Mammoth fun

Are you suffering from the Been-There-Done-That syndrome? Why not head for the wilds, jump on the back of an elephant and experience the thrill of lumbering unchallenged by lesser beasts. On a safari, you can view some of the most majestic animals up close and personal and all you need are binoculars and glares.

Most national parks and sanctuaries are open in summers and winters and closed during the monsoons from the end of June to September. The advantage of experiencing wildlife on elephantback is that often jeeps cannot venture in areas where the terrain is rough. So make plans and get to see exotic wildlife on elephantback.

Some of the best bets include Jim Corbett National Park in the north with its dense vegetation ideal for tiger spotting on elephantback. There’s also Central India’s wilderness Bandhavgarh with its superlative selection of wild animals. Go north-east to Kaziranga in Assam where there’s no safer way to go spotting the one-horned rhino. Down south, you can visit the Dubare Elephant Camp in Karnataka where it is a visual treat to see the elephants as they bathe in the River Cauvery.

Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

It’s famed for the diversity and richness of wildlife especially the Big Cat and the best way to explore it is on elephantback. The headquarters of the Corbett Tiger Reserve is in Ramnagar. Accommodation is available in hotels and forest guesthouses in Ramnagar and also at Dhikala. Elephant safaris are arranged twice a day, once at dawn and then in the late afternoon starting from Dhikala.

However, due to the large number of tourists it can be tough to book your spot on a pachyderm’s back. The nearest railhead is Ramnagar and people coming from Delhi by road should take the Hapur-Muradabad-Ramnagar route.

Hot ticket!

The Hideaway River Lodge (a private-public partnership between Leisure Hotels and the Uttarakhand Government) offers luxury-tented accommodation inside the heart of the Corbett National Park reserve forest. A 2-night and 3-day package for a couple here is Rs 30,000 (for a deluxe tent for two with all meals) and Rs 34,000 (for a Superior Tent for two with all meals). This price includes a 90-minute elephant safari, accommodation, all transfers by jeep, and all meals. Excludes airfares/ rail fares. Valid till June 15, 2009.

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Situated north-east of Jabalpur, it’s the home of the white tiger along with other wild animals like the chinkara, wild boar and fox. The rail stations near Bandhavgarh are Jabalpur (164km), Katni (102km), Satna (120km) and Umaria (35km). The best time to visit is from February to June. A full-day exclusive elephant safari has to be booked in advance. Hotels and forest lodges are available at a small town called Tala on the Umaria-Rewa highway.

Hot ticket!

Cox & Kings has a 2-night and 3-day package with accommodation at Tiger Trails Resort for two, which is priced at Rs 5,990 on twin-sharing basis. This includes accommodation and all meals. Elephant safari charges are extra. The package price excludes rail and air fares. Valid till June 15, 2009.

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

The park stretches over 430sq km of marshland and dense forest with the Brahmaputra River flowing through it. And if you want to spot the famous one-horned rhino, you have to start on the safari at the crack of dawn. Besides the rhinos, you can also spot a wide variety of wild animals including tigers, Indian bison, barasingha (swamp deer), leopards and wild boars. The park is well-connected with the rest of India as you can reach Guwahati by train/ air and proceed from there by road. Most of the tourist lodges and hotels are located in Kohora and Baguri.

Hot ticket!

Travel company Silent Valley Wilderness has a 2-night and 3-day package for two that is priced at Rs 2,800 (standard package) per day based on twin-sharing. It includes accommodation, only breakfast and dinner and all transfers. It excludes air and rail fares and elephant safari charges. The deluxe package for two is priced at Rs 3,800 per day based on twin-sharing basis which includes accommodation, all meals and transfers. Elephant safari charges extra. Valid till June 15, 2009.


Dubare Elephant Camp, Karnataka

At Dubare (240km from Bangalore), you can get up, close and personal with elephants. Located in Coorg, Dubare is home to lots of elephants, deer, bison and bears. Tourists can watch elephants being scrubbed in the River Cauvery at close proximity and can also participate in feeding the elephants with sugarcane, banana and coconuts at the feeding camp. There are 10 cottages inside the park. Barely 2km from Dubare is Cauvery Nisargadhama, a wildlife sanctuary located on an island and connected by a hanging bridge on the River Cauvery. Elephant safaris are conducted here. Best time to visit is from October to June.

Hot ticket!

A cottage in Dubare Elephant Camp for two is priced at Rs 2,250 per couple per night (the camp closes on June 15, 2009 when the monsoons start). This includes stay and all meals. Elephant camp activities charged extra at Rs 250 per person.


The Personal Telegraph