For most of us, city life makes us a creature of habit. The days merge into each other with singular monotony. Life becomes a pattern that repeats like a fractal. Time for reflection, meditation or quietude is seldom available with any regularity and it requires great discipline to carve out time during the week to invest in these necessary, personal pursuits. Some can do it; some need a push. I belong to the latter class and often find the need for further motivation. I suffer from wanderlust, and so a trip to a destination, being in the presence of something new, offers me a chance to renew and recharge. Being in India, I often feed this need by escaping into the jungles…and this happens with metronomic regularity. The peace and quiet, the presence of nature all around and the solitude and rhythm of the jungle is a balm for the mind and energy for the body.
Key Steps for a memorable visit
This blog is to list down some steps that I follow to ensure that a visit to the jungle does give me solitude. Often, especially in the high season, there are many who seek out the jungles and the number of jeeps in front of the entry gates and the associated chatter and chaos, can lead to a feeling of dismay! Fear not; the jungle is vast and once you enter, the chaos gives way to serenity and tranquility. However, some planning helps elevate the experience manifold.
India has some of the best reserves in the world and therefore, the planning needs to start early to avoid disappointments. Please keep in mind that most national parks are closed mid-June/end-June till end-September. Best time for visiting is mid-October till end March. Some of the parks get very hot in April/May (especially for afternoon safaris) but the morning ones are still quite agreeable.
The first step, therefore, is to ensure that your travel dates have safaris available (these are in high demand and often fill up fast). Usually, the reserves are divided into 3 zones: Core non-tourist, Core and Buffer. The core non-tourist is out of bounds for all except the forest officials. Permits for regular tourists are for Core and Buffer zones (many entry gates will have both zones while some are exclusively Core or Buffer). Often the easy way out is to book in a hotel that will arrange for these safaris (slightly premium but worth it since one gets a jeep, guide and a driver and some food and refreshments).
Second comes the hotel itself. Safaris can be tiring…a three-to-four-hour jeep ride on tracks can be taxing on the body and the butt! Besides, if you plan to do a morning and an evening safari, then the effort is more than doubled! Therefore, a hotel with comfortable rooms and a good restaurant is a must for me. Once this is done, get your travel arrangements from home to the park also organised (travel tickets and transport to the hotel etc. since many of the parks are 150-200 kms away from the nearest large town). Try and arrive a day in advance so that you can start early the next day.
Thirdly, make sure you are clothed properly. Dull colours are best (khakis and greens). I prefer full sleeves and dark jeans, as they protect the skin from the sun as well. Have a comfortable hat and very comfortable walking/trekking shoes. Keep a light jacket or pullover (especially early morning safaris can feel cold in the jungle which turns to warm post sunrise and then hot once the sun is out). Also keep sunglasses and sunscreen as per requirement.
Fourthly, if you are a photographer, please keep a good camera bag which can provide protection to the camera and hold extra lenses, cleaners, lens covers, memory cards etc.). Make sure that the lens you are most comfortable with is fitted on and that there is at least one good zoom lens within reach!
Finally, go in with the safari and the experience as the main priority. I sometimes see people coming back dejected because they did not see a tiger or leopard. Fact is, the journey itself is exhilarating and incredibly soothing…and getting disappointed because you could not sight a particular fauna species defeats the entire purpose. Large animals are elusive and a sighting is a rare bounty. However, in my many years of visits, I have never come back unhappy, irrespective of the sightings!
Basic Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some basic rules to follow:
- We are visitors in the jungle. The animals have right of way. So, do not irritate them by disturbing, chasing or feeding them.
- Ask the guide for information…they are a treasure trove of local nuggets and will enrich your visit tremendously.
- Please do not litter
- Smoking and drinking are prohibited in all the parks. Do not break these rules.
- Maintain silence. The jungle is fascinating and there is enough to absorb. Quietude helps enhance the experience. Mobiles must be silent or switched off. After all, this is a trip to detach…
- Never get off the vehicle except in designated stop areas.
- Do not use flash photography…it startles the animals.
- All fauna is incredible…enjoy their presence and marvel at them.