Jim Corbett: A quick, exciting getaway
Stretched outdoors, vast expanses — an ideal post-pandemic trip
- Camp Hornbill
- Mangoes (langda!)
- Forest walk, crossing the brook
- Bodysurfing (floating in water)
- Cycling around the jungle
- … & more
This is our first post-pandemic trip, and what better than the Corbett Tiger Reserves in a hilly state of India (Uttarakhand). We chose a quaint place for our stay, Camp Hornbill — a community-led enterprise set up by local residents of the village called Kyari, 170 miles (274 kms) from New Delhi, and almost equidistant from Dehradun, Uttarakhand’s capital (see map guide below). We expected the journey to be rickety, but it was surprisingly smooth. Our car glided across the roads leading up to this small village, flanked by dense forests — lush green with the early monsoon rains. We knew that the Camp is visited by three known species of Hornbills, and even spotted one as soon as we entered the camp.
From concrete jungle to a real one
The concrete jungle behind us, we are now at the heart of what living in a real jungle looks like. We ensconced ourselves near the window pane of one of the spacious mud houses, overlooking what looks like sparse forests. We are kicked about the denser forest trail that awaits us, but the property is itself thick with a canopy of mango trees adorned by near-ripe mangos of the Langda variety — one that retains its green outer skin as it ripens inside into a light-yellow flesh that’s sweet, but not to a fault. The cooing birds, humming insects, and faint faraway tintinnabulations come together to set the tone of the otherwise quiet afternoon.
A jungle walk
At 5:30 PM, a good two hours before the sun will set, we head out to the forest trail, passing through big river-like streams burbling and washing over the river rocks and pebbles with vivacious white-water. While returning, we crossed the river barefoot, the riverbed gravel delivering an acupunctural effect on our soles. We walked about 3.10 miles (5 kms) — an extrapolation we make from the ~6,500 steps we took between 5pm-7pm that day, according to the iOS Health App estimates. After witnessing flourishing flora and fauna, colorful butterflies, porcupines, an owl with a seemingly vapid look, numerous bird species, and clinching evidence of wildlife very close by (including bears and tigers), we stopped to take a bite from the bael fruit that has dropped from a tree. It tasted like ripe papaya, dipped in sour lime — an acquired taste indeed! A fitting end to the trail. Please note that you are not allowed to take these trails without permission of the forest guards.
Floating in the waterways
Next morning, we headed to the village canal for what the locals call ‘bodysurfing’ but is quite literally floating in the six-feet broad waterbody with a lifejacket on, as the stream’s current carries you on. Standing upright in the canal, the water might reach your navel. A tree log that’s fallen over along the canal about a few hundred metres away is the finishing line for your floating self. We quite enjoyed floating in the cool water, as we beheld the dark green foliage piercing the overcast sky. Kids love this activity, and the canal, we were told, was the source of tap-water in the village, often clean without filtering.
Pedalling away
Our last evening here, before we were to bid adieu to this pristine, playful habitat, we went cycling in the vicinity. We pedalled — often disregarding sore thighs — our way through vast green expanses, rubber trees, and hamlets. A man on a motorbike hurriedly announced that he has just seen an elephant with her calves, as he raced past us. We did not manage to catch a glimpse, but we were very closely witnessing man-animal harmony in a protected wildlife zone. A few months back, an 11-feet python was caught by forest guard officials after anxious villagers sent alerts, according to the local news.
Wearily back at the camp, we did not taste the mangoes, because they were a good week away from ripening. A week or so later, back in the city, we bought some langda mango. By then, the mangoes in Camp Horbill, Kyari Village, Naintal District, Uttarakhand, India — would have ripened too! A sweet note to end on :-)
