Hard to believe that it is officially still spring. Nature is out in her full glory. Forests were beckoning us.

About two weeks ago, we were already at Aahana Wellness Resort trying to handle our post-winter guilt. Aahana is located at the periphery of Jim Corbett National Park, Ramnagar, Nainital in the state of Uttarakhand.  Our trip was filled with yoga, naturopathy, and spa sessions, a lavish breakfast, a bicycle ride to the local village, a sturdy hammock, and a bonfire at night. But the calls of jackals and hyenas from the adjacent forest were distracting. We felt that our trip would be incomplete without going into the jungle.

However, that seemed not happening. Corbett authorities allow a certain number of visitors/vehicles in the jungle every day and the entries during our stay were already closed.  As the last resort, we turned to Saurabh, the manager with Aahana. He arranged for the necessary permissions and transport. The cherry on the icing was the senior naturalists who were going to accompany us. Experts Bacchi Singh Bisht and Rajesh Bhatt had twenty-plus years of experience in the forests and we couldn’t believe they would guide us.

It was still dark when we started for the forests next morning in authorized fatigue painted jeeps. Given the early start, we were at the jungle gates at crack of dawn. The cool clean breeze made any effort in waking up early totally worthwhile. The forest was decked up in all spring colours. The tall sal trees covered the sky forming beautiful light and shade patterns on the ground. Bright red flame of the forest flowers illuminated the surroundings.  Springs crisscrossed the area and the water was sparkling clean. The matt green grasslands lined with sal trees, the clear springs carrying pebbles and rocks and the light brown soil made the perfect set for a Hollywood cowboy movie. The random calls of animals and birds provided the sound effects.

Talking about birds, Rajesh told us more than 500 species of local as well as migratory varieties are found in Corbett.  In fact Mr. Owl here posed for us from various angles. Talk about male vanity!  We also saw red junglefowl looking for breakfast among the grass and serpent-crested eagle majestically flying in the sky. Among other fauna, we spotted jackals on hunt, deer and fawns, chitals, and sambhars. No, we did not spot tigers. But the beauty of the jungle bowled us over. Our earlier jungle excursions at Bharatpur and Sariska had been very different. We realized every jungle is unique and one cannot be replaced by another.

The sprawling trees, the picturesque landscape, and the calls of the varieties of animals and birds roosting filled us with awe of nature – of life.

But not only nature – we also saw more. Tucked inside Corbett National Park, we visited an ancient temple in reverence to Devi Sita. This place is called Sitawani and legend goes that Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush here. The popular version of Ram Durbar has Ram at the centre flanked by Sita and Lakshman on both sides and Hanuman kneeling in the front. At the Sitawani temple, Devi Sita is at the centre of affairs and is flanked by Ram and Lakshman on both sides. This is indeed a rare form of Ram Durbar where Sita is in focus. It was almost Women’s Day and attagirl we said.

In hindsight, we are glad we pushed for the forest excursion. And Aahana indulged and arranged it to the t. In fact during the course of our stay, we realised they stand in yes for most activities. The sense of hospitality, the warmth of the staff, and going that extra mile to indulge a guest, all that make us want to come back here. Needless to say, the jungle safari inside Corbett National park completed our experience at Aahana the Corbett Wilderness this time.