Post travel report
Situated on Nepal Border - Now totally devoid of any animal life... except for three deers and swamp deers , no other animal was visible. Sad state of Government official mafia. Informal, hushed voices of the staff claimed of seeing the newly born cubs at the homes of Forest Officer & DM home.
Very sad to see, a total annihilation of animals in the reserve. While the guides claimed they have seen animals - we saw NO SIGN of animals in the entire reserve.
None, there is absolutely NO WILDLIFE Left. It has been usurped by the Babu mafia - it seems, that the reserve is the playground for the sarkari babu. Not only are there no tigers to be seen, even wild animals are not visible - not just to me (we queried with other people and guides), they had not seen ONE WILD ANIMAL in over weeks worth of trip.
This excludes 5 deer we saw, and some swamp deer(10-15 against the claimed 600) and some Barasingha deer (20-30 against the claimed 1600).
I really hope, it was my luck and not reality that for more than 7 days not even one wild any animal was sighted... really hope so.
I did manage to shoot some great bird photos though.
The trip itself was very nice, since we had three families together and in general had some great fun.
Initial plan for travel
Parties
- Party A - Alok Sinha, Anjali Sinha, Akanksha Sinha, Aparajita sinha - 4 adults + Driver - using Endeavour
- Party J - Jayant Jhamb, Meenakshi Jhamb, Urvika Jhamb, Pankhuri Jhamb - 3 adults, 1 kid + driver - using ???
- Party S - Sanjay Bhattacharya, Amit Singh, Mrs Bhattacharya, Master Bhattacharya (10), Master Bhattacharya (4) - 3 Adults, 2 kids - using Zen Estillo ???
Route
Here is the proposed route
http://g.co/maps/s34bz
Dos and Donts
Dos
- Get your cameras - this is NOT the time to miss any fleeting moment - charge them in advance.
- Carry medicine as you would be atleast 4 hrs of drive away from a decent pharmacy
- BOYD - Bring your own (&yr family's ) Daaru, soft drinks. Soft drinks available @ resort, but if total drive time is 20hrs, you would rather carry ur own soft drinks for enroute atleast
- Bring your glasses - disposable would be good.
- While food and meals are covered in our cost - it is highly recommended that you provision for some snacks and instant food (cup-o-noodle etc)
- The weather is expected to be clear, and hot - high temp 39'c and low 20'c - light summer clothing would be nice.
- For the safaris (sat/sun) please wear full sleeves shirts/tops and full covered leg suits.
- After lunch @ Bareily we still have to do 5 hrs of drive - keep lots of ice with you.
Donts
- For safari, DO NOT wear sandals - during drive is ok, but once you reach the resort, till the time you leave - please ALWAYS wear shoes.
- For safari - Preferably wear muted colors - bright, sparkly colors are likely to alert the animals. - Wear colors like khakhi, brown, grey etc. - Drive time is ok.
Accommodation
Jambolana safari camp, Dudhwa
Costs: Rs. 4,500 per tent per night. Including taxes, and including meals - for the entire duration of stay (17:00 hrs 6th to 14:00 hrs 8th) (For luxury tents it is Rs. 6,000 per tent per night What is not included: Booze, softdrinks, accessory to booze - like soda, snacks etc.
There is no TV. Electricity is present, but erratic. No AC. Internet available @ reception. (Post Trip: This we learnt was not true - there is NO internet connection, other than your own mobile GPRS)
MUST carry these
Carry mosquito repllents - Hit, Kacchua chhaap, odomos - we are going into wildlife - will need these.
Carry Torch/Emergency light - though, we will NOT need these, there need to be available in case of emergency - power may fail at nights @ resort - better to have lights by your bed.
Water - lots of it - I recommend getting 1 x 20 ltr of water per party.
Tissue paper - going to meet nature, calls of nature sometimes, cannot be avoided
Carry some hand towels, long towels - safaris can be fairly dusty.
Summary of Delhi - Dudhwa
- Start @ Belvedere Park 05:00 hrs
- 45 minutes drive - NH24 bypass - all collect
- 2hrs drive - Gajraula McDonalds - Pack and Go breakfast
- 2 hr 45 minutes drive - Lunch @ Bareilly (yet to be decided)
- 2 hr drive - Leg stretch break at puranpur
- 3 hrs drive - Reach destination 17:00 hrs
I have assumed slow, comfortable drive and hence 12 hrs - I am told by many people that it is indeed just 9 hrs drive and not 12. If it is indeed 9 hrs, then we will be reaching on better time. (Post Trip: Forget 12, you would need 14-15 hrs to reach one way. This includes about 1-2 hours of traffic jam you would face on highway. The roads on the highway are under construction.)
Detailed drive plan
Friday
- 05:15 hrs - Party A leaves Belvedere Park (0Km)
- 06:00 hrs - Party A rendezvous with Party J @ Signal light on NH24, (Map point B) (32km)
- 06:20 hrs - Party A & J, rendezvous with Party S @ Map point C, at the NH24 bypass (12.3km)
Drive 91kms, 2 hrs drive
Stop 1 - Breakfast - Pack and go - only 15mnts break - bfast in vehicles
- 08:15 hrs - All party arrive @ McDonalds , Gajraula - marked @ Map point D (91km)
- 08:30 hrs - All party leave McDonalds
Drive 141 km, 2:45 mnts drive
Stop 2 - Lunch (estimated location - exact unknown) 1 hr
- 11:15 hrs - All party arrive @ Rajindra Market, Bareilly marked as Map Point E (141 kms) (Post Trip: There are two main malls in Bareilly [Amrapali and Phoenix] - one each side before you enter and leave the town. As on Apr 8th, the Phoenix Mall DID NOT have an open Mc Donald restaurant - it did have a good value for money food court.)
- 12:00 hrs - All party leave Rajindra Market
Driver 88kms, 2hrs drive
Stop 3: Stretch leg option - 15 minutes
- 14:00 hrs - All party arrive @ rest point, Puranpur Map point F (88kms)
- 14:15 hrs - All party leave rest point
Drive 95 kms, 3 hrs drive
- 17:00 hrs - All party arrive @ Jambolana Map point G (95kms)
Freshen up @ resort
Campfire
Saturday (all items optional)
Early morning - Birding : 05:00 hrs to 06:00
Morning -Elephant ride to Rhino area (07:00 to 10:00 hrs)
- Mohana river beach (not yet confirmed) 10:30 to 12:00 hrs
Lunch
Evening safari
- Kishanpur wildlife safari (14:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs)
- Sharda river front (17:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs)
Dinner
Sunday
Early morning - Birding
Morning - Safari @ satiayana grasslands - 07:00 hrs to 10:30 hrs (Post Trip: Not one soul went on this safari, all were comfortable sleeping away to glory)
Drive to Nepal - 30 mnts
Lunch @ Dhangiri Town, Nepal 11:30 hrs to 14:00 hrs
Drive back to Delhi
Situated on Nepal Border - Now totally devoid of any animal life... except for three deers and swamp deers , no other animal was visible. Sad state of Government official mafia. Informal, hushed voices of the staff claimed of seeing the newly born cubs at the homes of Forest Officer & DM home.
Very sad to see, a total annihilation of animals in the reserve. While the guides claimed they have seen animals - we saw NO SIGN of animals in the entire reserve.
None, there is absolutely NO WILDLIFE Left. It has been usurped by the Babu mafia - it seems, that the reserve is the playground for the sarkari babu. Not only are there no tigers to be seen, even wild animals are not visible - not just to me (we queried with other people and guides), they had not seen ONE WILD ANIMAL in over weeks worth of trip.
This excludes 5 deer we saw, and some swamp deer(10-15 against the claimed 600) and some Barasingha deer (20-30 against the claimed 1600).
I really hope, it was my luck and not reality that for more than 7 days not even one wild any animal was sighted... really hope so.
I did manage to shoot some great bird photos though.
The trip itself was very nice, since we had three families together and in general had some great fun.
Initial plan for travel
Parties
- Party A - Alok Sinha, Anjali Sinha, Akanksha Sinha, Aparajita sinha - 4 adults + Driver - using Endeavour
- Party J - Jayant Jhamb, Meenakshi Jhamb, Urvika Jhamb, Pankhuri Jhamb - 3 adults, 1 kid + driver - using ???
- Party S - Sanjay Bhattacharya, Amit Singh, Mrs Bhattacharya, Master Bhattacharya (10), Master Bhattacharya (4) - 3 Adults, 2 kids - using Zen Estillo ???
Route
Here is the proposed route
http://g.co/maps/s34bz
Dos and Donts
Dos
- Get your cameras - this is NOT the time to miss any fleeting moment - charge them in advance.
- Carry medicine as you would be atleast 4 hrs of drive away from a decent pharmacy
- BOYD - Bring your own (&yr family's ) Daaru, soft drinks. Soft drinks available @ resort, but if total drive time is 20hrs, you would rather carry ur own soft drinks for enroute atleast
- Bring your glasses - disposable would be good.
- While food and meals are covered in our cost - it is highly recommended that you provision for some snacks and instant food (cup-o-noodle etc)
- The weather is expected to be clear, and hot - high temp 39'c and low 20'c - light summer clothing would be nice.
- For the safaris (sat/sun) please wear full sleeves shirts/tops and full covered leg suits.
- After lunch @ Bareily we still have to do 5 hrs of drive - keep lots of ice with you.
Donts
- For safari, DO NOT wear sandals - during drive is ok, but once you reach the resort, till the time you leave - please ALWAYS wear shoes.
- For safari - Preferably wear muted colors - bright, sparkly colors are likely to alert the animals. - Wear colors like khakhi, brown, grey etc. - Drive time is ok.
Accommodation
Jambolana safari camp, Dudhwa
Costs: Rs. 4,500 per tent per night. Including taxes, and including meals - for the entire duration of stay (17:00 hrs 6th to 14:00 hrs 8th) (For luxury tents it is Rs. 6,000 per tent per night What is not included: Booze, softdrinks, accessory to booze - like soda, snacks etc.
There is no TV. Electricity is present, but erratic. No AC. Internet available @ reception. (Post Trip: This we learnt was not true - there is NO internet connection, other than your own mobile GPRS)
MUST carry these
Carry mosquito repllents - Hit, Kacchua chhaap, odomos - we are going into wildlife - will need these.
Carry Torch/Emergency light - though, we will NOT need these, there need to be available in case of emergency - power may fail at nights @ resort - better to have lights by your bed.
Water - lots of it - I recommend getting 1 x 20 ltr of water per party.
Tissue paper - going to meet nature, calls of nature sometimes, cannot be avoided
Carry some hand towels, long towels - safaris can be fairly dusty.
Summary of Delhi - Dudhwa
(Post Trip: At Bareilly you will meet with Traffic jam. Notice, I said _WILL_ not may or can, plan for 1 to 2 hours time to get out of tow)
- Start @ Belvedere Park 05:00 hrs
- 45 minutes drive - NH24 bypass - all collect
- 2hrs drive - Gajraula McDonalds - Pack and Go breakfast
- 2 hr 45 minutes drive - Lunch @ Bareilly (yet to be decided)
- 2 hr drive - Leg stretch break at puranpur
- 3 hrs drive - Reach destination 17:00 hrs
I have assumed slow, comfortable drive and hence 12 hrs - I am told by many people that it is indeed just 9 hrs drive and not 12. If it is indeed 9 hrs, then we will be reaching on better time. (Post Trip: Forget 12, you would need 14-15 hrs to reach one way. This includes about 1-2 hours of traffic jam you would face on highway. The roads on the highway are under construction.)
Detailed drive plan
Friday
- 05:15 hrs - Party A leaves Belvedere Park (0Km)
- 06:00 hrs - Party A rendezvous with Party J @ Signal light on NH24, (Map point B) (32km)
- 06:20 hrs - Party A & J, rendezvous with Party S @ Map point C, at the NH24 bypass (12.3km)
Drive 91kms, 2 hrs drive
Stop 1 - Breakfast - Pack and go - only 15mnts break - bfast in vehicles
- 08:15 hrs - All party arrive @ McDonalds , Gajraula - marked @ Map point D (91km)
- 08:30 hrs - All party leave McDonalds
Drive 141 km, 2:45 mnts drive
Stop 2 - Lunch (estimated location - exact unknown) 1 hr
- 11:15 hrs - All party arrive @ Rajindra Market, Bareilly marked as Map Point E (141 kms) (Post Trip: There are two main malls in Bareilly [Amrapali and Phoenix] - one each side before you enter and leave the town. As on Apr 8th, the Phoenix Mall DID NOT have an open Mc Donald restaurant - it did have a good value for money food court.)
- 12:00 hrs - All party leave Rajindra Market
Driver 88kms, 2hrs drive
Stop 3: Stretch leg option - 15 minutes
- 14:00 hrs - All party arrive @ rest point, Puranpur Map point F (88kms)
- 14:15 hrs - All party leave rest point
Drive 95 kms, 3 hrs drive
- 17:00 hrs - All party arrive @ Jambolana Map point G (95kms)
Freshen up @ resort
Campfire
Saturday (all items optional)
Early morning - Birding : 05:00 hrs to 06:00
Morning -Elephant ride to Rhino area (07:00 to 10:00 hrs)
- Mohana river beach (not yet confirmed) 10:30 to 12:00 hrs
Lunch
Evening safari
- Kishanpur wildlife safari (14:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs)
- Sharda river front (17:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs)
Dinner
Sunday
Early morning - Birding
Morning - Safari @ satiayana grasslands - 07:00 hrs to 10:30 hrs (Post Trip: Not one soul went on this safari, all were comfortable sleeping away to glory)
Drive to Nepal - 30 mnts
Lunch @ Dhangiri Town, Nepal 11:30 hrs to 14:00 hrs
Drive back to Delhi
Its a great tips here.... well again if you are planning to visit dudhwa again then you must check out these accommodation in dudhwa;
ReplyDeleteTree Of Life Jaagir Lodge Dudhwa
Dudhwa Jungle Lore
above listed hotels were not available when you visit dudhwa in 2012 year. so why not take the taste of above luxury hotels.....
Enjoy the beauty Dudhwa National Park
Nice Blog Dudhwa National Park Each member has been carefully selected to feature in the prestigious alliance that is a one-stop contact for you to find and build memorable safaris for your guests. IWTE believes in continuous research to highlight India’s wildlife potential on International wildlife-tourism map through education, workshops and blogs.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see your video for best places in India while searching on google, your video have valuable information about good places, keep doing well of Dudhwa National Park
ReplyDelete