WILDINGS
Exploring the dense forests and its inhabitants
Highlights: Untouched forests | Waterfalls | Nature Reserves | Wildlife spotting
No.of Days: 7
Overview
Chhattisgarh sprouts endless green paddy fields that are skirted by sinuous rivers clinging to their silted banks. When the eyes go far, the cool shaded stretches of verdant forests can be seen. Within the forests are torrents of gushing waterfalls and an array of wildlife sure to mesmerize the nature traveller in Chhattisgarh. Despite its proximity to Madhya Pradesh, the much touted wildlife destination of the country, Chhattisgarh is elusive on the travel itineraries. This is what makes it pleasantly untouched by the hordes and a delight to discover at you own pace. There are a number of jungle adjacent lodges and naturalists who know the forests at the back of their hands. Expect to traverse through hundreds of sq kms of dense forests that are an ode to the rich land of Bastar.
The Kanger Valley National Park in South Bastar is the main draw for wildlife and nature enthusiasts, and a must for nature enthusiasts. The stalactites and stalagmite formations in the Dandak, Kailash and Kutumsar caves, makes this one of the most coveted forest destinations in the state. Encounters with wildlife like bears, leopards, snakes, deer, hyenas, water buffaloes, rabbits and a variety of birds are common. The Udanti, Sitanadi, Indravati and Bhairamgarh national parks are relatively untreaded tracts of jungles but complement Kanger Valley National Park and are visited by the intrepid. Then there are closer forest patches near Raipur – especially Barnawapara. The thick canopies of pristine teak, saal and bamboo copses offer refuge to nearly 50 resident leopards and sightings are pretty common as they prowl around the jungle.
What to expect
Chhattisgarh offers some of the last pockets of virgin and untouched forests in the country to wildlife enthusiasts. This, alone, is the largest draw for those who don’t like to jostle through crowds. Most of the national parks of the country are well-feted, but here, expect to have bragging rights to have walked unknown territories. You’ll be lucky to spot the state bird, the Hill Myna and the ‘Van Bhainsa’ or the wild water buffalo, Chhattisgarh’s state animal. The buffalo is an endangered species of the world, and is mostly found in South East Asian countries. Keep your eyes peeled around wet grasslands, swamps and thickly vegetated river valleys. To see one in the wild is considered extremely lucky as a handful of these are surviving in the deep forests of Chhattisgarh.
