• Hoolongappar Gibbon Sanctuary
    Birdwatching - Flora - Nature's Wonders - People - Places

    The Primates and Other Surprises of Hoolongappar Gibbon Sanctuary

    February 9, 2014 - By 

    Our five-day trip to Kaziranga (by Nature India) had a day set aside for Hoolongappar Gibbon sanctuary. With so much being written and spoken about Kaziranga, the wildlife sanctuary remained the hero and we didn’t care too much about the Gibbon sanctuary near Jorhat, Assam. So very unlike of us, we didn’t do much research or reading on the Gibbon sanctuary. But nature has its own way of throwing surprises. ‘Pleasant’ is not the adjective. Enticing. Fascinating. Exciting. Surprising. What was originally a part of the vast forest ranges in the north east state of Assam and extending till Nagaland,…

  • Flora - Nature's Wonders - Places

    The Ethereal Kaas

    September 12, 2012 - By 

    Lalu’s ears. Sita’s tears. American softhead. Coat button. Mickey mouse—funny they may sound but these are some of the ethereal beauties of Kaas Plateau, near Satara in Maharashtra. Lying underground for most of the year, these plants pop their heads up as soon as monsoon drenches the red laterite soil with elixir of life. Home to more than 400 varieties of plants, Kaas is one of Unesco’s World Natural Heritage sites where nature works overtime to weave a carpet of oft-changing colours. As the monsoon recedes, the plateau gets carpeted with a million flowers—blue Sita’s tears, purple jambhala, white pan-gend,…

  • Birdwatching - Nature's Wonders - Places

    8 hours. 100+ Different Birds. Bliss…

    February 27, 2011 - By 

    “My heart was brimming with the longing: to travel all those miles, sometimes nonstop, and come to your place. The urge was so strong, I couldn’t resist it. Oh! Just thinking about wallowing in the cool waters, relishing the scrumptious food aplenty, meeting friends from across the world, made me do a little jig. But where did it all go? I thought I lost my way. Hell no! I am at the right spot, but the marshy expanse of water is no where in sight. A few early birds were hanging around. Where do we go now after having flown…