Duration:15 Nights / 16Days
Itinerary for Extension form Agra to Corbett National
Park
Day 1: Dhikala, Corbett Tiger
Reserve/National Park Forest Rest House
We will be de board the overnight train (Kumaon
Express 2130:0830 Daily; Second Air-Conditioned;
Agra Fort - Lalkuan).
We will be met on arrival at Lalkuan, and we will
drive to Dhikala via Ramnagar; a small town, on
the western bank of River Kosi.
On arrival check in to your resort for two nights.
Overnight at the resort. We will arrive at the Dhikala
area/range of Corbett National Park, which lies
at the base of the Himalayan foothills, and was
named after the legendry hunter and naturalist of
the Raj, Jim Corbett.
His wonderful books about the hunting of man-eating
Tigers and Leopards in these Kumaon hills still
provide an accurate picture of the wildlife and
peoples of this region, if much of the impenetrable
tract of forest that once covered all the foothills
of the Great Himalaya has now gone, at least outside
the National Parks. In fact, a sanctuary was declared
here as early as 1935, the very first national park
in India. Only in 1958 was it re-named the Corbett
National Park, following the death of Jim Corbett
in Kenya in 1955.Dhikala is a wonderful place to
see all this in while relaxing in an old forest
Rest House with basic facilities and rustic charm.
Later in the day we will go for a safari to the
Corbett National Park. Overnight will be at the
Rest house.
Day 2: Dhikala, Corbett Tiger
Reserve/National Park Forest Rest House
This morning you will go for morning and afternoon
safaris to the core areas of the Park.
Wildlife viewing is by open-topped jeep and elephant.
On all occasions you will be accompanied by both
a driver and guide assigned by the National Park
authorities.
The park extends for over 270 square kilometres,
and protects an undulating land of dry foothills
clothed in fire-resistant Sal forest and dense riverine
jungle predominantly comprised of Shisham and Khair
trees laden with creepers and ferns. Large areas
of riverside grassland provide a third rich habitat.
Created a Tiger Reserve in the 1970s by Project
Tiger, the national park now enjoys extended protection.
Corbett's rich variety of habitats, and position
in the foothills, are the reason for its good population
of mammals. Rhesus Macaque, Common Langur, Golden
Jackal, Wild Boar, Chital (Spotted Deer), Sambar,
Muntjac (Barking Deer) and Hog Deer are all common
and regularly seen, whilst a good population of
Indian Elephant is discreet, and Tigers also elusive.
The birdlife here is exceptional with more than
620 species. By April the forests are alive with
the calls of a wide variety of summering cuckoo
species, including Indian, Himalayan, Small, Eurasian,
and Red-winged Crested Cuckoos. Just above the canopy
of the Sal forest fly Crested Tree Swifts, White-rumped
Needletails, and Himalayan Swiftlets, whilst a wide
range of raptors, parakeets, owls, bee-eaters, hornbills,
barbets, woodpeckers, babblers, flycatchers and
warblers form a most impressive bird list. Of course
the National Bird of India, the peacock, may also
be spotted.
Major birding attractions at Dhikala are Black Francolin,
Kalij Pheasant, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Blue-throated
Barbet, Great Hornbill, Dollarbird, Large-tailed
Nightjar, Pallas's Gull, Lesser Fish Eagle, Himalayan
Griffon, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous Vulture, Short-toed
Snake Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle,
Changeable Hawk Eagle, Collared Falconet, Verditer
Flycatcher, Small Niltava, White-tailed Rubythroat,
Desert Wheatear, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Aberrant
Bush Warbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, Indian Bushlark,
Crimson Sunbird, Yellow Wagtail, Long-billed Pipit.
Overnight at the Forest Rest House.
Day 3: Corbett National Park
Resort at CorbettA tour to Corbett is incomplete
without a visit to Kumerian. This morning proceed
for full day birding in Kumerian. Birding in the
Kosi riverbed and the nearby streams can be very
exciting as there are possibilities of finding Speckled
Piculet, Lesser Yellownape, Greater Yellownape,
Streak-throated Woodpecker, Himalayan Flameback,
Great Barbet, Lineated Barbet, Oriental Pied Hornbill,
Slaty-Headed Parakeet, Tawny Fishing Owl, Brown
Hawk Owl, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle,
Mountain Hawk Eagle, Gold-Fronted Leaf bird, Orange-Bellied
Leaf bird, Red-Billed Blue Magpie, Grey Tree pie,
Black-hooded Oriole, Small Minivet, Spangled Drongo,
Large Wood shrike, Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey-winged
Blackbird, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Rufous-Gorgeted
Flycatcher, Snowy-Browed Flycatcher, Slaty Blue
Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Grey-headed
Canary Flycatcher, Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail,
Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch, Black Bulbul, Grey-breasted
Prinia, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Hume's Warbler,
Greenish Warbler, Golden-Spectacled Warbler, White-throated
Laughing thrush, White-crested Laughing thrush,
Black-Chinned Babbler, Blue-Winged Minla, White-Bellied
Yuhina and Green-Tailed Sunbird. Some of the very
special birds to look for in this area are Brown
Dipper, Slaty-backed Forktail and Black-throated
Sunbird. We will return late in the afternoon to
our resort for a relaxed evening.
Overnight at the comfortable Infinity Resort next
to the Kosi River in Ramnagar.
Day 4: Corbett National Park Resort
at Corbett
This morning we will be frequenting the Bijrani-Malani
area to see some more animals and wildlife and then
in the afternoon we will be cool our heels and visit
the fringe areas of Corbett where the Corbett Foundation
run by the owners of the Infinity Resort hand in
hand with the locals are trying to get the people
to the conservation side. Alternatively we might
also drive to the nearby Durgadevi - Loharchaur
area for birding or going for gentle hike.
Day 5: Corbett National Park -
New Delhi W&C New Delhi
This morning you will go for a final morning safari
inside the park. Post Lunch we depart to Delhi.
On arrival we will transfer to our hotel for freshening
up. Later in the evening we will transfer to the
International Airport in time to fly away home.
