• Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve
    Birdwatching - National Parks - Sanctuaries - Tiger Reserve - Wildlife

    Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve: The Cradle of Mohan, the White Tiger

    May 22, 2024 - By 

    If all the white tigers in the world today choose to visit their ancestoral house, all of them would have to pack their bags and head to Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve. It is said that Mohan, the white tiger who was found and rescued by the then Maharaja of Rewa in this forests in the 1950s, is the ancestor of all white tigers found in the world today. Not a small credit for this 1,600 sq km tiger reserve in central India, spread between Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. We had not heard of Sanjay Tiger Reserve (STR, also known as…

  • Bandhavgarh_Bajrang Tiger
    Birdwatching - National Parks - Sanctuaries - Tiger Reserve - Wildlife

    Bandhavgarh: Through the Dominions of Sita and Charger

    May 19, 2024 - By 

    It was as if we were listening to the history of empires in the past—son killing/maiming father, then his son doing the same, and so on. With the apt background noise of an unexpected thunderstorm, Mandar (of Nature India) was talking to us about the history of current tigers in the Bandhavgarh forest, a bunch of us listening as eagerly as we were for the next day’s jungle safari. But our comparison of tigers with bloody empires is not right. These majestic kings of forests act not out of malice but by instinct. They don’t make cunning plans to satisfy…

  • Glenmore Forest Trail TravelWithacouple
    Adventure - Hikes - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries - Treks

    Glenmore Forest Trails

    November 4, 2023 - By 

    The welcome and information board at Glenmore Forest Park visitor centre says ‘Ancient forests, high mountains and golden shores’. We had just returned from the not-so-high mountains (Cairngorms Trek) and was now looking forward to a forest trail walk. Glenmore is one of the largest forests within the Cairngorms National Park. Forest parks are well maintained by the ‘Forestry and Land’ division of the Scotland government. And there are many trails for hikes and treks. Scotland, interestingly has the ‘Scottish Access Rights’, which gives the individuals the freedom to go anywhere and enjoy the outdoors in Scotland. This is completely…

  • TravelWithacouple Unny Bindhu Koyna Tapola Satara
    Adventure - Hikes - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries - Treks

    Travel in 2020: The End

    January 10, 2021 - By 

    (Also read Travel in 2020: The Beginning and Travel in 2020: The Middle) We often hear in literature or in general about how insignificant we feel as a tiny speck in this vast cosmos. Travellers speak about that especially in the context of the Himalayas or other mountain ranges. One doesn’t need to go that far to feel our cosmic insignificance. All one needs to be at any spot by the banks of the huge Shivsagar lake, the backwaters formed by the mighty Koyna dam. More on Koyna later. The final trip of 2020 was the perhaps the most looked…

  • Upper Deck Resort Lonavala TravelWithacouple
    Beaches - Hikes - Hotels - Places - Sanctuaries

    Travel in 2020: The Middle

    December 19, 2020 - By 

    (Before The Middle, there was a beginning. Read Travel in 2020: The Beginning. After The Middle, there is also an end. Read Travel in 2020: The End) In September, we made the first outing. Sometime in August, many hotels and resorts in nearby places in Mumbai had started to open. After a lot of deliberations, we decided to go to Lonavala, which otherwise wouldn’t have been in our consideration at all, unless it is a base for a trek. A first time visit to Upper Deck Resort and a 2-night stay was worth it, after locking up for months together…

  • Hampi Itinerary Travelwithacouple Unny Bindhu
    Adventure - Heritage - Hikes - History - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    A Hampi Itinerary – Something for Everyone

    January 6, 2019 - By 

    Never perhaps in the history of the world has such havoc been wrought, and wrought suddenly, on so splendid a city, teeming with a wealthy and industrious population in the full plentitude of prosperity one day, and on the next seized, pillaged, and reduced to ruins, amid scenes of savage massacre and horrors begging description. –Robert Sewell, A Forgotten Empire. History and mythology intertwines effortlessly as local guides narrates the story of Hampi,  once a world class city and trade centre of 14th century, built and ruled by the kings spanning four dynasties starting with Harihara and Bukka. The mythological…

  • Saputara Dangs TravelWithacouple
    Flora - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    The Magnetic Dangs

    October 11, 2015 - By 

    Our last trip to Dangs district in Gujarat was unplanned. So was the last weekend’s trip. Two consecutive 3-day weekends. A much-longed trip to Bhandardhara in monsoon was planned for the first one. But work commitments came in the way and we had to cancel it. It was too late plan for the second weekend long weekend. So we just packed the bags and drove lazily along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway until evening with a stopover at Dandi. Thus, Surat became the destination of the day. The tidy town deserves a separate post. Next day, we drove to Purna Wildlife Sanctuary/Mahal…

  • Kanha National Park, TravelWithaCouple, Unny Radhakrishnan, Bindhu Unny
    Birdwatching - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    In the Land of Jungle Book – Kanha National Park

    November 30, 2014 - By 

    (This article was originally published in Mid-Day Travel section) Wildlife safaris are always full of expectations, surprises, and disappointments. The feverish anticipation and wonderful surprises are what that makes these safaris special. Exploring Kanha National Park, the backdrop of Kiplingís Jungle Book, was no different. First of our five safaris in Kanha was in the evening. Unexpected rains in the afternoon, though offered a cool evening, dulled everyoneís expectations. But as it turned out, we had a few memorable sightings before we wound up for the day. It started with a jungle fox, a few minutes into the Kanha zone.…

  • Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala
    Birdwatching - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    Thattekad Bird Sanctuary – The richest bird habitat in the peninsula

    August 15, 2014 - By 

    When we mentioned to a friend that we were visiting Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary), she declared there were no birds in Thattekad. So it is likely to be if you visit Thattekad or any other bird sanctuary on your own. If you have an experience guide with you, you will be enthralled to see and admire many avian beauties in one place and in a very limited time. Though closer home, a visit to Thattekad Bird Sanctuary never happened until 2012, as is the case with most of the treasures that are near to us. From the many blogs…

  • Kerandangan Nature Reserve, Lombok, Indonesia
    Adventure - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries - Treks

    Hiking Through Kerandangan

    July 16, 2014 - By 

    A trek to the Rinjani volcano peak was in the original plan. Soon we were to realise – sadly, that it requires a minimum of two nights and three days. Beach hopping, snorkelling and long walks did its bit to quell the disappointment of giving up on Rinjani. Yet there was something amiss. Until we heard the call of the wild. Not far from the Holiday Resort at Senggigi, where we were staying, was the Kerandangan Nature Reserve. Hardly mentioned in the regular tourism destinations in Lombok, we stumbled upon this natural treasure while browsing a local magazine. During the…

  • Wild Wayanad
    Flora - Sanctuaries

    The Wild Wayanad

    January 12, 2014 - By 

    The north-east of India with its unique mountain ranges, forests, flora, and fauna has always been in the travel lovers’ must-do list. Wayanad is Kerala’s own north-east. Literally. Nestled in the mighty Western Ghats, with dense forests, valleys, tea and coffee plantations, and paddy fields, Wayanad forms an important part of the Nilgiri biosphere. Once inaccessible forests with tribal hamlets, it is said that Wayanad forests have been inhabited for over 3,000 years. Situated at the tip of the Deccan Plateau and geographically at the confluence of three modern states, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamilnadu, Wayanad once was also a part…

  • Jupuri Ghar, Kaziranga
    Birdwatching - Flora - Food - Hotels - Places - Sanctuaries

    stay @Jupuri Ghar

    August 9, 2013 - By 

    During our travels, more often than not we have seen that the state tourism resorts/hotels tend to be the best place to stay—they get the advantage of being an early mover and hence access to a prime location in the area. Though often not so luxurious or fancy, they tend to be very spacious—rooms as well as the property. Jupuri Ghar by Assam Tourism at Kaziranga too lived up to this promise. Tucked behind a small tea estate and abutting the forest is Jupuri Ghar with its 8 cottages and a nice restaurant. The cottages are laid around a central…

  • Flora - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    An Impromptu Journey to Wild West(ern Ghats)

    November 16, 2012 - By 

    When Western Ghats tempts you with its grandness, it’s a challenge to resist it. We happily give in almost all the time. Once spread across a good part of Kerala and host to many endangered species of flora and fauna, Western Ghats is now dwindling, forcing UNESCO to tag many parts of it as natural heritage areas. This Diwali season’s Western Ghats delight for us was Athirapally Waterfalls and beyond. After the Nilgiris, the Western Ghats take a break at Palakkad gap, the natural plains that cuts the mountains and connects Kerala and Tamil Nadu. And beyond the gap, toward…

  • Birds of Tadoba TravelWithaCouple.com
    Birdwatching - Nature's Wonders - Sanctuaries

    Birds of Tadoba

    March 9, 2010 - By 

    Tadoba has a rich bird life with over 160 varities either  residing or visiting seasonally. The main lake in the middle and couple of other lakes mean that there are a fair amount of water birds as well – Cormorants, herons, ibis, storks, varieties of ducks, bar-headed goose, buzzards, eagles, quails, purple swamphens, bronze winged jacana, lapwigs, common redshank, common and wood sandpipers and many more… A little cormorant by the side of the Tadoba lake (above) The red-wattled lapwig (above) Black Ibis (above) Green bee eater (above) We watched these three rose ringed parakeets (above) playing hide and seek.…

  • Fun - Sanctuaries

    Who Can Assure You a Tiger ?

    March 8, 2010 - By 

    On our second safari at Tadoba, a few kilometers inside from the starting point, this  board welcomed us.  As if to temper our expectations. This was at the border of Tadoba range and Moharli range where there is a small settlement.  Soon after this however we did spot a tiger.

  • Places - Sanctuaries

    The Real Land of Tiger – Tadoba

    February 23, 2010 - By 

    The year 2010, hopefully augurs well for us in travel. After the good start in the new year week, one of us had a solo trip to Bangkok, while the other had a solo to Coimbatore and Kerala. But the most awaited trip of January was to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. The planning had started in November itself. The tourism/forest department calls Tadoba the real land of tiger. Perhaps rightfully so. For the first time, we spotted the big cat. Albeit for a short while without giving us enough time for clicking. With multitudes of…

  • Places - Sanctuaries

    Sanctuaries and Man-Animal Conflicts

    November 6, 2009 - By 

    “This island has to be saved for its trees, it has to be saved for its animals, it is a part of a reserve forest, it belongs to a project to save tigers, which is paid for by people from all around the world.” Everyday, sitting here, with hunger gnawing at our bellies, we would listen to these words, over and over again. Who are these people, I wondered, who love animals so much that they are willing to kill us for them? Do they know what is being done in their names? Where do they leave, these people, do…

  • Birdwatching - Places - Sanctuaries

    Birding at Nannaj Grasslands

    October 31, 2009 - By 

    The Great Indian Bustard didn’t reveal itself to us. But our birding experience at Nannaj Bird Sanctuary wasn’t disappointing. We spotted many other birds (don’t ask for names, though we went there armed with A Field Guide to the Birds of India) and as a bonus, saw two wolves chasing blackbucks. Nannaj Bird Sanctuary, officially called as Maldhok Bird Sanctuary or GIB Bird Sanctuary, is at 25-odd km from Solapur, Maharashtra. It is home to the endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and is one of the few places where it is still spotted. Nannaj was declared a bird sanctuary in…

  • Pench Madhya Pradesh, Travelwithacouple, Unny Radhakrishnan, Bindhu Unny
    Birdwatching - Nature's Wonders - Places - Sanctuaries

    Where Mowgli Roamed – Pench National Park

    June 21, 2009 - By 

    As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled Once, twice and again! And a doe leaped up and a doe leaped up From the pond in the wood where the wild deer sup. – The Jungle Books, Rudyard Kipling Every morning, Mowgly and his friends perhaps would have woken up to this scene. We too were hoping for the same. The early morning drive from the Maharashtra side of Pench Tiger Reserve to the Madhya Pradesh side of Pench was filled with expectations. Never mind the rattling of the old Toyota Qualis and the chilly wind. We had to cover…

  • Birdwatching - Places - Sanctuaries

    Nandur-Madhyameshwar: Maharashtra’s Own Bharatpur

    March 11, 2009 - By 

    Among the few books (other than a whole bunch of maps and road atlas) that we use as travel guides, there is one called ‘Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra’. Written by Milind Gunaji, a Marathi actor and photographer, this is an interesting and handy book when one wants to do the ‘non-touristy’ travel. We take tips and pointers from it and mix our own ‘de-tours’ to get some interesting variants every time. Nandur–Madhyameshwar was one such find. Being somewhere closer to Nasik, we put this in our Nasik itinerary. Nandur–Madhyameshwar is popular only among avid birders and is known was Maharashtra’s…