Mr. Eliezer Yardeni, from Israel, contacted us for a Jim Corbett trip. He had been to South Indian parks before. I was surprised, as this was his first trip to any national park in North India. It is normally observed that people going to North Indian parks like to see tigers in the wild. But few people are in love with one park. As he was willing to spend 5 nights (3 in the Forest Guest House inside the Dhikala range & 2 nights outside the park in a hotel).

Report By: Mr. Sudhir Sharma

Corbett Safari system is different from other parks. There are many forest guest houses in core areas of Corbett. The main FRHs are Dhikala, Jhirna, Bijrani, and Dehla.

The main range/zone of Corbett for good tiger sightings is the Dhikala range. The huge grassland area & river increase penetration in the forest, which yields good sightings with habitat.

Corbett is a lush green forest where you cannot peep beyond 10 meters. There are limited rooms available in any range for an overnight stay. Nowadays, foreigners booking in Dhikala for 04 rooms open 90 days prior to the safari visit. For rest FRHs, the booking opens 45 days prior to the visit date.

Mr. Eliezer was flexible with the dates. One room was available for two nights. We quickly got the booking done. Finally, the trip was made for 04 nights (02 nights in Dhikala & 02 nights outside the park).

03 May 25 – Delhi to Corbett & Afternoon Safari (Garjiya / Bijrani)

  • After breakfast in the Delhi hotel, Mahipal started driving Mr. Eliezer & his son to the Corbett hotel. It took almost 05 hrs.
  • After a quick check-in & lunch, the first safari was ready.
  • This day our zone was Bijrani.

This safari guide, Sanjay, did try for tigers, but no success, but other wildlife like deer, monkeys, and different species of birds were seen.

04 May 25 – Durga Devi & Jhirna Safaris

Morning Safari – Durga Devi Zone

This is one of the beautiful zones of Corbett. Safari in this zone gives you the feeling of a mountain forest/Tarai Forest. Clear water in small rivers gives you a feeling of being closer to nature. Good zone for tigers, leopards, and wildlife.​

We missed our tiger sightings by a few minutes. Besides the Dhikala zone, it is very hard for all jeeps in a zone to see tigers during safari due intense, thick forest. Even wild elephants were not spotted due high temperature, as they tend to move riverside. Tuskers need big rivers & bamboo to survive.

Afternoon Safari – Jhirna Zone

This was our last safari in Corbett, as from the next day we were going to Dhikala for a two-night stay. As both father and son were interested in birdwatching, Sanjay used the time to increase the bird list.

This safari was again without any luck for tigers, but we were able to see wild elephants, for which Corbett is famous.

05 May 25 – Entry into Dhikala Range

Morning – Relax & Transfer to Dhikala

This day the morning half was kept free to relax, as after we were going to stay in Dhikala guest house for 02 nights.

After breakfast in the hotel, we started driving to the Dhikala zone around 11:00 am. The Dhikala FRH is about 35 km from the main gate. It takes approx. 01:30 hrs. to reach the main campus.

This is no doubt a lifetime experience for wildlife enthusiasts. Rooms are basic with no AC, but you stay in the core zone with tigers.

After reaching the Hutment room, we had lunch in the canteen. After that ready for your first safari in the Dhikala range.

Afternoon Safari – Dhikala Zone

Our first safari in the Dhikala range gave us our first tiger sightings. We saw one cub of the Sambhar Road female tigress.

Beside the tiger, many groups of Tushkars were seen in the Ramganga River. Crocodiles were also seen.​​

06 May 25 – Dhikala Double Safaris

Morning Safari – Dhikala

As we had sighted one cub of Sambhar Road Female, we focused on tracing her mother & other cub. Both cubs are around 01 year old.

We were able to see both cubs from some distance behind bushes. As their mother was not with them, they did not come too close to the jeeps.

Afternoon Safari – Dhikala

After seeing two cubs in the morning, we tried to find their mother but did not succeed. Perhaps their mother took them to another location in her territory.

07 May 25 – Last Dhikala Safari & Paar Wali Family

Morning Safari – Dhikala Zone

This was our last safari in the Dhikala zone, so we tried to locate the Paar Wali tigress (on the other side of the river). This tigress is the most famous tigress of this zone & has three subadult cubs (cubs above 15 months).

After checking her territory & waiting patiently, we were able to see the whole family very close to our jeep. The best sighting on the last safari.

Sightings Summary – Mammals & Birds

During the trip, all four deer species found in Corbett—cheetal, sambhar, barking deer, and hog deer—wild boars, rhesus monkeys, black-faced monkeys, loads of elephants, and 7 tigers were spotted.

The following birds were also seen:

  • Great slaty woodpecker, black-rumped flameback woodpecker, Indian scops owl, grey hornbill, great hornbill, Indian pitta
  • Orange-headed ground thrush, white-rumped shama
  • Changeable hawk-eagle, crested serpent eagle
  • Common myna, jungle myna, grey-headed myna, dollarbird, spangled drongo, blue whistling thrush, red-vented bulbul, pied bushchat
  • Common kingfisher, white-throated kingfisher, peacock, red junglefowl, Khaleej pheasant, black francolin
  • Little egret, river tern, crested kingfisher, lesser pied kingfisher
  • Plum-headed parakeet, red-breasted parakeet, rose-ringed parakeet
  • Long-tailed shrike, greater coucal, Pallas’s fish eagle, lesser fish eagle, spotted dove, etc.

Suggestion for Future Visitors

If you are going to Corbett for tigers, birding, and tuskers, then a Dhikala night stay permit is a must. Beside Dhikala Main Campus, one can stay in Garal & Sarpdulli Guest House. These two locations are 10-15 km from the main campus, & all safari areas/roads can be done.

If you are unable to get a permit for Dhikala, then take other parks like Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, or Panna National Park. In winters you can see elephants in Jhirna, Dhela, and Durga Devi zones, but spotting tigers is tough in these zones.

Overview

Mr. Eliezer Yardeni, a seasoned wildlife enthusiast from Israel, contacted us to arrange a visit to Jim Corbett National Park. Having previously explored parks in South India, this was his first venture into North Indian wildlife reserves. His decision to spend four nights—two inside the Dhikala range and two in a hotel outside the park—reflected a clear interest in a deep wildlife experience, particularly tiger sightings and birdwatching.

Jim Corbett is unique in its forest rest house (FRH) accommodation system, with limited rooms available inside core zones like Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, and Dhela. Dhikala remains the prime zone for tiger sightings, thanks to its expansive grasslands and riverine landscape, offering unmatched visibility.

Closing Thoughts

This Corbett trip delivered a memorable wildlife experience, especially within the Dhikala core zone. From elusive tigers to rich birdlife and majestic elephants, Mr. Eliezer and his son Erez had a fulfilling and photograph-worthy adventure, with the final safari providing the perfect climax.