Kotdwar Gate will join the existing six entry gates which span the five tourism zones with Corbett Tiger Reserve: Amadanda, Dhangari, Durgadevi, Khara, Kalagarh, and Vatanvasa.

Amdanda Gate

Located around 1 km from Ramnagar city, this is the safari entry gate for Bijrani Zone as well as guests staying at Bijrani Forest Rest House. Morning, evening and day safaris can be done through this gate. Amdanda gate is open from 1 Oct till 30 June annually. Timings are fixed to enter through this gate.

Dhangari Gate

Located around 19 Kms from Ramnagar city, this is the safari entry point for Dhikala Zone as well as guests staying at nearby Forest Rest Houses. This gate is open only from 15 Nov till 15 June annually. Timings are fixed to enter through this gate.

Durgadevi Gate

Located around 26 kms from Ramnagar city, this is the entry gate for Domunda/Lohachaur Zone. This gate is open from 1 Oct till 30 June annually. Timings are fixed to enter through this gate.

Khara & Kalagarh Gate

Located around 20 kms from Ramnagar city, these are the only safari entry gates in Corbett National Park which are open round the year for visitors to Jhirna Zone. During monsoon season, advance booking of safaris can not be done. In case of heavy rains safaris can be cancelled on any particular day.

The operating season will run from November 15, 2011 to June 15, 2012.

Deceptively cool morning air tricks the mind into wearing heavy clothing. Within an hour, direct sun shining on an open-top jeep and increased heart rates warm the body both inside and out. We’ve come on a mission. Forget the introductory speeches about the slim chances of hitting the safari jackpot. Like all tourists to the national parks of India, hopes remain high that we will be the fortunate ones to see the iconic orange, black and white stripes.

Red tape. Jokes aside, without help, the line for required entry permits may be endless. Hotels are relentless in their pursuit for safari rupees. Thankfully we were tipped off the evening before. Arrangements were made in the back of a tiny restaurant in Ramnagar. The following day, we would be in good hands with a guide, driver and vehicle. Suspicions be damned…everything would fall into place the next morning.

A good sign. Driver, vehicle and guide were waiting for us as scheduled. Quickly we were hustled into the permit office where long lines were already forming. Funny, the foreign tourists we just cut off in queue could have been me, but I would have said something. It’s nice to move to the front of the line.

_______________________

His hair caught my attention immediately. Henna color added for fashion, perfectly cut into a taper in the back. He was wearing a British military sweater which had eluded my searches in markets for weeks now. Little English could be exchanged. Pointing would have to suffice as the language with our driver. Of course the tag along guide spoke so we could understand. “Shhh, do you hear that?”, quietly the guide says. Jeep comes to a standstill. It was just a bird. We have those in Amreeka.

Dusty, bumpy, thirsty…the land before us was just as imagined. My mind wonders is that good or bad? Of course it’s good. Right? There is nothing but brush covered hills, a winding rock barren river bed, scattered trees with roots that must be digging deep for water, and two worn tracks running parallel into the distance. Mid-morning sun has drenched everything in a warm blanket, causing the heavy layers we were wearing to come off.

Wildlife is upon us. They aren’t tame, yet the various creatures don’t scamper away in total fear as the jeeps rumbles through their home. “And if we see a tiger, will it attack us?”, a question I’m embarrassed to have asked as soon as the words leave my lips. “Not to worry”, he quietly states. Ugh, tourists.

_______________________

Our morning scorecard doesn’t read well. Lunchtime on the patio at the hotel. Two hours to stretch the legs that just minutes ago were shoved into my chest, knees facing my chin. Jeeps are not built for comfort. Liquids, a light meal, breeze and shade are just what was needed before commencing the afternoon session.

A different path is taken as the sun begins to hit it’s peak. Sunscreen should be standard issue at the entry gate. Slowly the safari experience rolls along the marks worn in the ground from countless tourists before us. Less flat, this part of the park sparks my interest. Surely there must be at least one big cat out there. Can they hear us? Maybe it’s my lunch, they can smell me and it’s turned them off. Am I really thinking this? This sun is awfully hot.

Two hours of birds, deer, boar and lizards rearing their heads. Noises were heard by the guide. Tracks were seen. This is a game, one in which the cats and guides silently spar back and forth. I believe you know who wins most of the time.

_______________________

It’s November. Nightfall is coming rather early these days. Soon the cool air, which made sleeping that much easier the night before, will return. And feasting time will begin within the jungle. What poor creature spotted in the fresh hours of this day will not have the luxury of waking tomorrow? Their entire life is a game, a struggle for survival. If it’s not the other inhabitants of Corbett National Park, it’s a lack of water threatening to disrupt a chance for a future.

Surreal. Yes, that it is. A dream, a very bizarre dream. Wondering how we all fit into the box of our lives, a safari can evoke more than just good photos. It’s a cleansing of our mental palette. India was continuing to inspire, frustrate, captivate.

With a setting sun on the horizon, speed had been asked of the jeep. The park would be closing soon. We were meant to meet-up with our friend on the other side of the gate, waiting on our return. He would hear all about our adventure over eggs bhurji, daal and veg biryani tucked back in the same corner where we had made arrangements just 24 hours earlier. A report card of sorts. The tigers took home an A+ this time.

But I’ll be returning.

Guest rooms of Infinity Corbett Wilderness

A pool, a bar, buffet for breakfast and dinner, riverside deck seating for meals…staying at Infinity Corbett Wilderness as part of the safari experience at Corbett National Park is far from taxing. Located along the main row of mid-range to high-end properties, Infinity Resorts is one of three locations the small, independently owned group operates.

Just minutes from Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, the safari themed hotel is quietly built into surrounding riverside greenery. Guests arrive via a steep drive, exiting off the main road, down to the vehicle drop point. Immediately you are welcomed by not only the staff, but the resident elephant Lakshmi. Inside the reception building visitors can shop for postcards and small trinkets to send back home. After the formal check-in process is complete, guests are then free to walk the combination boardwalk and paved walkways meandering through the lush garden landscape.

Buildings are clumped in groups of 4 rooms on each level, two stories high. Large windows brighten the stone walls and wood floors.  Fitted with darker wood furniture, in keeping with a rustic safari concept, no TV or phone can be a bit of a shock to some guests. Be warned and come prepared with reading material. Ample space for two persons with luggage makes it easy to spread out and relax, sometimes a much needed luxury after a full day of tiger hunting. A semi-private balcony and/or patio is accessed directly from the guest room. Ensuite baths offer the usual conveniences of full time running hot water, shower and western toilet. However,

When hunger strikes, make the short walk to the clubhouse restaurant located near the pool. Breakfast buffet and dinner are available with lunch ordered off menu. Indian & Continental are your choices and surprising tasty at that. Resorts typically are bland and spice-less to appeal to a wider audience, but Infinity has managed to toe the line nicely. For an ever better experience, take your meals out on the open air deck which offers views of the Ramganga River. Tourists from all countries can be met here making for fun conversation along with tip and story swapping.

The in-ground kidney shaped pool is kept sparkling clean. Chaise lounges surround the outer rim where anything from the kitchen or bar can be had.

Lakshmi, is available with prior reservations for a two hour safari of the park. Rates are a bit steep at Rs 4500, but my travel partner and I agreed to a go-round once. To avoid paying the required park entry fee, the guide enters through a back trail amounting to a ride through the tree tops. Lakshmi was more interested in eating during our ride than taking us to see the wildlife. While we were sorry to see the Rs 4500 seemingly gone to waste, having the rare chance as a foreigner to ride an elephant does make for good memories.

Infinity Corbett Wilderness butts right up to Ramganga River

As well as the elephant safari, Infinity staff will offer a jeep version for the same cost. Traveler’s would be smart to take a ride into nearby Ramnagar, where they can bargain for a reduced rate including park entry and help obtaining the compulsory park permit.

Be sure to take a stroll along the river banks in the early morning which brings views wildlife grazing, locals crossing the river as well as snooping views of competing properties.