There are two types of people planning a Jim Corbett trip.
The first one says, “I just want to enjoy the forest.”
The second reads, “Which zone assures a tiger?”
If you are in the second category, I have bad news for you: The tiger has not reviewed your travel plans.
Probably the first thing to understand about a Jim Corbett Safari is that. It is not a theme park where the tiger comes at 8:15 AM because you paid for the morning ticket.
But, in all honesty, that’s what makes Corbett interesting.
You walk into the woods without knowing what’s around the corner. Sometimes it’s a herd of deer standing quietly beside the track. In the distance, there is an elephant. Your guide suddenly tells everyone to be quiet because there has been an alarm call nearby.
Sometimes you spend 10 minutes looking very seriously at a bush because someone whispered, “Tiger movement.”
Welcome to Corbett.
You can’t drive into the forest, you can’t just drive into the forest.
One of the most prevalent notions among first-time visitors is:
“We have an SUV. Can’t we take our own car?”
Your SUV might be four-wheel drive, have great ground clearance and plenty of room for the whole family in the back, but it’s not a safari vehicle.
Access to regulated safari areas is restricted. Authorised vehicles and guides are used for applicable safaris and a permit is required.
Your own vehicle is great for transporting you to Corbett, your resort and surrounding areas. Once it’s safari time, however, the forest has its own rules.
Jeep Safari or Canter?
As you begin your research on Corbett, you will soon find two choices: Jeep Safari and Canter Safari.
Many families, couples and small groups prefer a Jeep. It’s a smaller safari vehicle and operates in applicable tourism zones according to permit availability.
Canter is a bigger shared vehicle and is especially important if you are interested in a day safari experience in Dhikala.
This is also where people often make the mistake of asking, “Which one has a higher chance of seeing tigers?”
Neither.
If someone says they can get you a tiger, you should probably ask if they have spoken to the tiger.
Wild animals don’t care if you paid for a Jeep, Canter, expensive camera or premium resort.
Select your safari according to availability, zone, group size and experience.
Next comes the infamous “Best Zone” question.
If you look up Jim Corbett online for 5 minutes, you will find someone who says that one particular zone is the best.
Corbett has several tourism areas, such as well-known ones like Bijrani, Jhirna, Dhela, Garjia, Durgadevi and Dhikala.
They are each unique in their landscape and experience.
However, the notion that one zone is always the “tiger zone” is incorrect.
Wildlife moves.
An incredible sighting by one traveller today and another visitor driving through the same area tomorrow without seeing a tiger.
That’s wildlife.
I personally believe it is better to consider which zones are open on your date, and not cancel a whole safari because your preferred one isn’t.
A quiet forest safari is still a lot better than sitting in your hotel room watching someone else’s tiger video on Instagram.
Morning Safari or Afternoon Safari?
This discussion can get pretty intense.
There are those who believe that the morning is the best time to travel. Others swear by the afternoon.
Morning is a lovely time of day. You get up much earlier than you would want to get up on a normal holiday, dress in three layers of winter clothing, get into an open Jeep and ask yourself all the questions you would ask if you were just starting out and had to make all your life choices again.
Then the sun begins to shine through the trees.
Now, getting up early doesn’t sound so bad.
The afternoon safaris are very different. They are also convenient if you are coming to Corbett in the morning and don’t want to wait till the next morning.
Both changes do not necessarily mean more wildlife viewing.
Select the one that fits your travel plans and permits.
If you’re going on a morning safari in winter, pack warm clothes.
Until you’re sitting in an open Jeep before sunrise, “I’m from North India; I can handle cold” sounds very confident.
Please check the Safari before booking that beautiful resort.
This is likely the most helpful tip in this whole article.
Many people find a lovely resort online, get in love with the swimming pool, reserve two nights and then begin to search for safaris.
This is the opposite of what you want if you’re going on safari as your primary goal.
Look at the safari first.
Safari permits are limited and hotel rooms may be available.
Your resort can’t create a forest permit just because you’ve already paid for your room.
With the knowledge of your safari date and shift, you can select the accommodation that suits the remainder of the safari.
It also helps in choosing where to stay, as an early morning safari and a hotel that is not convenient for your reporting arrangement is not a particularly romantic combination.
Is it possible to book at the last minute?
Sometimes.
Would you make your whole vacation revolve around that?
Probably not.
Availability for last minute safaris is subject to travel date, zone and shift. It can be especially challenging during the weekend and during busy holiday times.
If you are already in Ramnagar and suddenly want to go on a safari, it is worth checking what is available. There’s a chance you may be lucky.
However, if you have driven hundreds of kilometres specifically to Corbett, “we’ll see after reaching there” is not the best travel strategy.
Have Everyone’s ID Ready Before You Begin
When travelling with family or friends, gather the necessary traveller information before beginning the booking process.
Otherwise, the discussion typically goes like this:
“Send me your ID.”
“Which ID?”
“Any valid ID.”
“Wait, I will look for it.”
Ten minutes later:
“May I send it tomorrow?”
In the meantime, you’re seeing availability dwindling.
Traveller details need to be entered accurately. The name you use for the booking can also be important at the time of your safari.
Do not use names, ages and identification information for creative writing.
Save that for your Instagram caption.
Tiger Sightings Are Amazing, but They Aren’t the Whole Safari
Of course everyone wants to see a tiger.
I’m not going to lie, it’s an exciting sight to see one.
There is a very particular moment when a Jeep suddenly stops, people become completely silent and everyone starts looking in the same direction.
However, there is a lot more going on around you in Corbett.
The experience includes elephants, deer, monkeys, birds and the changing landscape. Animal tracks and alarm calls can be interesting once your guide tells you what you are seeing.
For twenty minutes, nothing happens, and then the forest changes in an instant.
The beauty of a safari.
You have no idea what the script is.
But if they were sure to see a tiger, the whole thing would be less exciting.
Don’t Try to Fit Corbett Into Six Hours
Corbett is more effective when you don’t have to watch the clock all the time.
If you can, take at least a comfortable night’s rest, not a race.
Two nights is a good fit for many travellers. Do not rush to arrive on the first day, do your safari the next morning or afternoon, spend some time around the area and leave the next day.
Some tourists also opt for Corbett and Nainital.
Yes, it is possible, but don’t be tempted to schedule an hour for each attraction.
You’re going to a forest.
There is a brief break between the sentences.
Travelling From Delhi or NCR? Add Buffer Time
Corbett is a weekend getaway from Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and other nearby cities.
That also means lots of travellers attempt to work out everything just right.
Google says we’ll arrive at 12:07 PM, so a 2 PM safari should be okay.”
Spreadsheets don’t always get along with road travel.
Traffic, breakfast stops, construction, weekend congestion and the magic of every family road trip that leaves 45 minutes late can alter your arrival time.
If you are going on an early morning safari, it is much easier to arrive at Corbett the night before.
Leave a sensible buffer for an afternoon safari on the day of your arrival.
You will remember your family’s story for years if you missed a safari due to parathas.
What is Safari Booking?
Appropriate bookings can be made through the official Corbett Tiger Reserve system as per the existing rules and availability.
Some travelers are okay with booking the permit, hotel and transportation separately. Others like to have help assembling everything.
In case you are not sure about the safari options available, you can also avail the private Jim Corbett Safari Booking service from JimCorbetts.in.
The service is available to assist with planning safaris and travel arrangements, subject to official permits and forest rules.
And that last part is important.
You can get help from a private travel agency. It can’t make permits when the official inventory is exhausted, alter forest rules or request a tiger to stand by your jeep.
JimCorbetts.in is an independent private travel agency and not the official website of Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand Forest Department or any government body.
Go for the Forest, Not Just the Photograph
Once you stop looking for tigers, a Jim Corbett Safari is a lot more fun.
Make important plans correctly. Do not book anything else before checking your safari, have your identification with you, know your reporting procedures and don’t show up at the last minute.
Then, let the forest do what forests do.
Maybe you’ll see a tiger.
Perhaps you will see an elephant run across the track.
Perhaps your guide will hear an alarm call and everyone will sit perfectly still for 10 minutes.
Or perhaps the tiger will remain in hiding while the deer gazes at your Jeep as if you were the tourist attraction.
No matter what, that’s the story you bring home.
Unlike a guaranteed attraction, no two Jim Corbett Safaris are ever the same.
