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…
Fringe Ford, wildlife and wilderness without wifi.
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 2 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…
People of India Project – Varun Narain Mathur
I first met Varun many years ago when he, way ahead of the game, had set up a company to promote extraordinary guides of India, true experts who believed in showcasing the real India along side their speciaist fields. Then, by some quirk of fate, I ended up working along side him for a large…
The People of India Project – Sanjay Thakur
Sanjay and I had been in contact for some time but I first got to meet him by chance whilst consulting with a DMC in Delhi on a day when he was visiting. I didn’t know much about the NE of India at that stage, I’d seen some itineraries over the years but they…
The World’s Tallest, Highest, wettest, most buoyant, gruesome and most bizarre, only in India!
Yesterday there was an article in the Guardian, bakers and chefs in the southern state of Kerala had baked what they said was the world’s longest cake at (approx.) 6.5kms, I suppose the actual length depends on how many hungry people there wer around! But it got me thinking, where in the world can you…
Sri Lanka & A Truly Extraordiary Wildlife Experience
They said the meeting place was by the Buddha statue just on the edge of the town. A short while later they called to see if I’d reached. ‘I don’t think so,” was my response, “Is it obvious, could I have missed it?” I credit them for not being sarcastic in their response, being, as…
Kaziranga, Assam, National Park and UNESCO Site
OK, I am certainly not in the top many thousands of people who have visited and after just 4 nights/5 days, I can hardly call myself an expert but, having being totally immersed in India as my specialist subject for the last 20 years, and having just visited Assam, I realised just how little I…
Beyond the Tiger – A comprehensive guide to India’s wildlife
India’s Wildlife Beyond the Tiger India is often overlooked by wildlife enthusiasts, many of whom seem to prefer heading off to Africa to see the Big 5, those who do venture to the sub-continent some in search of tiger, in a single minded obsession, and yet, India has so much more than our stiped king…
The Women of India – Bhavna Menon
Bhavna Menon graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Delhi and later, moved to Mumbai to pursue her post-graduate studies in Journalism. She is currently employed with Last Wilderness Foundation, an NGO working towards wildlife conservation, as a Programme Manager and has a particular affinity for leopards. Last Wilderness Foundation (LWF) an organisation that…
People of India – The Young Naturalists – Sunny Shah
I only met Sunny relatively recently, in September to be precise. I’d asked my mentor if he knew of any good naturalists in Gujarat and he recommended Sunny. As it turned out, he was wrong, Sunny isn’t a good naturalist, he is incredible. He has foresight & insight, knowledge & passion, intelligence & vision. I…
The Women of India Project – Niyati Kukadia
Niyati Kukadia is one third of the founding partners of Soar Excursions in Gujarat. I was delighted when I came across them on social media as so few people showcase this often ignored state for the truly incredible and diverse destination that it is. However, when I met Niyati, I very quickly realised that…
The Women of India: Anu Dhillon Singh.
Conservationist, environment scientist, amateur historian and safari lodge owner (Mela Kothi Chambal Safari Lodge to be specific) , Anu has been on gap-year mode for over two decades, it’s probably why we get on so well! Happiest when clambering through undergrowth & discovering crumbling ruins, she quite fancies herself Indiana Jones, and why not? Who…
Snapshot The Sunderbans
Scenes from the Sunderbans whose misty early mornings lend an ethereal quality to the start of your day’s safari. One knows this is a vast area of mangrove swamp lands but knowing that doesn’t prepare one for the sheer scale of the region, the tranquility, silence and sense of peace interspersed with moments of excitement…
People of India – The Young Naturalists – Surya Ramachandran
Who you are (naturally!) Difficult one with many answers but i’d say…Naturally..i’d say i’m a storyteller, a sports lover and most importantly, a proud south Indian who seems to want to spend 10 months of the year exploring the wild corners of north, north-east and central India. 2. What inspired you to become a…
People of India – Young Naturalists – Avijit Dutta
Avijit completed his formal education with an honors degree in History from hometown Calcutta followed by a post graduate degree in Tourism Management. But it was his early years in school up in the Darjeeling hills where he developed a close affiliation to nature, the reason for which he chose the job of a Naturalist…
Vanghat – An Adventure, An Eco Lodge and almost the end of a friendship
When a lodge owner calls to tells you that something you are planning isn’t a very good idea, it would probably be a good idea to listen. But you see, two things were at play here, the first is what is known as cobbler’s shoes and the second, well, I am nothing if not stubborn….
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…