[abirnale]

Easy roads lead to busy destination - difficult ones lead to beautiful destinations!

Sometimes you just don't have options - and that probably is the best thing to have!

You may ask why this trip at such an inappropriate time of the year (too much crowd on the road when schools are closed!). The answer is simple - because we want to! Technically speaking, this is the only time, both our kids have got holidays for about 10 days continuously and my work isn't going to be a hurdle for this year. So why not!

Junior had Jim Corbett as his dream destination to visit someday - we made that as our prime journey destination for this trip! And the destination in itself is not everthing - we had to throw in some more flavours of via points to make it a fun trip for everyone involved! To avoid better half turning into bitter half, I better include her wishlist item - Taj Mahal on the trip too if we are to go up north!

So the plan was made up:



The highlights here are:

• Except the Safaris, everything else will be flexible and booked last minute.
• We will take things easy - Instead of ticking off the list, we will soak into the destinations we are about to list
• Jim Corbett isn't like Tadoba - so our hopes of sighting the tigers would be low - we still want to travel through this jungle!
• The timing is odd - but thats the only time we can take out, so be it!

Preparations:
There are two key items here - people and car. For Car, it wasn't anything specific - #TheRedSparkle is always ready to go anywhere we would like to - no special things here other than aligning luggage properly in the car!

My family (kids and spouse) have never been this far in north india are did not have any gear to protect from cold at this time of the year. So decathlon was out first choice to pick stuff for such destination and then more shopping for clothings and what not! Again nothing specific here - the only thing I ensured is everyone expects an ordinary trip so that no surprises can dampen our collective spirit.

With such a short prep and no extraordinary things, we made the plan and executed a little differently:



Points to note for repeating this trip:
There are a few things that you may want to make note of in case this trip you want to trace back again or a part of it to be done again.

• The safari tickets to be booked in advance - there is no guarantee that you will get tickets of your choice and days/ timing!
• The stays at Safari location needs to be such that your commute timing is optimum.
• The Safari timings could be odd- you will miss your breakfast or lunch. Hotel should accommodate your odd requests to support!
• The ASI monument tickets, Safari and National Park entry tickets can be booked online ahead of time - will avoid great deal of frustration and time for you!
• The hotel stays on the commute route are only to sleep at night - pick the one with parking and better checkin/ checkout experiences. Early start helps greatly to cover maximum distance before the crowd gets up and jams the roads!
• Defensive driving all the time - it's easier that way to enjoy the trip!

Hotels we used:

• LK Inn @ Nirmal - Our Rating 2/5. Wouldn't recommend to use again.
• Tipai Resort @ Mathani Gate - Our Rating 3.5/5. Descent place - great staff.
• Junglee Bagicha @ Sunna Gate - Our Rating 4/5. Costly though. Great staff, good support in all scenarios. Perfect location too. Great food.
• Hotel Kadamb Tree @ Jabalpur - Our Rating 4/5. Great hospitality, optimum cost and good food. Superb staff!
• Regent Shyam Resort @ Bharatpur - Our Rating 2.5/3. Costly, great location. Below average hospitality.
• Pearl of Taj @ Agra - Our Rating 4/5. Super cost optimum, best food, perfect location, Amazing staff
• Corbett Tiger and Trees @ Kyari Kham, Ramnagar - Our Rating 3/5. Average property, good kithen and service staff.
• Hotel Jeetu @ Kausani - Our Rating 4.5/5. Awesome place, Super economic, great food, amazing service!

Online resources to book tickets:

• Tipeshwar Safari Booking: https://safaribooking.mahaforest.gov.in/Userlogin
• Bharatpur Booking: https://obms-tourist.rajasthan.gov.i...-National-Park
• Taj Mahal, Agra Fort: https://asi.payumoney.com/
• Jim Corbett Package: https://www.corbettnationalpark.in/

Of all these things - the CTR safari and stay was packaged together. We would not recommend to use this - not for wildlife enthusiasts! The execution leaves a lot to desire.

Credits for Support:
While planning and executing for this trip, these TBhpians helped with a lot of inputs and real-time guidance too:

• A.G. - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/assem...bers/a.g..html
• adetour - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/members/adetour.html
• KarthikK - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/members/karthikk.html

My heartfelt gratitude for their support and guidance throughout the trip!

[abirnale]

As we neared to our the-date, we learnt that both kids have got holidays started earlier than we anticipated/ was declared officially by School! In addition to that, I had some open time on my calendar too - hence we decided to leave a day early. Also, that would give us a little time to breathe as me and my son were suffering form the cold even before we started the trip! So we decided to start early, take rest enroute. Since Tipeshwar Safaris are our hard dates, we decided to go closer to there and stay somewhere.

Throughout the trip, my daughter was my navigator - she also has recently acquired the driving license and skills - grateful for her support during the trip. She did all hotel bookings, did satellite reece of the route and guided about the route whenever I asked for! This I think is our most important achievement - she has learnt to plan and execute these mega trips to unknown territorries! She was abl to pick the best hotels most of the times! Her choices in Jabalpur, Nagpur, Agra were superb!

Some of the the roads we had taken were amazing.
For example:

• The Tipeshwar Circuit: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9DoWW3mdozuFjYgH9 This is a great driving route with quaint villages!
• The Jabalpur - Sagar Section: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fKQfTKGL96aspUui9 This section goes through a relatvely unknown tiger reserve - beautiful roads and perfect flora around for this time of the year!
• Ramnagar - Kausani: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NT68QUD9BX2LgJ2L7 The road after Ranikhet upto the Someshwar Range is beautiful and goes through the jungle - least crowded and super twisty, scenic!
• Bundelkhand Expressway: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LVXYQRYS29juSfUW9 The best road I have ever driven on - superbly marked, great surface and every 50 kms or so there is a fuel ad food stop! Not at all crowded too.

There were some sections that we would love to avoid for next time! For example: Ranikhet - Kainchi Dham - Kathgodam: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3WK9Gc1oLkwn5cnv7 We were stuck on this road for about 4 hours and ot screwed our day's travel plan. We ended up in Farrukhabad town without descent stay options! The jams on this stretch during holidays are just crazy! best avoided if you can!

#TheRedSparkle Summary
Since TheRedSparkle has been with us for such a long time, we know our car very well by now! We know every tantrum, strength and weakness it has! We played to the best of it's strength: ADAS, Mile-munching ability, Soft-roading and mild off-roading! The car did not have any issues with regards to battery/ startup, ICE or even the DEF. Everytime, it behaved well and mind you that we have very old shoes on the car too. Everything form the beginning worked just perfect! Though we did not expect a great FE, sticking to speed limits has it's own benefits - we were able to much miles longer with great efficiency. Some times the FE was about 16 kmpl!

At times, the outside temperatures were at 2 degrees and the car did not let that affect us inside! We managed the temperatures inside so well that even in the foggy/ rainy situations, the windshield was always clear! This video below is a testimony of it's tech capabilities to aid in our safety during the most unfriendly weather conditions that we drove through.

https://youtu.be/cdejZlPhPKk

An important note: for ADAS to work, your windshield mounted camera needs to have clear vision and the sonar radar mounted behind front bumper should be clear of obstructions (like garland or mud etc.) If either of them have issues, the AEBS will be disabled thereby causing the ACC to switch off!



So the trick to drive during fogs is to ensure that there is no moisture/ fogging on the glass that causes such disruptions on the camera in ADAS unit as well as the sonar radar isn't blocked.

To highlight the role and contribution of #TheRedSparkle, rounding up the post with some select snaps of it:















At times the outside temperatures were 2 degree celcius!



And in these temperatures too we did not see REGEN - case in point is, This is a workhorse who loves to munch miles tirelessly. If you keep it that way, DPF clogging is rarest of the rare event!

[abirnale]

Destination 1: Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

Motivated from my October visit to Tipeshwar, I was inclined to take the family on the safari in Tipeshwar - with the hope that this time we will sight tiger better! Another reason for including this destination in our plan was that it would serve as an appropriate midway break instead of just rushing to final destination non-stop! The luck did not favour us though - we did not sight any tigers, at all! Instead it was very disappointing visit as we saw the Safari Jeeps playing rally stage driving game inside the Safari covering us with lot of dust and making it back-breaking! Other than the drive we took around the forest in our own car and sighting of the birds there, some nice stay experience and slow itinerary that helped us get over the cold/ runny nose condition, this was not a destination worth writing much about for me.

Wildlife and tigers being her favourite subject, my daughter wrote her account of this part of the trip:

So Close Yet So Far…

The thrill of a tiger safari lies not only in the hope of spotting the elusive big cat but in the anticipation, the waiting, and the whispers of the jungle that surround you. Over the course of two safaris in the heart of a tiger reserve, we ventured deep into the wilderness with our hopes high, our cameras ready, and our hearts racing. While the tigers eluded us on both occasions, the experience left us with stories to tell and countless memories to cherish...

The drive to Tipeshwar was very draining for my dad who is the sole driver. He fell sick on the way but still pushed on. On the way to TWLS was when I first drove our car- for only about 10 kilometers. The moment I got behind the steering wheel, my mom who was dozing off, sat up wide-eyed. My dad was holding onto the handle for his dear life.

When we reached the resort where we were staying, we explored the property- climbed up to the treehouse and walked around the place, observing the numerous birds twittering away. We spent the afternoon lazing around and anticipating the safaris that we were about to experience in a short while. Soon it was time for our first safari.

Safari 1: The Silent Roar

Our first safari was in the evening, as the golden light bathed the forest in warmth. The drive started uneventfully, but soon, a fresh pug mark on the trail ignited our hopes. The guide was confident: “This one is very fresh. The tiger might be nearby.”

We drove on and on, but no signs of the big cat. Just as we were waiting at a crossroad, about 15 jeeps crowded on the trail, listening keenly for any faint growls from a tiger, our guide got a message from someone- a tigress has just been spotted!

All the jeeps started their engines in unison and started driving as fast as possible in a certain direction. With all the 15 jeeps driving so fast on the muddy trails, there was dust flying everywhere. It was as though we were driving through a sandstorm. Thank god we were covered from head to toe with scarfs and jackets.

After racing through the jungle for about 15 minutes, we reached the place where the tigress had been spotted just a while ago. The jeep that had actually spotted her told us she just walked into the thick bushes. It was a tigress named Daisy. The forest had fallen eerily silent—a sure sign of a predator’s presence. Once again, we waited. The minutes dragged on, and the silence grew heavier.

We could hear faint growls and movement in the bushes. The tigress was there, just out of sight, hidden by the thick foliage. The guide urged patience, and we sat quietly, eyes fixed on the undergrowth.

We waited for 20 minutes, but the tigress refused to show herself. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we drove back, the forest fading into shadows, disappointed that we couldn't spot the tigress.

Safari 2: The Call of the Wild

The morning was crisp, and the jungle was alive with the symphony of chirping birds and rustling leaves. Our guide navigated the vehicle along narrow trails, his sharp eyes skillfully scanning every shadow. The air was thick with excitement when we heard it- a loud alarm call from a spotted deer from far away. That's when our guide got a message saying a tiger roar had been heard. Again all the jeeps immediately kicked up a storm of dust and drove to where the tiger had been heard. Once again, we heard the alarm call from the deer.

We stopped immediately. The guide whispered, “A tiger is close.” The jungle seemed to hold its breath as we waited. The tension was palpable. We were certain that the tiger was just behind the dense undergrowth ahead.

Every rustle, every sound heightened our anticipation. But the tiger, the master of stealth, remained hidden. We left the spot reluctantly, acknowledging the cat’s choice to remain unseen. The jungle had spoken a lot, but only in whispers.

While we didn’t see any tigers, the experience of being so close yet so far was exhilarating. The jungle has its own pace, its own secrets, and its own magic. It reminded us that wildlife safaris are not just about sightings but also about immersing ourselves in the wilderness, becoming a part of its rhythm, and appreciating its unpredictability.

The tiger may have chosen to remain hidden, but its presence was felt in every rustle of leaves, every alarm call, and every moment of waiting. We left the reserve with a profound respect for the jungle and its elusive king- and a promise to return for yet another adventure!

The pictures we clicked on this part of our trip are included below:

The green bee-eater:



School of yellow-throated sparrows (?):





The crested Serpent Eagle perched nicely:



The common kingfisher:





Black shouldered Kite:



Black hooded Oriole:



Plum headed parakeets:









Pair of Pied Kingfishers:





The AP and KA state bird - Indian Roller:



Sand piper:



Scops Owl:



The usual shrike we see around here a lot:



The trip that we expected to start with tiger sighting, only ended with a paw being spotted while a lot of feathers were found already!

[abirnale]

Destination 2: Keoladeo National Park - Bharatpur, RJ

More info about Keoladeo National Park is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keoladeo_National_Park and https://www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in...onal-park.html

This was a surprise addition to our plan in last few days before we embarked from home! Thanks to @A.G. for suggesting it - quick recall of the additional details from here : https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...hotologue.html (Birding Trip to Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park): A Photologue), I connected with @robimahanta to seek connect with the guide! Things worked out just perfect and we had a great half day session at Keoladeo National Park.

Our drive form Jabalpur to Bharatpur was great too. The early morning foggy drives through the sleepy MP towns, driving through the VDTR forests was great and unique experience. Driving on the NH44 from Sagar till Gwalior was all routine affair. There are a few diversions due to ongoing roadwork but nothing to worry about - even low slung Sedans can do it, let alone #TheRedSparkle. Sticking to speed limits, taking it easy, we were able to make it to Bharatpur (Regenta Resort) by 6pm. We made some stops enroute to enjoy the bright yellow mustard fields, some local Parathas and kept snacking at our will!

The next day morning at Keoladeo was great - it was slightly foggy and light was low for clicking pictures - without letting that dampen our spirits, we continued in our eRikshaw and the guide Prakash followed us on the cycle! Great knowledge and affinity towards wildlife, he was super excited to explain things to us - showed many nests that are otherwise hard to locate for new people in the park! While we were on the exploration, the local district collector also joined at one end of the park to explore birding - the hobby that once you pick up, hard to not follow!

While a great deal of information is already available on the park's webs page form official site hosted by RJ govt, we entirely depended on Prakash to help us with learnings! We sighted so many birds and were short of time to click! We were targeting to finish the birding and then head to Agra, on the way visit FatehpurSikri too - that is covered in next post by the way.

We had hoped to see the Sarus Cranes there but unfortunately couldn't. The guide, Prakash told us that there is place on Agra - Lucknow expressway and towards UK boundary that you will sight cranes in plain sights on the farms at road side. We didn't believe that - until we actually sighted them on our way to Ramnagar!

The highlight of this visit was the nightjar we could see upclose while resting and an oriental darter gulping a large fish!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6eCYLGcGlRo?feature=share

Here are some clicks from Keoladeo:

The nilgai(s) in that landscape with pink and green algae, under thick fog!



















Painted Storks - in various formations!





















The pair of deers - healthiest as it can be with lack of predators around!



















Lovely it would have been if this deer was alone on the road, isn't it?





Continued ...

[abirnale]

Continued pictures from - Destination 2: Keoladeo National Park - Bharatpur, RJ

Common Kingfisher:



Indian Spot Billed Duck:







The MH State birds:





Variety of jacana:







Indian Jungle nightjar!





Even at 11am, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and fog!





Pied Starlings:



Painted Storks:







The landscape in Keoladeo is just amazing!













We did walk a lot that day!





With our Guide - Prakash!



The story of searching for feathers hasn't ended yet - it continues in CTR too!

[abirnale]

Destination 3: Wah Taj - Monument of Love and Mughal Rule

It was our long pending wish to visit Taj Mahal - I always kept it on backlog to ensure that I visit it with my spouse. After all this is a monument of love relationship So after our Keoladeo visit, we headed to Agra. On the way, Fatehpur Sikri was ticked off too!

An excellent resource on Taj on our forum is here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ogue-agra.html (Wah Taj! Photologue from Agra)

The experience at Fatehpur Sikri was average - the usual rants of people there about parking, guides chasing you al lthe time, folks overselling - thats just routine here. The monument is beautiful though - loved every sight of it!

Here are some pictures:









We ended our day at Agra and checked into this beautiful homestay called as Pearl Of Taj - close to the east gate! They had nice parking street side that was covered with CCTV and not in the middle of hustle-bustle. If I ever go back again, I would definitely choose this homestay over commercial hotels!











We visited Taj Mahal and Agra fort next day morning - at our leisure in anticipation of fog not being there to cause trouble. Luckily, we had least fog that day - could click beautiful Taj pictures. The flip side, there were too many people in our frame!

Pictures from our Taj and Agra fort visit:











The Agra fort was fun - we recalled the stories of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's imprisonment and escape from there!









And the apt installation here: reminding us of a king who fought with Aurangzeb - I worship him why I love visiting the forts he built in Sahyadri region!



Ended the day without exerting us much - rested well and moved onto the next destination early next day via YEW and NH9 to Ramnagar - the prime target of our trip, Corbett Tiger Reserve!

[abirnale]

Destination 4: Searching for Paws in Kumaon - Jim Corbett

We were warned by many that CTR is infamous of not spotting tigers - we thought, they are not being positive or true to the facts. I think they were partially right - we did not sight any tigers here. We had booked the safari remotely looking into internet and not having any direct reference or connect - thats mistake number one! Secondly, we couldn't get any stays inside any FRH, let alone Dhikala FRH. That's plain bad luck! And to rub it on again, our first day was literally washed into rains :( The constant drizzle in night and all morning, ensured that we don't see anything clearly, not just tigers!

Can't blame others - just our luck. Reminded us the quote we read in Tadoba - you may not see the tiger but rest assured that Tiger has seen you. Hope that is true in CTR too!

The good part though - we had a hotel booked by GTi Travels that provided good food support - every time we missed our breakfast due to morning safari timings, they kept aside food for us, heated and served promptly. Since we used to leave early for reaching gates for afternoon safari, we missed lunches both the days - they promptly packed sandwiches and gave us a sumptuous meal or dinner that very well compensated!

The location of the hotel was in Kyari Kham village - the road snaked through dense jungle, water crossings and far away from Ramnagar Town cacophony. We always loved such things!

Though we did not sight the paws, a lot of feathered species:

The Indian jackals that we sighted on both morning Safaris - in Bijrani and Dhela:













The Scaly Bellied Woodpecker: new lifer!



Himalayan Griffon Vulture:



A barking deer crossing our roads:



We didn't see the tigers on the ground, but we did see the flying tigers!





This Yellow Throated Marten is not a frequent sight - we saw it on two safaris. Unfortunately once the pair was close but I failed to recognise them in time to focus camera and second time it was far away, outside 800mm zoom!



This is a common sight for us:



We had sighted this northern shoveler in the Koshi waters outside jungle safari!



If you see upclose, there is another one at left bottom - pair of Scops Owl:



The Himalayan Bulbul - what my wife calls her is Pahadi Maitrin (mountain friend) - we have a lot of them in our town which we se them as friends making good noise all the time!



A lot of pied starlings:



Watching fantail in the bushes while we wait for calls is totally fun!



The nuthatch that we couldn't click easily! This is the best I could get:



The lovely and colourful flameback!



When there are no tigers in sight, deers are plenty!


All in all, the CTR was OK experience - the jungle with its variety of terrain always offered something new! The Indian jackal sighting on two safaris for extended time was superb!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3kdNTsupNWE?feature=share

https://youtu.be/PskMSSgSeWU

Watching the Himalayan griffon (vulture) perched on the tree top was amazing:

https://youtu.be/N5tQfNytYUY

This flameback picking up the termites was enjoyable too:

https://youtu.be/AfsUuK0UebY

Seeing this scaly bellied woodpecker was a first for us!

https://youtu.be/bmzwdvDpybg

And the pleasant surprise was - spotting this crane pair enroute to Ramnagar:

https://youtu.be/_E_jENRwQFo

There are tons of other videos of the jungle, roads and flora/ fauna that will take some time for us to compile together and present to you - stay tuned. By the way - this is because we all used our phones, GoPro liberally in the jungle - there is no restriction on using phones there unlike MH!

Here is another piece from my daughter's diary:

The jungles of Jim Corbett spread over to about 1300 sq.kms. and have about 250+ tigers. As we set out on our first safari for the day, we hoped to sight at least one of the many tigers in this densely dense jungle.

Our first safari on Day 1 was in the Bijrani zone. It was raining lightly but we did not let it dampen our spirits. A little into the jungle, we saw a pair of jackals sitting by the trail. And oh dear were they cute. The one closest to us was continuously yawning and looking around curiously. If I could, I'd pick one and take it home as a pet! We then saw a train of tiger's pugmarks in the sand, heading the opposite way. We knew they were fresh because they hadn't been washed away by the rains from the previous day. As we drove deeper, we saw a juvenile Changeable Hawk-Eagle perched on a tree branch.

We drove further into the dense green jungle and across many water streams but still no signs of any big cats. By then we had completely given up the hopes of seeing a tiger in that safari, and instead engaged ourselves in the beauty of the forest. The forest looked as though it were a rainforest, with mosses and algae on a few trees, and some creepers and climbers hanging off the branches. The trails weren't very bumpy either. The sun was just rising, painting the skies a shade of yellow. As our jeep ventured deeper into the forest, we continued to look at the different species of trees and plants.

The trails were the prettiest and the most serene ones I had ever seen. Along the trails in some sections of the jungles were rocky water streams, just as you'd imagine when you think of these. As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, it cast a yellow glow on the rocks and leaves, leaving me mesmerized by the breathtaking view. There were some parts of the trail that went right through the streams and that's when we got a complete landscape view of the mountains and the numerous streams that snake through the valleys, tinted a light hue of yellow.

We were crossing a water stream when we saw a Yellow-Throated Marten. Our guide told us that seeing this marten in the Corbett jungle is an even rarer sight than seeing a tiger! We watched the tiny fellow jump on its little feet for barely 5 seconds or so. It then disappeared behind a cluster of bushes, completely hidden from our sight.

We drove a little further, where our guide showed us a tree, one side of which had white lines. These white lines were marks made by a tiger's claws from a long time ago. This marking is done by tigers as a way of marking their territory and claiming dominance. On the other side of the same tree were similar marks but red in color. These red marks were newer ones done in the very recent past.

As we drove back towards the main entry gate, we saw a Scaly-Bellied Woodpecker on a tree, sunbathing under the glorious morning sun. After we exited the gate, we drove back slightly disappointed. But this was only the first safari, there were 3 more to go. Maybe we'd see a tiger on one of those...right?

Our evening safari on Day 1 was in the Jhirna zone. It is bigger compared to Bijrani and has about 7-8 extremely bold tigers. We were pretty hopeful about sighting a tiger on that safari. We drove through the mountainous jungle and had our eyes peeled out for the big cats.

The first thing we saw was another Changeable Hawk-Eagle. We then saw a bunch of Himalayan Griffons, a type of vulture, sitting on a dried up tree. We also spotted Great Indian Hornbills jumping and flying from tree to tree. The flap of their wings sounds like an airplane flying from above your head. This is why they are given the nickname of "Flying Tigers". As we drove further we saw a Black-Rumped Flameback on a tree trunk, pecking around for any insects and termites hidden under the layer of dried wood.

We drove further into the dense jungle, and stopped at a crossroad, listening for any movement or call indicating the presence of a tiger. We waited for about 15 minutes and decided to go a little further and come back again to check.

When we came back to the same spot and waited for a while, we heard a tiger roar in the distance. This had our hearts racing as we anticipated the nearing of the tiger. We heard the call once again, and then...absolute silence. We held our breaths as we strained our ears to hear even the faintest roar again, but in vain. We drove further to a spot where, to our right side we could hear calls from jungle fowls and peacocks. We waited again for about 15 minutes and then drove back to the entry gate, disappointed yet again. Well, we still had 2 more safaris left, we'll hopefully see a tiger on one of those...

Our morning safari on Day 2 was in the Dhela zone. The area that this zone covers is completely grasslands. As we were driving through the tall, dry golden grass, we saw a pair of Great Indian Hornbills perched on a tree branch. As we drove on, we saw a Jackal sitting in the dried golden bushes, licking and munching on the bone of an animal.

We drove a little more deeper, and stopped at a watchtower. We were allowed to get off the jeep and look around. That was when we saw a pair of Yellow-Throated Martens trotting alongside each other, across the dried up water stream. This time we had the opportunity to watch them for a little while longer, and took the chance to click photos of them. Soon enough, one of them disappeared into the golden grass, while one waited behind for a while. In a few seconds, the second one too ran into the grass, following the first one.

We then drove even further and waited at one spot, under the green canopy of trees, waiting for any sign of the elusive big cat, but the whole jungle was silent. We drove back to the entry gate disappointed yet again.

Early in the morning, just as we had entered the gate at 6 a.m., we noticed two jeeps parked side by side right in the middle of the road. They were parked barely a few 100 meters away. As we neared them at a very slow pace, one of the jeeps left and the guide from the other jeep told us that they had seen a tiger. It had just walked into the thicket on the right side of the road and we missed it by a few seconds. We had suggested the guide that we wait there for a while and see if the tiger appears on the road again, but he denied stating that the two jeeps most likely had confused another animal for a tiger, considering the fact that it was very dark. So we had no choice but to drive on. Later when we came across one of the jeeps that had seen the supposed tiger, their guide showed us a video they took- under the headlight of the jeep, a tiger was walking head-on, unfazed by the dazzling headlights. This disheartened us a lot. We missed the tiger by just a few seconds.

As we returned back to our resort, we prayed hard to see a tiger on our last safari for the trip.

Our fourth and last safari was on Day 2 in the evening, in the Garjiya zone. As we got onto our jeep, our driver told us that this particular zone has a lot of water- including the usual water streams and the rain water from last 3 days. The trails in this zone had become very slippery and so some regions had become inaccessible because of the slippery roads, which make it hard to drive the jeeps. Now we had a lot lesser area to cover. This slightly crushed our hopes of finally being able to see a tiger. We still had some faith that a small area will not hinder our chances to sight the big cat.

As we ventured into the deep forest, we looked around, desperate for any sign of the big cat. As we were driving past a slushy path of trail, our driver steered the jeep to the left on the grass, so that we don't get stuck in the slush. Instead, we got stuck in the long grass. Somehow, our driver and guide managed to get us out of the grass and continued with the safari. A little further, our guide pointed out an Indian Scops Owl perched in its nest. Later when we looked at the pictures of the owl, we noticed another owl sitting below it, slightly hidden by the wood.

A little down the path, we saw another tree with the claw markings and teeth markings of a tiger, done in an effort to mark their territory.

Soon we reached a spot with grasslands on two sides, a thicket on one side and a water body on one side. We waited there for about 15 minutes in hopes of seeing a tiger walk out into the clearing, but to no avail. We felt disheartened with every passing minute. This was our last safari and so far we had not seen even a single tiger.

As we drove a little uphill, we waited under a tree with bated breaths- we were in the territory of a man-eater tiger. This tiger was known to kill the villagers that pass by through the forest. As we were waiting for any movement, we noticed a lot of bird activity on the tree near us. There were lots of Himalayan bulbuls, a Heart-Spotted Kingfisher, a Dwarf Kingfisher, a Nuthatch and a Fantail jumping around. We busied ourselves with observing these tiny feathered creatures. Soon we had to drive back to the entry gate as time was up.

We were driving to the gate when we noticed a few Flamebacks flying around, and some were pecking at the trunk of trees to try and find termites to eat.

We left to our resort extremely disheartened. A lot of people had told us that not much sighting happens in Jim Corbett, but that's not true. Sighting does happen, in fact, sightings happen in almost every safari, you just need luck to be able to catch a glimpse of the shy, elusive big cat. Although we did not sight any tigers, me and my mom absolutely loved the jungles of Corbett.

As we embarked on our return journey, we decided that maybe we'll leave re-visiting Jim Corbett for the last, and in the meanwhile explore the other countless tiger reserves in India!

[abirnale]

Destination 5: Quiet, quaint and quality family time at Himalayan foothills - Kausani

The last part of our trip was planned to spend the new year eve at peace away from crowd - we purposely listed this destination to avoid crowds of Nainital! This was also a dress rehearsal to get closer to Himalayas! A close friend of mine from TORC had personally recommended a place to stay in Kausani - the best location I could imagine. This hotel is located at the highest point in Kausani and has beautiful views!

This nice little town is not the usual touristy destination - it does have a lot of happening things though! The Anasakti Ashram premises close to our hotel was a busy destination for many visitors. This place was once described by Bapu - MK Gandhi as India's Swiss! Oh and by the way, a lot of Shawl stores around in case you want to buy local stuff!

The town is surrounded by pine forests - you can take walk and enjoy the nature to it's best. Moreover there are bunch of treks, temples close by too. And yes, the Nandadevi peak is about 75Kms form here :P

The most loved part of this stay was - our hotel - the balconies of both rooms were facing the peaks. The weather gods had cleared the skies for two days - we could sit and watch the sunset, sunrise at our own pace and sip the coffee! Evenings were best spent sitting in front of campfire in the premises and the staff at hotel made special Kumaouni Food for us! Delicious it was.

Taking walk outside the hotel, visiting nearby shacks to enjoy hot momos and coffee was our favourite pass-time! You might be wondering but this was exactly the goal we had in our mind - end the trip with peace and slow pace. And we did it right!

Here are some pictures while we were at Kausani:



The steppe Eagle is huge when you see it upclose!





The blue whistling trush that frequented hotel premises!





The Anasakti Ashram - supposedly Gandhiji had visited this place:







Numerous trek routes around Kausani to enjoy:



Hotel Jeetu was great place!













On Jan 1st, we embarked on our return trip to home. We were stuck in the traffic jam between Kainchi Dham to Kathgodam section for about 4+ hours. That threw our plans to wind - the beginning of the year was not so great but we were glad, we were on the road, which we love! We made slow progress that day. We could reach little beyond Bareli. The next day, we made great progress from Farrukhabad till Nagpur! And then straight home run!

[abirnale]

Epilog

This was special trip on the account of:

• Our first family trip that covered about 7 states and farthest we ever did!
• I took the chance of booking on the fly - generally for family trip, everything would have been planned to the T.
• This trip turned out to be a good one - we as family can manage surprises!
• We didn't sight any tigers in TWLS or CTR but we enjoyed the CTR jungles very much. Not sure if we would go back there again for safari but for sure, our recommendation or place of choice for stay would be Dhikala FRH and nothing else if we don't get booking!
• #TheRedSparkle never let us down - awesome reliable and predictable behaviour. It munched miles effortlessly, all its ADAS aid helped us go farther and worry free. The FEs when driven in the range surprised us - between 14-16 kmpl all the time with fully loaded car! I was skeptical if the car will throw tantrums like DPF or electronics malfunction and so on. The car is older now - almost 3 years. The battery was expected to give up any moment but that did not happen at all! Dare to say - unlike usual M&M launches, this one is much more sorted and better. I am glad to have picked up the first batch AWD and putting to good use - she ain't a garage queen!

I will be taking some time to compile all the videos and stitch them together to make into a one stop watch. When done, will post here - until then thanks for reading and virtually retracing the trip with us!

Thank you and have a great time - keep driving and stay safe too!

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[megazoid]

This is a mega trip indeed.

No wonder your better half wanted to enjoy the Taj Mahal and relax :-) btw, Kausani brings back some pleasant memories. I was given a book at Anasakti ashram and sat there cross legged singing "raghupati raghava raja ram" during our visit. You have some serious energy and enthusiasm to traverse so many national parks in one go. This thread is clearly a ready reckoner for avid paw and feather hunters

[arun_josie]

Lovely travelogue! This reminded me of my road trip to Agra - Uttrakhand in 2015. Good to know that Kausani is still not crowded, as you rightly mentioned it is a very nice location with stunning views minus the crowd.

This was the view from our stay in Kausani.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Throughout the trip, my daughter was my navigator - she also has recently acquired the driving license and skills - grateful for her support during the trip. She did all hotel bookings, did satellite reece of the route and guided about the route whenever I asked for! This I think is our most important achievement - she has learnt to plan and execute these mega trips to unknown territorries! She was abl to pick the best hotels most of the times! Her choices in Jabalpur, Nagpur, Agra were superb!

This is awesome! Soon she will kick you out of the driver seat too

[adetour]

Nice log and great writeup as usual, a quick one too!
Awesome pictures especially from Kausani. If you had a bit more time, would have pushed you to include Munsiyari, but there's always next time.

Originally Posted by abirnale

The Jabalpur - Sagar Section: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fKQfTKGL96aspUui9 This section goes through a relatvely unknown tiger reserve - beautiful roads and perfect flora around for this time of the year!

Good to know these roads were great, it was a good decision to take this route instead of the usual WIP Narsinghpur section.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Ramnagar - Kausani: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NT68QUD9BX2LgJ2L7 The road after Ranikhet upto the Someshwar Range is beautiful and goes through the jungle - least crowded and super twisty, scenic!

This route through Ranikhet - Someshwar are gem and away from the Naintial - Almora belt crowded routes, one of the best in Middle Kumaon hills.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Bundelkhand Expressway: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LVXYQRYS29juSfUW9 The best road I have ever driven on - superbly marked, great surface and every 50 kms or so there is a fuel ad food stop! Not at all crowded too.

Good to know that Bundelkhand Eway has been patched up and good to drive on!

[IamNikhil]

Another epic travelogue abirnale! Cheers to you and your family for this mega road trip. Reading this makes me want to plan a similar long journey with my folks soon. Wish you a zillion happy miles in this new year

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by megazoid

...
btw, Kausani brings back some pleasant memories. I was given a book at Anasakti ashram and sat there cross legged singing "raghupati raghava raja ram" during our visit.
...

Thank you and Indeed a great place to spend a peaceful holiday. I want to repeat the circuits you did up north on J&K Someday

When our state of mind is right and we have such a beautiful place, it feels like you that is the best moment in life - grateful to have it in our lives!

Originally Posted by arun_josie

...
This was the view from our stay in Kausani.
...
This is awesome! Soon she will kick you out of the driver seat too

Thanks Arun. You must have stayed at Sun and Snow Inn - thats next door to Hotel Jeetu

And hell no - she will have her own car sooner or later. My car is for me primarily. Others in family can of course get the secondary access!

Originally Posted by adetour

If you had a bit more time, would have pushed you to include Munsiyari, but there's always next time.

Indeed - we wanted to go further by extending the trip but we will need to be little more prepared for cold and snow! This would be another reason to go back there soon! By the way, thank you for all the route guidance as always.

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

Another epic travelogue abirnale! Cheers to you and your family for this mega road trip. Reading this makes me want to plan a similar long journey with my folks soon. Wish you a zillion happy miles in this new year

Thank you Nikhil - the XUV7OO is a real mile muncher - love to take it around!