
Jim Corbett national park is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in India. The first park to come under project tiger, it holds the record for the highest density of tigers anywhere in the world. If the call of the wild lures you, then Corbett is first among equals. Truly wild and vast, you need to spend some time here if your really want to see the place. A 7-8 hours drive from Delhi, it is an ideal getaway for an extended weekend.
Corbett:
Known as the land of the roar, trumpet and song, Jim Corbett national park is one of the richest places on earth in terms of bio-diversity. There is just so much to see and even if you are not lucky enough to see a tiger, the beauty of the place is so profound, you will not feel that you have missed something in your trip.
Best Time to Go:
Best time to go to Corbett is in the summer months just before the monsoons (March end to June) as it is the best time for sightings. The park remains closed from 15th June to 15th November. Winters are also a good time to go to see the beauty of the park.
Geting there:
Road: Corbett is a 7-8 hours drive from Delhi by road. You should leave really early in the morning because there is a lot of traffic on the road and the main entrance to Corbett is shut after 3pm. You will not be able to enter if you arrive late and will have to return to Ramnagar.
Rail: Ranikhet Express is an overnight train from Delhi to Ramnagar. Ramnagar is just outside Corbett and is the place where you have to take your permits to enter. You will have to take a vehicle from Ramnagar (plenty of open top gypsies are available at the forest office in Ramnagar)
Air: New Delhi is the nearest international airport.
Accommodation:
There are numerous resorts outside Corbett in the buffer zone of the reserve which range from basic to outright luxurious. But if you want to see the real jungle, then you have to stay inside Corbett. You can only get a half day safari from the resorts outside to Dhikala (which is 65km from the forest gate)
Dhikala Forest Rest House

There are several Forest Rest Houses inside the reserve that are run by the Forest Department and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam. Dhikala is the most popular (right in the centre of Corbett) overlooking the huge grasslands. Also Dhikala has got all facilities and all the safaris start from here. The other Rest houses do not even have electricity and are right in the middle of the forest and are meant for you if you are looking for some adventure. Also there are no phones inside the park.
view from Dhikala

Booking:
If you want to book any resort in the buffer zone there are plenty of sites and agents that provide for that but getting accommodation in Dhikala is a little difficult. Bookings have to be done by sending a fax to the Ramnagar office. If accommodation is available for the dates mentioned, they will respond back with a fax and you need to send the payment in advance by fax. Also you need to book well in advance because of limited rooms there (almost a month). You can also reach Ramnagar and get a booking from the Forest Office. A few rooms are sold everyday (you have to get in line before sunrise to get them)
An easier alternative is to book a tour through Kumaon Manadal Vikas Nigam. They run 2 nights and 3 days tours from Delhi and take care of everything including travelling, accommodation in Dhikala, elephant and jeep safaris and all meals. The rooms are very good and the buffet meals are amazing. The entire tour will cost approx Rs. 5500 per person.
KMVN has booking offices in all major cities. In Delhi the office is in Indra Prakash building on Barakhambha Road. You can contact them on +91-011-23712246 / 23319835 or kmvndelhi@yahoo.com. Keep in mind that here also you need to book well in advance.
Safaris:
Once you are in Dhikala you can take elephant or jeep safaris to different parts of the park. Elephant safaris are provided twice a day - early morning and late afternoon. There are limited number of elephants so you need to check for availability and book your safari on the day you arrive itself. Open air jeep safaris can be taken anytime of the day. The jeeps have to be back by sundown. An elephant will seat four people and a safari will cost around Rs. 850. A jeep safari along with a forest guide will cost Rs. 1050. If you have a 4x4, you can take your own vehicle along with a forest guide for Rs. 250.
elephant safari

Things to Do:
The view of the grasslands from Dhikala is amazing. You can sit all day looking at the herd of elephants grazing below and taking pictures. You should take many safaris as the park is huge and every time the jeep will take you in a new direction and still you will see only 10% of the park.
view from Dhikala

Cheetal (spotted deer) are so common that you will get bored of seeing so many. Sambhar (swamp deer) are also quite common. Other mammals that you are likely to spot are barking deer, Hog deer (rare species), wild boar, macaques, langurs and elephants. You have to be lucky to sight a tiger though sightings are quite high. We saw a tiger chase a cheetal right on the road !! The rarest sighting would be of leopards as they are very shy and nocturnal beings.
Elephants are aplenty and gather in huge herds in the grasslands. If you have a good pair of binoculars you will be able to spot alligators and gharials right from you camp in Dhikala itself.
a herd of elephant in dhikala chaur

Corbett has over 500 species of birds (on of the highest anywhere in the world) and catching some on camera is definitely very rewarding.
Whatever you do, do not go to Corbett without a good camera.
Useful links:




