Tuesday, August 30, 2011


Elephant Safari in India :



The versatility of India's landscapes offers various sites for exhilarating experience of Elephant Safari. Elephant Safari has become a  popular means of exploring National Parks and Sanctuaries, which are too vast and deep, to be explored on foot. Sometime Jeep safaris which is the most common and popular safari are not too good. Most of them are left unused during the long tropical monsoon season. Elephant Safari has no such disadvantages.

With time, the hospitality industry has put in efforts to make the elephant's back more comfortable. Apart from the balcony like arrangement on its back; cushions and gaudy silk have been restored for comfort. Moreover most Elephant Safaris have excessively large umbrella on top of them, to shade riders from adverse weather conditions like heat and rain. It's not a novel thing. Maharajahs of India have done it time and again; be it waging war from the back of these gigantic animals or traveling long distance. Being conscious of this at the back of our mind, we can't help but slip into the figure of some imposing Maharajah,as we sit on their back. It kind of segue us back to the era of the Maharajahs.

Elephant Safari helps us negate deeper into the labyrinths and untrodden territories without much worry of getting lost in the jungle. It also takes away the danger of falling victims to animal attacks, when you are on foot. Some of the best national Parks in India like Corbett, Kaziranga, Ranthambore,  Periyar etc. are too vast in area to be covered on foot. Jeep plies on road and in such dense forest, it can only go where the road takes them. Elephant Safari has found unparalleled application in exploring the unexplored sites.

Periyar offers one of the best Elephant Safaris in the country. It has Zero percentage of accident or animal attacks. But other Parks does not lack too much behind. Kaziranga, which has the largest reserves for one horn Rhino in India could never have been explored without elephants. The wet marsh land and thick sprout of long elephant grass stops everything, except elephants from entering the reserve. The vast expanse of Corbett Park and its rich reserve would have been hearsay, if it was not for the Elephant Safari.

 The best time of the year to go on elephant Safari is from November to March before the monsoon sets in. It's advisable to avoid shorts but to cover as much as one can, when you are exploring the dense forest.

To a photographer's delight, the Safari may take you to a waterhole, where all animals flocks without bother. It's a nice feeling to go into the wild; an Elephant ride by day and a night filled with the songs of insects, as you lie on your sleeping bag, under the glimmering light from your lantern.

Where to Stay: Nowadays, Elephant Safari come in tour Packages; including lodging, food and other services for about 5-6 days. They take you around the park, while briefing you with informations about flora and fauna of the place. Other services include campfire at night, lazy breakfast and slide shows of fauna and fauna of that place.
Popular Resorts in Periyar: Hotel Taj Garden Retreat, Hotel Spice Village, Lake Palace Hotel, Jungle Resort, Muthoot cardamom country Hotel, Hotel Tree Top, Shalimar gardens etc.

Popular resorts at Corbett National Park:  Camp Forktail Greek, Infinity Resort, Corbett Ramganga Resort, Corbett Jungle Lodge, Corbett Riverview Retreat, Claridges Corbett hideaway, Call of the wild Safari Lodge, Roop Resort, Corbett Treff Hotel, Corbett county, The Wild crest, Jungle Book Camp Resort etc.

How to Go: Transportations are available in most national Parks, either by Bus or small vehicles like Jeep.

Indianholiday.com provides online information on the Tourist Attractions in Corbett, Kaziranga, Ranthambore,  Periyar and other parks; and offers online booking for Elephant Safari to various Parks.


0 comments :

Post a Comment