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It was my quest to explore the lesser visited National parks and bio reserves along the foothills of the mighty Himalayas. The journey started from Delhi and broadly covered three major destinations. The Dudhwa National Park, near the Indo-Nepal border, north-west Uttar Pradesh; Nainital, south Uttarakhand and finally Binsar, north of Nainital.

India is full of surprises, and taking the less trodden path is a key to exploring these regions. Every time we talk about wildlife in India, only a handful of names come up. The Satpura National Park in central India, Gir National Park in the west, Ranthambhore National Park in the North and Kaziranga National Park in the east. But have you heard of Dudhwa National Park or the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary?

Eight-and-a-half hours drive away from Delhi is the Dudhwa National Park. This is one of those untrodden paths where you can go for a secluded, digital-free vacation. Away from the chores and chaos of your daily life. I stayed at the Jaagir Lodge by Tree of Life. Nestled inside organic farms, with greenery on all sides, this lodge gives that refreshing vibes. The driveway that leads to this resort has litchi plants on either side of it.

Welcomed with a warm towel and a cup of masala tea, the hospitality here does make you feel special. Huge air conditioned rooms, with furniture that are quite old school, that rustic interior is magical. The lounge had a fireplace and couches around it. Perfect setting for a laid back winter evening. The resort houses five regular rooms, three huts and two suites.

The in house restaurant serves a three course lunch and a four course dinner made mostly from the lodge’s organic farms. Beside the temperature controlled pool, a cart and a vintage army jeep is parked. The latter being a makeshift bar counter. I dined at the exclusive dining space atop a watchtower. Oh boy, that was one great view to savor during your meal.

It was by the efforts of Billy Arjan Singh that Dudhwa was declared a National Park in 1958. The stronghold of Barasingha, the national park is the home to around half of global Barasingha population. The top attractions of this park are the zoo-born tigers and leopards that were introduced by Billy Arjan Singh, the Indian Rhinos brought in from Nepal and Assam, a variety of deers, and reptiles.

An elephant safari in the national park guarantees you a rhino sighting. I found innumerable mounds created by the termites all over the forest region and some were higher than six feet! Close to the national park, on its east is the Ghaghara river (know as Kauriala river when it enters Nepal). Here you can find the Gangetic Dolphins (Platanista gangetica), the largest freshwater mammal in the subcontinent.

The Jaagir Lodge is also located very close to the Indo-Nepal border.  We drove to the border checkpost, where after due verification of our identity, we were allowed to cross over. (Indian nationals do not need a passport or a visa to enter Nepal.) However, any foreign national would be required to produce both. There is a stark contrast in the lifestyle on either side of the border. On the Indian side, there is a crowded, colourful, bustling market. But as soon as you cross the border, life is much more peaceful. Lots of greenery. A serene, environment. We walked into a Nepali village and the hospitality of the villagers was really welcoming. One of them invited us to his home and we were offered an amazing glass of home brewed rice beer. Made by fermenting rice using natural herbs, this one one of the most “tasty” drinks I had tasted in a long time. These villages hardly have any modern amenities that most of us are used to, but their proximity to nature and the residents there is what makes this place so special.

The road to Binsar goes through Nainital and Almora. Nainital, a lake city in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas has developed around the Naini Lake. Six hours drive from Dudhwa, this hill station is a good place for a family vacation. But expect a lot of tourist crowd, especially during the winters with the occasional snowfall and the pleasant weather.

A wide variety of hotels and homestays are available here. I stayed at the Hotel Chevron Fairhavens. The hotel has a wooden interior and flooring. So you need to be careful while choosing the rooms. Avoid rooms near the stairs. The basic amenities are available with room heaters in every room (no air conditioner), a lawn in front where you may bask in the sun while enjoying your breakfast on a winter morning. The restaurant serves a la carte meal with a wide option of the Indian cuisine.

Surrounded by mountains, Naina being the highest, you can get an amazing bird’s eye view of this region and the pear-shaped lake in the middle of it. There is a cable car service available that ferries tourists from the city to the peak and back. You may stay on the peak for an hour and on a clear day, it’s an amazing photography spot. Take a boat ride in a fully manual rowing boat in the lake or a horse ride around it. Being a tourist hotspot, you would find most of the major brand outlets here. So my suggestion is to get all your supplies from here if you’re planning to travel further uphill.

Slithering through the busy hill station, I then continued on my journey heading to my final stop, Binsar. A four-hour drive from Nainital, Binsar is another wildlife sanctuary that enjoys a low tourist footfall. The residents of this national park include leopards, Himalayan goral, Chital, Musk deer, Jungle cat, Wild boar, Black bear, Red fox, Gray langur, and Red giant flying squirrel. The national park is open for safaris during the daytime and closes down to visitors at sunset. A thing about the winter season is, though it is easier to go around during this time of the year, the chances of a sighting are really thin. It’s during summers these animals come out and can be easily spotted around water bodies.

The Grand Oak Manor and the Mary Budden Estate are one of the best options to stay in if you want to stay within the national park. The Club Mahindra Resort is another good place to stay in if you’re staying outside the National Park. The resort offers room kitchen set for a stay, has a restaurant, a grocery store and activity area. The offer you the option to get organic vegetables and cook them yourself in a microwave provided in the room. The balcony of this resort overlooks the step farms and the beautiful sunrise behind it. The seclusion and greenery of the place are really refreshing and brings you closer to nature.

As I return back to Delhi, which is almost a 10 hours drive I would like to list down certain things that should be kept in mind while visiting these places.

• The roads to these places mostly pass through remote villages and forests. So you need to carry sufficient food and water for the roads.
• Make use you check the weather forecasts before visiting these places, especially during monsoons and winters. Upper parts of Binsar gets a generous amount of snowfall and certain parts are closed down during that period. So, to avoid disappointment, steps of caution are advised.

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