The first national park of India, Corbett National Park, is the home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is situated amidst the foothills of Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. This place houses around 50 species of animals including the rare ones such as tigers along with 580 bird species, 25 reptile species, and 50 species of trees. This national park is a perfect treat for the wildlife photographers and enthusiasts. This oldest national park is spread over 500 sq km of area and divided into five different zones for the Safari lovers. The zones are Bijrani (Amdanda Gate), Dhikala (Dhangarhi gate), Jhirna (Zhirna Zone), Durga Devi (Lohachaur Zone), and Dhela. Apart from these, there is Sonanandi Wildlife Sanctuary (North Zone), also known as Sitabani Zone (Buffer Zone), which falls out of the Corbett National Park. Each entry gate to the park is chargeable and has its own significance. Make sure to book the best entry zone while selecting your Corbett National Park Package.
The oldest National Park was established with the name of Hailey National Park in 1936 and named after the famous conservationist and writer, Jim Corbett. This park acquired a significant status and came under the patronage of Project Tiger in 1973. The national park is administered from the district headquarters of Nainital (Uttarakhand). In 1991, the Sonandi Wildlife Sanctuary was also added to the immediate boundary of this national park, which is widely known as Sitabani Zone today.
The wildlife enthusiasts can explore the national park by hiring a jeep, specifically meant for jungle safari. You can get on the jeep safari in Bijrani, Jhirna, Sonanadi and Domunda zones. Dhikala is the only zone that offers Canter Safari. The jeep safari opens from 1st October and canter safari opens from 15th November. Most of the areas of the national park remain closed from 15th June to 30th September. There are set timings for each safari zone, which are scheduled in morning and afternoon.
Winter is although the best time to visit the place but each zone of the national park has its own set visiting period. Dhikala Zone, known as the core of the national park, can be visited in between 15th November till 15th June only. The Bijrani Zone can be visited during 1st October to 30th June only. And, the visiting time of Durga Devi Zone is from 15th November till 15th June, every year. The Jhirna Zone is almost 16 km away from Ramnagar and considered as a year round tourist area. Similarly, Sitabani Zone can be visited in any time of the year. Most of the areas remain closed during monsoon (July to mid October). So, book your Corbett Travel Packages accordingly considering the set visiting periods.
The canter safari is a unique and thrilling experience for the wildlife enthusiasts. The Dhikala Tourism Zone is the only one offering the canter safari during two shifts; morning (from 05:30 AM – 11:30 AM in summer and from 06:00 AM – 12: 00 PM in winter) and evening (from 12:30 PM – 06:30 PM in summer and 12:00 PM – 05:30 PM in winter). There is a maximum chance of spotting the Royal Bengal Tiger in this zone. The safari is organized by the Corbett Tiger Reserve authority. Tourists are required to reach Ramnagar reception to start the safari of five hours in an allotted shift. Also, the tourists have to make prior bookings for this zone, which is 30 days for Indian nationals and 90 days for foreign nationals. The tourists have to carry their original photo-identity proof for verification purpose at the time of entry.
The most amazing thing of this national park that attracts most of the wildlife buffs is the inside stay in the premise at night. Bijrani and Malani have their own rest houses that offer night stay facility. In Dhilkala region, there are different rest houses, namely Dhikala FRH, Sarapduli FRH, Gairal FRH, Sultan FRH, Khinnanauli, and Kanda. Dhikala FRH is a historic structure that is the biggest one of all and offers the electricity facility along with around 32 rooms and 2 dormitories. Jhirna forest lodge is also meant for night stay inside the Jhirna Zone. An advanced booking and permit issued by the Jim Corbett Park is mandatory for the jeep safaris as well as for the night stay inside the forest rest house.
Apart from jungle safari, the other known tourist's attractions include Corbett waterfall, Corbett museum, Garjia Temple, etc. Ensure that your Corbett Tour Package includes all of these. Moreover, this place is well-connected by all means; rail, road, and air. The nearest airport to this town is Dehradun Airport. Ramnagar, Gaushala and Kotdwar are the three main rail heads to reach Corbett. The town is well-connected by NH34, which makes the road connectivity convenient. Roadways are the most direct way to connect to Corbett. So, contact a trusted tour operator for booking your Corbett Holiday Packages. More »
