FOOTHILLS HIMALAYA @ JIM CORBETT NATIONAL PARK

Jim Corbett National Park, the home to the mighty king of the jungle and inspiration to the "jungle book" is worth a visit, not just for its king but for every flora and fauna there and the best places to put up for your duration of stay are the forest guest houses inside the forest zone (Dhikala being the best one). But the better they are the rarer the availability, rarer than spotting the king himself. But it's not a news of disappointment anyways because here comes Rushil Shergill's foothills Himalaya home stay into picture and trust me it will be a much better option.

right at the foothills with the forest around

Needless to say, tiger spotting and staying inside the Forest sounds more thrilling but if you go as a tourist and book a safari directly with forest office your chances of spotting a tiger gets thinner. On the other hand, if you have Rushil to accompany you; his knowledge of the jungle, about secret whereabouts of tigers and his familiarity with the locals can thicken your chances of a game or two. I think my husband rightly called him young Jim Corbett of India. Plus you get to experience hearty Punjabi hospitality, a sneak peek into the life of a falconer/organic farmer/self made architect building his new rammed earth wall house with quite efficient chimneys all by experimental learning.

organic onion farms

We were not lucky enough to spot any tiger but I swear we do not regret it as we visited quite interior parts of the jungle where no safari jeeps go, saw the surrounding village, farms, got introduced to art of falconry; all thanks to our generous host. His whole family treated us with such warmth and fed us with farm grown organic mouthwatering food over rounds of drinks and countless stories about the jungle and their life in the wilderness. Even their dogs seemed to be trained in hospitality. They came running to greet us (like old friends), slept under our bed (sleeps are sound with a furry friend at your feet) and stood guard at night when we were star gazing in the open (leopards do visit the village occasionally).

the cottage and the fruit trees' garden in front

In the end, while leaving after just two days, we didn't have a "check out" feeling but as if saying goodbye to a friend and his family after spending a whole summer with them.

Details - 

Jim Corbett's winter house

• Location - Kotabaug, Kaladhungi, Uttarakhand ( just 30mins from the Jim Corbett National Park)
• Commute by air - nearest domestic airport @ Phoolbagh, Pantnagar is around 50kms away. nearest international airport @ Delhi is around 295kms away.
• Commute by rail -  nearest railway station @ Kathgodam is around 44kms with Shatabdi running every day to and fro.
• Commute by road - of course you need taxi in any of the above cases. Call for Jitin Bhai's taxi service @ 9412039589, it's very prompt with decent drivers.
• Stay details - there are 3 double rooms to opt from and tents are pitched if need be.
• In and around - National Park is indeed the reason for the visit but don't miss Jim Corbett's winter house which is converted into forest museum, buy his books "man eaters of Kumaon" and "My India" for thrilling hunting stories.
• Seasons - Summers are best for tiger spotting, rains are dramatic to visit and winter treks around are fantastic.