“No expectations, No disappointments”
Little did I know, I will learn the importance of that quote by the end of my 7 day stint with Mahindra’s Wild Escape 2016 that recently concluded. Talking of expectations, I was absolutely sure of what to expect with the seasoned hands at Mahindra Adventure, having gone out with them on three earlier occasions. What I had my doubts about was what to expect from this trip which would see us wandering and witnessing nature is some of its most feral ways. I learnt how keeping your expectations low isn’t such a bad thing after all, but more on that later. A number of personal myths and personal expectations were about to get smashed, and I was looking forward to all of it!
Day 1 – Getting Started
Being one of the first few to check-in to Nagpur’s Le Meridian in the morning I helped myself to some lavish breakfast before hitting the sack for some much needed rest (I always reserce some sarcasm for myself). As the day progressed, participants started pouring in and the stage was laid out for later evening (after a gala lunch) for the entire event’s briefing session. Prior to the session, participants were registered and other sign-up formalities were concluded.
Venkatesh KS from Mahindra Adventure led the evening session that started with some formal background and some exciting visuals of Mahindra Adventure’s past events. The session quickly turned interactive as groups were allocated their vehicles (with a lucky draw) followed by group introductions. The entire ‘wolf-pack’ (as I would like to call it) had quite a number of first timers and as expected a number of senior participants who are frequent participants in these getaways conducted by the adventure group from time to time.
The cars for the participants allocated as per draw system were, the old gen Scorpio, new gen Scorpio and the XUV 500.
In all, the flag off would consist of 25 cars, 16 teams, about 40 participants and nearly 25-30 other participants from Mahindra / Sponsors / PR / Media. In all the headcount went up to 70 people.
The briefing session covered a wide area of topics from the safety instructions, do’s and don’ts, rolling order, radio communications, resources, overtaking rules, scheduled stops, hygiene and then a quick brief about each of the days that were planned ahead. After a quick dinner it was time to hit the sack again, and recharge my batteries for an early morning flag-off.
Day 2 – Drive to Pench Tiger Reserve, Turia MP
Day 2 had an early start, thanks to the hotel staff that guaranteed that participants and all crew and media personnel were off their comfy beds well in time. At around 08.30 AM, the drive was flagged off after a quick briefing session which was followed by a small prayer. The destination was approximately 180 odd km. As we proceeded, the radio communications soon turned interesting as the convoy fell in place and we drove through some scenic landscapes.
After reaching the destination at Pench, participants quickly disappeared for a quick refresher followed by lunch. Approximately 2 PM, the entire group dispersed for the jungle safari at the Pench Tiger Reserve.
For a first timer on a jungle safari, all your wrong apprehensions and assumptions start dissolving as you enter the reserve. Expecting to spot a tiger on your first trip is being overly, unreasonably ambitious. We were politely told by the guide to enjoy the wildlife and enjoy the nature. Getting to see the tiger should be considered a ‘bonus’.
Here’s a quick run-down on the Pench Tiger Reserve – the reserve gets its name from the Pench river that flows north to south, 74kms through the reserve. The total area of the reserve is 757.89 sq km of which the Pench National Park, forming the core zone of the reserve, covers 292.85 square km and the Mowgli Pench Wildlife Sanctuary is 118.30 square km in area. A buffer zone constituted by Reserve forests, protected forests and revenue land occupies 346.73 square km. Administratively the Tiger Reserve is divided into 3 forest ranges, Karmajhiri, Gumtara and Kurai.
The safari experience at Pench lasted for approximately 4 hours and what an experience it was. Being a nature lover, just being in the jungle gives you a sense of calmness. Your blood pressure drops, your heart rate drops, you breathe fresh oxygen, your system beings to calm down. At the same time, you are excited with so much wildlife around.
Only the fittest survive in the jungle, but unlike our concrete jungles where the fight for survival takes place in a noisy, painstaking manner, the concept has a poetic, serene shape out in the wild.
At Pench, we were hosted at the ‘Jungle Home’. An evening by the pool was followed by tea, coffee and some snacks, followed by a dining session. We retired early as the next day was supposed to start early.
Day 3 – Drive to Kanha National Park
Day 3 was an early start. I did feel I was back in school when I got multiple wakeup nudges from the residency staff as well as my roommate. At 5 AM the entire group had gathered at the reception of Jungle Home and everyone quickly made their way to their respective groups and headed in for an early morning safari. Like everyone else, I was looking forward for the ‘big-cat’ moment as the last safari was a dry-spell for me. All participants received their share of tummy-fillers in the respective safari vehicles.
The safari commenced this time from the Turia Gate approximated at 5.30 AM. The weather was quite cold and participants ensured they layered up as per their fancy. By around 10.30 AM, the entire safari convoy returned back to base. The team was then briefed on the day’s proceedings. After lunch, the team assembled at around 2 PM at the residency reception for our onward journey to Kanha National Park.
The drive down to Kanha was approximately 182 km, again a very scenic one and thoroughly enjoyable thanks to the good company we had in our car as well as in the entire convoy.
All participants and crew were received at Club Mahindra Kanha (MP). A fun-filled evening followed with a cultural programme which was followed by dinner, after which I decided to crash and recuperate for the following day’s action.
Day 4 – Kanha National Park
Day 4 saw the entire convoy parked in the parking lot with no driving to do. This also gave the entire group more time to bond and also to explore the wonderful property we were hosted at. Last but not least, everyone looked forward to the two jungle safaris lined up for the day!
A quick run-down on Kanha National Park – Kanha National Park is one of the most striking national parks in the Maikal range. With tropical climate, summers at Kanha are harsh with mercury reaching up to 43 deg C but the central highland area of MP also receives heavy monsoon with the average rainfall of 1800mm which makes the surroundings lush green and beautiful. Winters are shivering in the dense jungles of Kanha wherein the mercury level drops up to -2 deg C.
The National Park is reckoned as the perfect habitat for a large variety of herbivores and carnivores. It is the only location in India where the Barasingha can be found in great numbers and variety.
The day kick started early in the morning, 5 AM with an assembly at the reception. Day 4 saw, 2 safaris’ which were split between the afternoon lunch session. Day 4 evening consisted of a cultural programme which was followed by dinner.
Day 5 – The drive day, Kanha to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
Day 5 was yet again an early start. Almost at a distance of 500kms from our current location, the day started with a briefing and the convoy got rolling soon. The entire stretch saw some of the best roads I have personally ever ridden or driven on. En route, the convoy had a small stop at the Nagzira Tiger reserve for a quick ceremonial gathering. Lunch was served at Muba Jungle Camp (NNTR). The roads to Muba served the convoy a short stint on driving off-road (a tad). After an amazing lunch, it was time to hit the road once again.
Once again, words fall short to describe the beauty of the nature and the roads that followed. I am going to let the pictures do all the talking. At approximately 7pm we reached Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. The day concluded soon after dinner.
No luck with the big-cat spotting yet post all the safaris’, I hit the sack hoping I’d be happy to see a whisker maybe!
Day 6 – Tadoba Tiger Reserve
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is the largest national park in Maharashtra. Total area of the reserve is 625.4 sq km. This includes the Tadoba National Park, with an area of 116.55 square km which covers the Chimur hills and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary with an area of 508.85 sq kms which covers Moharli and Kolsa ranges. The reserve also includes 32.51 square km of protected forest and 14.93 square km of other areas.
The day had two safaris scheduled for the day. I had almost a dozen people come up to me and pass on their luck (from the ones who already had their share of kitty spotting).
Also it’s said, Tadoba has the highest percentage of chances as far as kitty spotting would go. As I mentioned at the outset, by this time, I had learnt my lesson to keep the expectations low so as to enjoy the experience better. I kept an open mind with no expectations, but somewhere at the back of my mind I was still hoping to have a glimpse of the big cat which had eluded me for all these days.
And it finally happened. There she was in all her glory – “she is alone without the cubs”, the driver exclaimed. We had a huge slow-moving convoy of cars in front of us but almost everyone got their mini share of spotting one of the most protected species in current times. Immediately it induced a sense of relief and satisfaction and suddenly the entire trip felt more meaningful than it hitherto did.
Generally, as we observed, at the end of each safari, the guides and the drivers had a sense of sadness when we ended up with spotting everything and anything but the tiger. But here the feeling was different. It somehow (and I could clearly relate why) gave them comfort of making their time and efforts worth it and in turn seeing their customers ‘happy and content’.
The day ended with some banter with the fellow passengers.
Day 7 – The journey back
The day started early at 5 AM. This was an optional safari for whoever would want to attend. Our pack decided to cut away from the usual crowd and venture to another section of the region. This brought to light some burning questions to myself and even the others in the car. A total pack of 20 safaris stormed a part of the park awaiting tigers to appear at an artificial water pool. That’s almost 160 odd people in a very small area, all awaiting the tiger to show up.
Having yearned for a sight of the big cat all this while, suddenly, for some reason, I hoped the tiger did not show up this time. If this is how they are expected to show up every day, then there’s definitely something odd about it. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the jungle trail.
After lunch it was time to return back to Nagpur. The day ended with a celebratory gathering and gala dinner. All in all it was a great event organized by Team Adventure Mahindra.
Kudos to the organizers and all the volunteers for a successful and eventful Wild Escape Getaway 2016. Looking forward to many more to come in this calendar year.
Here’s a mega gallery of the event
