THE JUNGLE IS CALLING, WHERE ARE YOU?

WILD WALKERS IN THE LAP OF THE NILGIRIS LETS YOU BE, AS ZAHID H JAVALI DISCOVERS…

- ZAHID H JAVALI

Forest fire. Sighting of wild bison, langurs, elephants, kingfishers, deer, antelope, peacocks, monkeys... the roar of a tiger... the cry of a bison under attack. These are all the things I encountered on my way to Wild Walkers. Welcome to the 100acre Bellikkal estate in the heart of The Nilgiris, bordered by the Mudumalai forest reserve in Tamil Nadu. The best part? There is no boundary wall between the palatial wooden bungalow and the jungle around it. It’s part of the forest ecosystem.

Take a Break, a Bangalore-based travel and event management firm, made my trip possible. From understanding the budget and travel requirements and tailoring a two-night, three-day itinerary for a family of four, the firm did it with studied precision. They not only booked a sedan for our seven-hour road trip but also employed naturalist Vijay to go along with us. Even before we reached the final destination, we were given a taste of what was to come from Vijay.

During our journey, we crossed the narrow road dissecting the Bandipur and Mudumalai wildlife reserves. On the stretch, we spotted langurs, kingfishers, deer, antelope, peacocks and monkeys. We also had to halt for a few minutes as the forest officials were trying hard to control a forest fire. After crossing Mudumalai, we were taken so deep inside the forest that only a jeep could navigate... it was some three kilometres into the jungle. We spot elephant pug marks welcoming us into the lap of nature. The excitement was palpable.