The Kaziranga National Park is one of the best forest reserves in the world – and you have to stay at the Wild Grass Lodge for a truly satisfying and wholesome experience. [continue reading…]
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Assam
Hotel Review: Wild Grass Lodge, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India
Hotel Review: Iora, The Retreat, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India
If you are looking for modern comforts when visiting the Kaziranga National Park, Iora is the place you should choose to stay. The property has all the comforts you can ask for, with high quality furnishings, satellite TV, a fully functional restaurant and more. The problem is the property could be anywhere in the world; it has little to show that it is at the world heritage site of Kaziranga National Park. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 41: Chasing the Gibbon apes, the only of their kind in India
The Hoolock Gibbon (Lesser Ape) found in the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary near Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India
I woke all excited at 5:00 am to head out to the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary near Kaziranga National Park and Jorhat in Assam. The day started with a small blip: my guide was missing. I had to go to his house and wake him up – it turned out he had slept late after a night of theatre and drinking with friends. Apparently with the tip I had given him the previous evening.
But the guide was good. He had made advance arrangements with another guide to spot the Gibbons and wait for us there. When I saw the family, I was a little disappointment: I was imagining they would look like those Great African Apes you see in National Geographic. I was even visualising sitting with them for photos – and feeding them bananas I specially carried. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 39-40: Back to the wilds in Kaziranga National Park in Assam
A Great Indian Hornbill at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India
After the turmoil of Arunachal’s mountains, it was back to the wilds – this time at the Kaziranga National Park, one of the best wildlife reserves in the country.
The experience at Kaziranga turned out to be great for two reasons: I stayed at Wild Grass Lodge – why can’t all properties in national parks be like these? (Will post a review of this later). I also managed to secure the services of their best guide, Budheswar Konwar, to take me around. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Days 34-38: Stuck! Scary Landslides and falling rocks leave me stranded in Arunachal Pradesh
The beautiful landscapes on the road to Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh
Feeling like I had conquered the North Pole, I thanked the Army officers for their hospitality at Kibithu (the eastern most motorable settlement in India) and started back in the rain. And then the troubles started.
Rocks of all sizes were having a free run, plonking themselves at alarming regularity on the highway. One big fellow stopped me in my tracks at Walong one hour later, forcing me to spend the night in an Inspection Bungalow (I was lucky to have got one, and the rooms were very comfortable). But it was a cold, long night – and it seemed even more so with the uncertainties of what lay ahead. [continue reading…]
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 24: The games elephants play at Manas National Park in Assam
Elephants playing with one another at the Manas National Park in Assam, India
This will go down as probably the best moment of all my travels. Setting out early to spot wildlife and birds at the Manas National Park in Assam, I came across a herd of elephants on a dirt track about 50 metres away from me. Initially they seemed just like a couple till I realized they were a full herd – and hidden in the trees and foliage around the track. And what do I see?
They kept coming in and out of the greenery, from babies to giant male members. And all seemed in a jovial mood. They were playing together, pushing each other into the bushes, climbing on top of the other and engaging in friendly duels. I could have watched them for hours – you rarely see such sights. Don’t miss out on their expressions – some are actually laughing.
Go ahead, enjoy the images of something unique on Facebook even if you are not a member.
This trip was sponsored by TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com.
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Great Himalayan Drive Day 23: Watching elephants bathe in the setting sun at Manas National Park in Assam
Image of an elephant bathing at the Manas National Park in Assam in India
One of the best moments of The Great Himalayan Drive happened at Manas National Park in Assam for me: the sight of elephants bathing in the Manas river with the setting sun in the background. The setting and the moments were surreal – I could have spent hours watching the scene. But the sun has to set and elephants have other things to do. Enjoy the images on Facebook even if you are not a member.
This trip was sponsored by TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com.
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The Great Himalayan Drive, Kashmir to Arunachal starts January 29
Is it possible to cover the entire span of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh as one unbroken journey by road? Yes, it is. And I am setting out to show how it can be done, starting January 29, 2010. And I will drive for approximately 120 days.
Billed to be a trip never done before (certainly not in recorded memory), the journey will stretch from the western border of the Indian Himalayas in Kashmir to the eastern end in Arunachal Pradesh. It will also go through Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
The journey has been made possible with sponsorships from TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com. Keen to know more about the trip? Click here…
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