Stay close to nature when you visit Jim Corbett National Park next time. Here's how

The mercury level in the country’s capital is soaring quite high this summer. And to escape from the heat wave, we decided to go out of the city. Being nearer to the Himalayas, hills were our first preference. However, a new resort, Le Reserve Corbett at Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand in the foothills of the Kumaon Himalayas made us change our mind. The rustic and wooden feel of the property with an asymmetric pool, as displayed on the internet, made us choose our April getaway at the jungle this time.

This place is listed on most of the popular online portals; however you can contact the property directly over a call for better deals.

There is a good part about Jim Corbett area. It’s hilly but without altitude. It’s colder than the city but warmer than hill stations. By road, Ramnagar where the Le Reserve is located is less than six hours. And if you take the night train you would reach Ramnagar, the station that looks like RK Narayan’s dream town of Malgudi, in five and a half hours.

On a Saturday early morning in the end week of April, we checked ourselves in at Le Reserve Corbett. The estate has recently been converted into a luxurious resort with jungles all around.

Keeping in sync with the ambience of the place, wood has been extensively used. Right from the rooms to the front desk, the scent of pine wood is addictive. The owner Karan Tewari has done a commendable job here.

The concierge processed our booking and told us our room was on the first floor. The room is spacious enough with a bed is designed like a log. The cane furniture in the room gives it a typical cottage kind of feel. The first floor rooms have veranda that overlook the pool. We could see the sky gathering the grey clouds of midsummer and preparing for a heavy shower. Relishing over the tea, we were enjoying the chilled breeze coming from the upper Himalayas.

All meals are served at the restaurant by the pool, Ambrosia. The chef is a local chap who knows cuisines well. While he served us Indian as well as Chinese during our stay for two days, I would any day choose his Kumaoni cuisine over anything else. Kumaoni dal or Kumaoni lauki masala (gourd curry) are the must try dishes at the place. If you are a non vegetarian, opt for chef’s choice of village chicken and you would definitely relish the delicacy.

Soon after the lunch and a short afternoon siesta, we were ready for the jungle safari, the most important part of Jim Corbett trip. Le Reserve’s concierge will make all arrangements for you, if you want. The journey from the resort to the Durga Devi Gate of Corbett is nearly 15 kilometres and worth it, thanks to the open jeep cruising at 110 km/hr.

We returned from the safari right after the sunset and the high tea at the sprawling lawn of the resort has begun. There is a regular guitarist who would keep the place enliven. While he was singing songs from the yesteryears and we were sipping on whisky – both got blended into an addictive concoction. The tasty pakoras kept flowing in and soon after another big group joined us after their safari and they were sharing their experience. The lawn at seven o’clock in the evening has suddenly turned into a hunter’s lodge where people share their experiences after a long day of hunting.

Some of us started humming to the tunes of the songs, played by the guitarist. And the confident ones gradually started singing songs by themselves. An hour later, when few of the guests were still swimming in the 4.85 foot deep pool, a smiling staff came to us to inform us that the dinner is being served. Again the dinner consisted of dishes that were local and tasted heaven. As the night got darker, the guitarists have left and the bonfire at the lawn has just burnt out, you can hear some howls coming from far away. When inquired, one of the staffs informed us that often wild foxes and barking deer come near the highway and that’s the origin of the screams.

The next morning, we walked for 10 minutes and spotted the Kosi River, one of the tributaries of the Ganga right behind the resort. The summer months are dry and the river doesn’t have much water. On our way back, we spotted a herd of three spotted deer drinking water at the river.

If you get into the pool, just be cautious, it’s 4.85 feet at one side. The pool isn’t suitable for diving, though. And there will be wild monkeys around you drinking water from the pool. Don’t be scared, it’s their place we have invaded.

Scroll through the images below to catch a glimpse of the experience. Photos sourced.