“But I paid to see the tiger?!”
Among all the “10 things to do in Jim Corbett” spotting a tiger becomes a must. More often than not, however, people find themselves returning with other people’s version of tigers and borrowed photographs, for the fables of the tiger run rampant, even more so than the animal itself who seems recluse enough not to engage in the material festivities of the human world.
While one pays for Safari, essentially believing that viewing of a tiger is included in the package, it comes as a shock that the trade of tiger is a much bigger game, and places where the tiger “was spotted” or “could be spotted” differ from driver to driver and payment to payment.
Unfortunately for us, despite having to our aid the great and experienced Maan Singh as our driver, whose burly mustache often proved a strong competition to the tiger’s whiskers, all we could see of the wild was a Boar, in fleeting, him fleeing from us and us fleeing from him (unintentional from both ends, he appeared to be hungry and generally ignorant of our importance and our driver apparently in a hurry to be out of the park).
While a lot of disappointed faces stood at the exit to the park I realised the obsession with the tiger, which often blinds one to the thrill of being in an actual jungle, withholds one from appreciating the beauty of all that is natural and wild, the clear skies and the trees around with deer running beside you making metropolitans feel, perhaps for the first time, closer to being a creature of the nature than the overlord.
It also exposes one to the irony of our being, of the thrill of caging the wild in the zoos and then complaining upon not finding them in the wild. The irony is that hunters grieve the shortage of prey and our audacity to consider the animal in the forest more real than the one in the zoo because it is free, without questioning free from whom? The cage or us?
However, once one sees beyond the scam of the Tigers and their keepers they realise there is much more to the wild and much more to Corbett.
Here is the list of 10 things one can do while at Corbett-
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Jim Corbett Safari (obviously)
With intentions of purely relishing the natural elements of the forest open for you to visit as one of nature’s creatures wishing to reconnect, the safari, with all the deer frolicking around you in a pure Disney moment and the breeze flowing through you as you venture the wild is truly an unforgettable experience. Click here to prebook your safari.
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Bird Watching at Jim Corbett
Unlike the animals, the birds or the Corbett never disappoint. Their colours and chirps become a constant companion for all of your safari rides. Bird watching in Corbett is especially lucrative during the winter months when the migratory birds from Siberia and other colder regions join the indigenous party.
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Morning Trek to Rivers and Sitabani
All the morning birds among you readers can experience nature waking up in real-time as you hop on the trails to early morning treks to nearby rivers or streams like Kosi and Dhela and a special trek at Sitabani where one may encounter many animals as they move.
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Camping in the Corbett Forests
The camping experience at Corbett is straight out of the movies and one of the most enjoyable things to do in Jim Corbett, with packages for bonfire night and fishing available along with the tenting arrangements. The night sky with the beautiful stars allows for an incredible opportunity to stargaze and the mornings are magical. During the day many packages could provide detailed tours of the forest area for the tourists.
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Elephant safari – safari but on elephant backs
Like they say, the closest you can get to the wild is on it. For the extra adventurous souls the Elephant Safari provides a unique experience of riding the elephant as he strolls through- not city streets or villages- but the real forest. It is everybody’s moment to live their Mogli- dream out.
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Kainchi Dham
Of all the lists of things to do in Jim Corbett, Kainchi Dham usually gets missed out. Around 2.5 hours from Corbett is the Kainchi Dham, a beautiful and secluded Hanuman Temple with an extended Ashram amid the Kumaon Hills. The ashram of Shree Neem Karoli Baba is the perfect combination of Spiritual peace and natural beauty. Devotees can not only visit the Ashram and the adjoining temple complex but can also stay there after fulfilling some basic requirements and take part in the morning and evening Aarti and experience life in a hermitage. Additional information about booking and permissions is available on their website https://nkbashram.org/maharaj-ji-indian-ashrams/kainchi-dham
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Garjia Temple and Kosi River
Garija Temple along the Kosi river makes both of them a wonderful spot to visit for devotees who seek blessings from both the river and the temple which constitutes a statue of Lakshmi-Narayan, dating back to the 9th Century thus making a visit to the temple and the river bank one of the best things to do in Jim Corbett if you are a devotee.
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Fishing
The Abundance of rivers makes fishing a fun activity to engage in as one goes to Jim Corbett, not only for the young but an activity all ages with be able to enjoy, sitting by the river-side and enjoying a day out.
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Visit the Corbett Falls
The Corbett Falls are one of the most lucrative tourist attractions in Jim Corbett. Easy to reach, it is economical with one of the cheapest tickets of all the tourist activities, and the falls, secluded from the other clamor of the region and with birds echoing through are a must-have experience.
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Adventure Sports
Jim Corbett has several adventure sports one can engage in, though they are not for the light-hearted. Corbett offers its visitors paragliding, rock climbing, river rafting, river crossing, and many other similar fun and adventurous activities one can take part in.
Apart from places to visit, one can always explore the never-ending list of restaurants in Jim Corbett like Diner’s Villa, The Food Forest, Jim’s Grill, Village Vatika Restaurant, The Grill Kebab Retreat Restaurant, as well as trying their local cuisines.
Here is my petition to all travel enthusiasts to plan to look beyond the most mundane things to do in Jim Corbett and take some time to enjoy nature and the natural life there. We need to move beyond our fascination with the tiger as the custodian of the wild and try to enjoy smaller, subtler creatures of the wild, including the beautiful forests and birds.
Plan your trip to Corbett soon and keep in mind our list of things to do in Jim Corbett. Follow Dilli Se Daily for more such articles. Link to more such Blogs- https://dillisedaily.com/blogs/