NEED TO KNOW
130 km, 3 hours, most of it on NH 85-if you visit Bera Safari Lodge en route, you add 100 km and three hours of driving time to your trip.
THE ROUTE: Udaipur-Bera-Ranakpur-Raipur-Chanod
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: In India, a lot can change over 200 kilometres-food, costume, language, geography, and even the climate. This drive gives you the opportunity to get off the beaten track and the monsoon post-July means the Aravallis turn an emerald green thanks to the endemic dhok tree. Make all the recommended stops and you can spot leopards in the wild, unwind at a jazz bar, visit historic Jain temples, and experience a slice of rural Rajasthan life in Chanod. Also, you haven't experienced petrichor until you've smelled the earth after the first rains hit the parched lands of Rajasthan.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Start your journey at Premkunj, a boutique homestay about 45 minutes away from the airport. Enjoy the local sights and sounds; the property also suggests a fabulous food trail that's a must-do.
Next, head to Bera Safari Lodge, which reopens on 15 July, from where you can go on a wildlife safari the highest chances of a leopard sighting are in winter, but they do occur throughout the year and also visit the Jawai dam. The large reservoir is home to many species of migratory and residential birds and provides incredible sightings of species like the sarus crane, osprey, pelican, bar-headed goose, and pipit.
This story is from the August 2022 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2022 edition of GQ India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In Haider We Hope
The role of a fashion designer is one usually forged in chaos and fired down by “creative differences”. But on the eve of a new Tom Ford directorship, Haider Ackermann has never felt more free.
VIVA VARUN
Varun Dhawan on balancing fatherhood and film shoots, and the pressure of making the right choices.
PRATIK GANDHI'S QUIET EUPHORIA
The actor―who delivered a knockout performance in Madgaon Expresson the high of a hit and the pressure of sustaining success.
THE COMEBACK KID
Buoyed by his performance in Singham Returns, Arjun Kapoor doubles down on creativity.
SCRIPTING STARDOM
Vicky Kaushal on the thrill and terror of stepping onto a Sanjay Leela Bhansali set, charting an unconventional career, and making sense of the money game.
A TRYST WITH STARDOM
Triptii Dimri segued from her left-field roots straight to the animal park. The gamble has paid off.
WALKING A TIGHTROPE
Following the monster success of Stree 2, Rajkummar Rao opens up about navigating artistic fulfilment and box-office glory.
THE MAHARAJA OF MEHRAULI
It's been an action-packed year for Tarun Tahiliani, the emperor of Indian couture.
LONE WARRIOR
Kartik Aaryan on why, in an industry that only watches out for its own, he has to blow his own trumpet.
HITS AND HEARTBREAKS
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali talks about redeeming himself with the extraordinary Chamkila, dealing with star-studded setbacks, and why we've forgotten to make love stories.
