. After a tipsy evening where we were treated to some old Hindi songs by a North East guy who also played the guitar. Later it was back to some fast CD songs which really set the tone for the evening making some friends really go over the moon(thankfully they were back the next morning). Finally it was time to leave the next day and a common thought that we needed at least another day a the place. While coming back we were struck in a bad jam near Garh crossing. The road from Corbett to Gajraula is quiet and not much of a problem, but the stretch between Hapur and Gajraula still has some bottlenecks which I am sure will not stay for long as construction is underway. Looking forward for another trip with the friends.For a trip to Corbett and other destinations around Delhi click here- Wild Life Resorts around Delhi.
