Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand is one of the prime and prestigious tourist destinations in India. Every year, the national park experiences a huge influx of tourists, mesmerising them with their exotic flora and fauna. The pandemic situation has curbed the travel a lot, disappointing many wildlife admirers and adventure enthusiasts. For obvious reasons, the moment the news of re-opening night stays at Corbett Tiger Reserve floated around, requests for bookings from travellers have started pouring in.
As per the latest reports, Corbett Director, Rahul stated, “We were flooded with requests within hours of reopening and because of the long weekend, all accommodation inside the reserve is full until Tuesday". The booking was re-opened on 13th October and it is reported that till 19th October, the reservations are full. Within 48 hours, the bookings were sold out!
Which areas are open for travellers inside the Reserve?
Day safaris were ongoing in the Jhirna, Garjiya and Dhela zones of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Now permission has been granted for day safaris at Bijrani zone and will continue till June 2022. The Bijrani zone is the prominent area of the reserve for tiger sightings. The night stays inside the reserve were closed for tourists in May 2021, due to the second wave of COVID-19 and the commencement of the monsoon season. Now the three zones - Bijrani, Jhirna and Dhela have reopened for tourists for night stays. Hence the wildlife lovers can enjoy the safari at the park and stay overnight for an extended vacation. About 30 gypsies will operate for the jungle safari in the Bijrani zone twice a day, as per the forest norms and regulations. As per the forest officials, approximately 130 tourists enjoyed the safari on the first day.
The Dhikala zone of the reserve will be reopened on 15th November and will continue operation till 15th June 2022. The booking facility for jungle safari and night stay will open on 20th October in the website. The Garjiya zone is the only one which doesn’t have a night stay facility, only day safaris are ongoing.
What was the impact on travellers?
The Reserve reported to have received 80 bookings in just 48 hours. This essentially proves the eagerness of travellers to immerse into the thrilling venture of the reserve. Interestingly, all the adjacent resorts and hotels near the reserve have been reported to be full occupied for the entire weekend. Hari Mann, president of Ramnagar hotels association, have stated, “This weekend, we are completely booked and tourists have been calling and inquiring about the next few days as well. Even requests for wedding venues have picked up". The weekend has been referred to as 16th and 17th October.
Vinod Papney, a social activist of Ramnagar stated, “The reopening of Bijrani zone has brought smiles on the faces of tour operators, drivers, and guides even of Corbett Reserve officials. Traders and hoteliers of Ramnagar are also happy as they are also based on Corbett Park Tourism.”
The re-opening of the night stays and day safaris at the reserve have brought in relief among the tour operators, gypsy drivers, guides and other traders associated with Corbett Tiger Reserve. As per the official records, about 360 gypsies operate in the reserve area and are sent for safaris. Many were kept idle because of the pandemic restrictions and park closure. The re-opening is surely a boon to them along with the travellers who were planning and were keen to visit the park.
So, if you are a wildlife photographer or admirer, then pack your bags and plan for a vacation or weekend getaway at the reserve; sure to be a memorable and thrilling visit.
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