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Ade was very excited about heading to India – not so much for the Ganges or the Taj Mahal but for the opportunity to see tigers!
So we had to set aside time to visit Corbett National Park, just near Ramnagar.
We arrive late in the afternoon after an overnight train from Delhi – it was quite an experience listening to the chai-wallah wander up and down the carriage calling ‘chai, chai’, and selling bags of nuts and seeds.
I must admit I was a little concerned when the train separated and one half went in one direction while the back end went in a different direction. Fortunately we were in the correct carriage, heading in the direction of Ramnagar.
As soon as we arrive we organise to head out on a night tour, which was quite fortunate, as it turns out as that is the only time we actually saw a tiger in Corbett. And even then, we can’t be sure it was actually a tiger.
The night-time drive is just a bonus and while it is an exciting experience, it is very difficult to see any animals in the dark. It is also somewhat eerie being in the Indian jungle in an open-air jeep at night looking for tigers.
The following day we are up early ready for a full day looking for tigers. We see plenty of birds, elephants, monkeys and deer but no tigers. The park is dry and dusty but with lots of shrubbery.
Halfway through the day, we are urged up on to a platform to hop on the back of a giant elephant. (I can’t quite believe how high we were up there.)
And while I had a lot of fun, I was more than a little bit nervous about what would happen if we encountered any tigers.
Adrian, on the other hand, was not so happy on the elephant, apparently it’s not such a great way to travel if you want to take photos.
Back down on land, ok on four tyres, and we listen as the monkeys screech warnings to each other that a tiger is nearby. Of course our excitement grows and we join a cavalcade of vans queuing up to try and get a glimpse of the tiger. We have no luck.
Our guides point out markings in trees and paw prints on the road. But as is sometimes the case on safaris, the animals themselves remain hidden.
When we return to our hotel after the game drive we bump into two Australian boys who were also out on safari that day and had been chased by a tiger!
Apparently they stopped to photograph a tiger in a watering hole and watched in wander as he started to walk along the road. The driver followed the tiger, which soon turned and chased the jeep the boys were travelling in. The driver tried to get away, crashing into a tree in the process.
The tiger soon lost interest in the van and ran into the long grass. Meanwhile the boys got away with some great photos and a fantastic story.
We travelled in 2007.
We stayed two nights in Ramnagar.
Was it long enough? Ideally we would have stayed at least another couple of nights to give ourselves a better chance to see a tiger.
Highlights: The possible night-time sighting of a tiger.
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