Bijrani Zone of Corbett National park

 The Bijrani zone in Jim Corbett National Park is now open for tourists, starting from today, October 15, 2024 ¹. This zone is a popular tourist hub due to its abundant natural beauty and open grasslands, making it an ideal spot for wildlife enthusiasts ². If you're planning to visit, keep in mind that the zone remains open until June 30th.

Key Information:

- Entry Gate: Aamdanda gate is the entry point to the Bijrani zone, located just 1 km from Ramnagar city.

- Accommodation: There are two forest lodges in the Bijrani zone: Malani and Bijrani. Both offer a peaceful stay amidst nature. 

Following Private Hotels & Resorts can be next best option - 

1. Manu Maharani Resorts - Rs.10000 onwards Per Night, includes Breakfast. 

2. Jungle Book - Rs.4000 onwards Per Night, includes Breakfast

3. Bento The Roar - Rs.5500 onwards Per Night, includes Breakfast 

4. Alaya Resort Corbett - Rs.4000 onwards Per Night, includes Breakfast 

5. Merak, Kotabagh - Rs.8000 onwards Per Night, includes Breakfast 

- Safari Timings: Morning safari timings are from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM. 

- Evening safari timings are from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

To plan your trip, you can book a tour package or safari online through local tour operators. 

Leaving You with some exciting Safari photographs of Corbett shot in different zones.

Have a great time exploring the Bijrani zone!

October - Start of the wildlife season for various National Parks..

 October is considered an ideal month to visit wildlife national parks in India for several reasons:

Weather:

1. Pleasant temperatures: October marks the beginning of winter, with comfortable temperatures (20-30°C/68-86°F) ideal for safaris.

2. Low humidity: The monsoon season has ended, making the air dry and pleasant.

Wildlife Visibility:

1. Increased animal activity: With the monsoon rains subsiding, animals congregate around water sources, making them easier to spot.

2. Greenery and foliage: The landscape is still lush from the monsoon, providing a beautiful backdrop for wildlife viewing.

Park Accessibility:

1. Reopening of parks: Many national parks, closed during the monsoon, reopen in October, offering fresh terrain and unexplored areas.

2. Better road conditions: Roads and trails, previously washed out or damaged, are repaired, ensuring smoother safaris.

Migratory Species:

1. Arrival of migratory birds: October welcomes numerous bird species migrating from Central Asia and Europe.

2. Increased chances of spotting rare species: Migratory animals, like the Amur falcon, can be spotted during this time.

Festivals and Events:

1. Wildlife festivals: Some national parks host festivals and events in October, promoting conservation and wildlife appreciation.

Popular National Parks to Visit in October:

1. Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)

2. Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

3. Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

4. Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand)

5. Kaziranga National Park (Assam)

6. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala)

7. Nagarhole National Park (Karnataka)

Tips:

1. Book safaris and accommodations in advance.

2. Pack comfortable clothing, binoculars, and cameras.

3. Respect park rules and wildlife.

October offers an optimal blend of comfortable weather, increased wildlife visibility, and accessible parks, making it an ideal time to explore India's incredible national parks.

Dhikala Corbett Tour November 2020

15th November, the significance of this date you can ask from any wildlife photographer who visits corbett national park. This is the date when gates to so called heaven "Dhikala Zone" opens up for tourists. This year, excitement was at its peak because everyone was coming out of lockdown. I also had done my bookings for 19th Nov. We were pretty excited as we were about to enter the park after March 2020. 

Generally it has happened with me from past 2-3 times, that I have sighted the tiger while entering the park on the main road itself but somehow I was not able to click picture as I was not prepared for it. This time, I was prepared and was chancing on my luck.  Dhikala rest house is the  last rest house and it takes almost 75 mins from the entry gate to reach the rest house. We had crossed almost 26 kms and then suddenly our very alert and sharp eyed driver "Hemu" said, " Tiger aa raha hai road par". "Tiger is coming on the road". We got alerted and we could this beautiful tigress coming head on towards us on the main road. This is one such sighting which everyone going to dhikala wish to have.

We reached our rest house, checked in and in few minutes time, we were ready for our afternoon safari. We were all geared up and looking forward for some good sighting as the start was good. In the afternoon we decided to head on towards Sambar road as we there was movement and tigers were sighted on sambar road couple of days back. We started our safari from there and as soon as we entered the sambar road, we saw some jeeps stationed, which immediately gave the feeling that sighting was happening. Hemu parked the jeep at a good point from where we could see the movement and the tigress crossing the river.

 

The rest of the safari went blank but we were happy that we could sight the ever famous paar wali tigress. 

The 2nd day morning safari was full of excitement and it went very well. We went to grassland and immediately we saw the grassland female stacking deer and going for hunt. Thought she failed in her attempt but overall it was a thrilling experience. We also got some good shots of elephant herd. 

 

In the afternoon safari, we thought of starting with the grassland only where we left but in the afternoon, the jungle was very quiet. There was no evidence of tiger as there was no alarm calls or any sign of movement. We decided to head towards Sambar road where we thought of some action can take place. When we reached sambar road, we saw few jeeps stationed as there was a continuous langoor alarm call. We also parked our jeep and started waiting. We stood there for almost an hour and the calls continued. After an hour we lost our patience and decided to check the main road. This was the biggest mistake we made because as soon as we left from that place, paarwali tigress came on the road, walked head on and then crossed the ram ganga river, to give the some magical moment to the onlookers.

Day 3 went quiet for us as this time also we decided to try our luck on sambar road but the main action took place in grassland where quite a few jeep saw a tussle between two tigers, supposedly the grassland female and her last litter who has moved alone and trying to capture the territory of her mother. 

Our tour ended but we were pretty happy, more than the sighting it was the excitement of getting back to jungle again. We are eagerly waiting for our january trip now as the paar area would also be open by that time and there would be a larger area to explore then.

Corbett National Park Open post lockdown

 We all have seen one of the toughest phase of our lives during this lockdown. Everyone was so frustrated sitting at home and with no means of travel, things were actually affecting people mentally. So, when the lockdown restrictions were lifted and things started opening up, national parks also were allowed to open for visitors. 15th october is the date when Bijrani zone of Corbett National park open its gates for tourists.

I have been a regular visitor to Bijrani zone from past 15 years. This zone has always kept me busy with my photography gear, sometimes with beautiful sightings of Tiger, sometimes with some beautiful birds. This year when we entered, we felt so refreshed as it was almost after 7 months when we were entering this beautiful natonal park. We can feel the freshness of the forest air. My entire family was delighted again to be in the wild.

You can have best of experience of safari if you have an experienced driver and guide. This proved once again when despite of just seeing a glimpse of tiger, we were obliged by a group of elephants. We got some nice pictures and video of elephant and tusker which actually made our trip successful.

We all came out with happy faces. Next month in November, the heaven for photo and wildlife lovers "DHIKALA" zone of Corbett National Park is opening. I have got my booking done and will share my experience of Dhikala in my next blog.

Corona se Daro na

Since I am into travel business, March month marks the beginning of travel season for domestic travelers in India. We were also geared up for the start of the season as lot of inquiries for Jim Corbett started pouring in on daily basis. As now the road connectivity from Delhi to Corbett has improved a lot and now it takes hardly 5 hours to reach, travel has become easy. We got good number of bookings for Holi Week for our resort in Corbett which is Pagoda Manu Maharani. We had full occupancy starting from 7th till 11th of March. Suddenly this news of Corona virus started coming in and panic situation started. We also started getting some cancellations but what has amazed me this time, we Indians, love to travel and nothing can stop us from traveling. The rooms which got cancelled were immediately filled by the new set of bookings. We had a wonderful Holi Weekend at Pagoda Manu Maharani. 

It seems quite safe to travel to Uttarakhand as of now. No threat of Corona Virus. So if you have plans to travel, come to Corbett National park. The pure oxygen will detoxify you....

How to improve your safari experience in Jim Corbett

Hi! I am travelling to Jim Corbett National park from past 15 years and one very common thing which I hear everytime from my friends is " How do you see a TIGER almost every time whereas when we go, we could not see anything. So, here I am sharing some of my experiences which can help you while planning your jeep safari to any national park.

1. Plan your wildlife trip in advance : Since Corbett National Park being closest to Delhi, most of the people plan their visit on a very short notice such as they plan on a friday night to go to corbett on saturday. Safari booking in corbett national park starts 45 days in advance and one who is interested in having a good national park experience generally book safari well in advance.

2. Chose a good driver and a good guide : To enhance your safari experience, it is essential to have a good driver and good guide with you. Trust me, a good and experience driver will enhance your overall experience of safari as he understands better the scenario of jungle plus if you are a photographer, then a driver role become very important as he understands the lighting part required in the photography.

3. Lot to explore in Jungle : Whenever you go for a safari, enjoy the overall experience of being in the wild rather than running only behind the tiger. There is a saying, if you go to enjoy the forest, there are high chances that you come out very satisfied with your safari but if your sole motto is only tiger, then you might come out disappointed.

4. Have patience : I have seen people in many occasions, wherein as soon as they enter the safari zone, they start chatting, making lot of noise, disturbing the wildlife as well as other fellow travellers. If you want to enjoy the forest, be calm and patient. If you are waiting at any particular spot, be at peace and don't make any noise. This would help in generating better chances of you to see wildlife.