Kumaon Again

Drive 45 km (1.5 hours) and take a 3 km walk (45 min) to arrive at the hotel in time for lunch. The river is close by — take a walk to a waterfall nearby or to a secluded beach or to one of the hiking trails in the evening.

Early breakfast and set out for excitement. Rafting and treks. Post lunch visit the spiritual capitals of India — Rishikesh and Haridwar. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Early breakfast and departure for Corbett. Stay at Jim’s Jungle Retreat for Jeep Safaris into Corbett National Park.

Jim’s Jungle Retreat is a luxury wildlife lodge on the southern side of the Corbett, setting great standards of service, quality of experiences, and the kind of work they do in the vicinity and with the community. Their activities are engaging for guests to ensure that they understand the workings of the forest eco-systems and come away awed and transformed.

Arrive at the Jungle Retreat at lunchtime. Orientation of the lodge, lunch at Gol Ghar and rest. Late in the afternoon participate in the Mahavan Walk. This is a walk through the ‘wildling project’ with personal interactions with the ‘forester’ Heera Lal instrumental in planting around the lodge ensuring indigenous forest trees continue to flourish. This ensures that birds, insects, and other small fauna thrive around the lodge, making it a beautiful forest eco-system.

Tea at the Café is followed by an open-air filming of stellar wildlife films. Cocktails and Dinner at the Golghar. Overnight.

An early morning safari to one of the key zones of Corbett National Park with an experienced lodge naturalist. Return to the lodge in time for a late breakfast. Do opt for the Termite Walk — a fascinating story as you walk along the fringe of the lodge looking at termite mounds and at work on and under dead and fallen trees. It is a revelation to understand the relevance of the termites, one of the smallest denizens of the forest in keeping the forest healthy and rejuvenated.

A brief rest is followed by lunch at the Café. An afternoon safari into Corbett National Park from one of the other zones gives you an opportunity to look at the Corbett landscape from another perspective. Back at the lodge for another film in open-air or talk about the forests of Corbett or the plight of the tigers. Dinner at Golghar and overnight at Jim’s Jungle Retreat.

Drive to the village of Chanfi. Walk 20 mins to Soulitude by the Riverside in time for Lunch. A short walk along the river to the mythical lake with a naturalist and birder is followed by tea at the ‘dhaba’ which is central to the retreat.

Soulitude by the Riverside is a small 7-suite boutique nature retreat tucked away in a valley along the river off a short trek from the closest roadhead. Great for birders and nature lovers, the property sets the tone for explorations to the Kumaon landscape as day excursions or short treks and hikes to local villages.

A half-day Chanfi village experience with visits to local homes, tea, or lunch (depending on the time of the day), a walk through the local marketplace, and a visit to an old watermill. Back at the Retreat for lunch and post lunch is to rest and relax by the Riverside, tea at the dhaba or picnic close to the river. Dinner and overnight at the Riverside.

Post breakfast, head to the small village hamlet of Gethia — an hour’s drive away and 15 minutes away from the hill town of Nainital. Arrive in time for a picnic lunch. Go for an evening walk. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Wake up early for a birding walk or a short hike. Post breakfast, drive to Nainital for a glimpse of the ‘Britisher’s Nainital’. A bustling hill town around the Naini Lake, the town of Nainital best typifies a British colonial hill station of the Kumaon hills. The resort town was once set between densely covered oak and conifer forested hills; Ayarpatta to the west, Deopatta, clad in giant cypresses, to the north, and Sher-ka-Danda to the east; hills that are sadly denuded now.

Interspersed in these green forests are pretty, red, tin-roofed bungalows. Nainital’s first place of residence for visitors was Pilgrim’s Lodge, just above the present-day Nainital Club. In 1844 came the hill station’s first church, St. John in the Wilderness, on Ayarpatta hill, meant for British soldiers, residents, and visitors. Many of these buildings including Gurney House and the boat club can be seen during a day’s visit to Nainital. Lunch at one of the many restaurants or cafes in Nainital. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast and leisure. An early lunch and drive to the Kathgodam railway station for your train back to Delhi.