Corbett Hideaway

Corbett Hideaway

The world was settling down to sleep, bird calls had faded as darkness rolled out its blanket on the hills. The forest had become almost silent. The only sound that could be heard was the gushing of waters of the river nearby, which appeared like a dark silver streak coming down the foothills of the Himalayas. I started to stroll back from the river bank, it was time for the carnivores to come out of their hiding to look for their prey and I was not willing to be one.
In a few minutes I had reached the dim-lit bar of the Corbett Hideaway. The bar tender greeted me with a friendly smile, he was ready to serve me a drink. I sunk into the wicker couch, half tired after my long walk along the river. The bar was well-stuffed with scotch and vodkas and rums. Not my choice, I requested for a smooth beer. The decoration of the bar matched the nature's decor outside. Bamboos, thatched roof, a tusker painted life size on the wooden partition across - made me feel I was away from the hustle and bustle of habitation.

The bar tender appeared chirpy and asked me where I came from. A conversation had started, but my only question to him was whether a tiger could be sighted in the safaris to the Corbett National Park. "If you are lucky, you can see it on every visit, sometimes you don't see it at all," he quipped. As far as tigers are concerned I have always been unlucky in India. Cutting through my thoughts I heard the bar tender once more, "Sir, he killed a woman a few days ago on the road side." I looked at him unbelievingly. How can the tiger be walking along the road. But in next 20 minutes the tender convinced me that tigers have been sighted even near the Corbett Hideaway resort which was in the buffer zone of the forest.

Gulping down my beer I got out of the bar and walked to 'Jim's Grill House'- the open restaurant with a thatched roof. I wanted to eat something fresh and different. "Today's special - non-veg. platter," announced a slate hung on the bamboo pillar. The choice was made, but the order would take another 20 minutes. The steward offered me another drink. Opting for a red wine, I looked around. There were few people sitting. A family of eight was chatting loudly on one end, there was another couple on another table; next to me the table was occupied by a couple - overseas tourists. The two were talking in low tones so as not to disturb others. I could overhear them, but I ignored till I heard the man say something to me. He wanted to know if I had gone on a safari and seen a tiger. During the chat that followed I learnt that they were from United Kingdom. They were coming to Corbett every year for the last eight years and had seen a tiger every time they went into the forest. They were all praise for a naturalist guide who had shown them the tiger on each visit.
They narrated how each time they have been coming and staying at the resorts of Leisure Hotels which have changed for the better on each visit.
The conversation was cut short as my platter was served. Delicious ! The platter had a mix of different varieties of mughlai 'Kababs' -- chicken and mutton. For the next thirty minutes I was lost in relishing my dish, intermittently sipping my glass of wine. I wanted to retire back into my villa for a comfortable sleep. Back In my villa after the dinner, I settled down on the couch in the sitting area, time to sit and plan for the next day.

Corbett Hideaway resort does not have a television in the villas, because there is so much to see and experience from real life that one does not need an idiot box. Mine was a one bed room villa, spacious and well laid out. The sitting area with pictures of tiger and other animals from the wild on the walls reminded you of your location. Pulling the curtains in my bedroom, I tried to peep out. There was a big balcony outside and a garden with shady trees covering the sky. I could hear an owlet from one of the trees. I stared hard to locate it, but did not have the courage to come out of the glass door, though the resort was perfectly safe, I was scared of the darkness and the stories of the leopards that roamed around.
The villas, some with two bed rooms, are ideally placed in a big landscaped garden lined with trees. They are named after legendary tigers of the Corbett Park, some even man-eaters. The hut shaped villas, all air conditioned, also have a usable fire place for the winters. Some are double storey. Since each villa is a little distant apart from the other one, there is unrestricted garden view outside and a total privacy if one sat in the balcony.

If one is not in a rush to go for a safari into the Corbett National Park early morning, then sipping a cup of tea in the restaurant overlooking the river could be enchanting. Safari jeeps leave the resort early, even an elephant safari is possible from the resort gate, provided it has been booked well in advance. At around 9.30 the safari brings back the tourists to the resort. Some happy while some could be annoyed, depends on who spotted a tiger. The unpredictable cat roams the Park, sometimes in search of a waterhole or a shaded grove to rest.
The Corbett Hideaway resort once again becomes lively when tourists come together to have their breakfast at the river front restaurant. Sitting in the restaurant or the patio outside, enjoying the breeze from the deodar and teak trees, tourists exchange notes on the 'sightings.' The buffet at the restaurant serves a wide range of tastes, from south Indian to continental to north Indian spicy buffet breakfast.

Tourists mostly stay for a minimum of two nights, since one is not enough to enjoy the mornings and evenings of the Corbett Hideaway resort. In the afternoon, one could take a cool dip in the swimming pool or just relax on the pool side. Some walk down to the river bank where horse rides are available. Location, comfort, facilities and food make Corbett Hideaway resort an ideal choice for tourists planning to visit Corbett National Park.