The first Shaji bombshell came as I was exclaiming over the view. We’d just met. A tiger had killed a deer right in front of the lodge two days before and dragged its kill downstream. “We’ll take a walk that way tomorrow,” he said, “and see if we can find it.” And with that, he…
Discovering India Differently: Eco Lodges in Corbett National Park
My jaw hit the hideously over-patterned carpet. There he stood, microphone in hand bleating out something entirely unrecognisable, both for his apparent ability to change key four times in three notes, and the fact that the volume was set so high as to distort anything that was forced, hurricane like, out of the speakers, the…
Modern Day Memsahib: Escape to India Chapter 01
My hand paused half way through its ministrations of teeth brushing. I stood, open mouthed looking at him aghast through the reflection in the bathroom mirror. He hadn’t even paused in the rubbing down of his body. He had said it as casually as asking for a coffee and just carried on seemingly oblivious…
Snapshot – Beyond Corbett, Getting off the Grid.
Corbett National Park for Diwali brought about a series of firsts: First safari of the season First elephants of the season (6) First snake of the season (1, rat) First barking deer of the season (1) First tigers of the season (2) My first stay at the nearby Vanghat (Hopefully the first of many)…
Lost in the jungle
Anyone who knows me will know that I have no sense of direction what-so-ever, and as I work in the travel industry, the irony is not lost on me. At a push, I could get lost in my own house, I certainly never turn the right way first time around on coming out of a…
He is 80 and he survived his first trip to India – Dad’s trip, the dids’ and the did nots.
So dad leaves tonight after a long three weeks which have absolutely flown by. He is currently tucked up in bed with a cup of tea and the Far Pavillions, a book which it transpires, is also a three week journey. My aim was to showcase my world to him, my India, the place I…
Dudhwa: One Lodge, Two Nights, Three Parks.
‘Why would we fly? We can drive it.’ ‘Well how long will that take?’ ‘Around 8 hours or so.’ I shrugged and half-heartedly nodded as my Indian (resigned) persona kind of, sort of agreed. In England, if I was to set off and drive from my house, for eight hours in any direction, I am…
An Excerpt from my first novel, Girl India.
‘AAG! Memsahib, Aag lagi hai! Aag, aag, aag!’ My peace was shattered. I was sitting on the balcony of the lodge with my afternoon cake and chai and the first Sunday Times I had seen in months, two weeks out of date but, never the less, it was a treat. It was a rare day…
When the cows come home, an alternative safari, Kanha National Park, India.
I do appreciate that when people come on a safari to India, they want to see tiger and yes, to see a tiger in the wild is a magnificent experience and one to be cherished. I used to have a few issues with this. A few years ago, in 2007 to be precise, I ran…
Cocktails and Campfires
There is something wonderful about sitting out around a campfire. I know all you African/Indian Safari diehards have been experiencing this for years, but it is something that, living in the UK, we really don’t get to experience very often. For one main reason. The weather. Now, we are renowned on our island for discussing…