Vanghat- Forest on foot

22nd April (Thurs) – 25th April (Sun)

About the expedition

There is no better way to truly experience the forest than by walking through it. One will often see and learn more on 100m of a trail than on a 2-hour game drive. Exploring tiger-rich Jim Corbett National Park on foot is forbidden. However, as Vanghat is  situated with in the Corbett Tiger Reserve and are a buffer zone to the national park, we offer expertly guided treks around in an equally stunning and species-rich environment.

Who should Join this expedition?

Nature doesn’t discriminate whether you are a photographer, wildlife enthusiast, explorer, or someone who wants to experience life in the lap of mother earth.

We need moderate physical fitness for this adventuresome expedition.

Why you should join this expedition?

On foot, your senses are heightened in the wilderness, and will take in far more of your surroundings, from noticing lizards scuttle out of your path to the myriad of birdcalls and rustling in the undergrowth. Accompanied by a keen tracker, you will learn to identify species by their sounds, their footprints, and the evidence left in their wake, such as a tiger’s scratch markings on trees, a wild boar’s earthen excavations, or the aftermath of an elephant’s browsing on plant life.

Compared to exploring in a 4×4, you may see fewer large mammals, but nothing quite tops the thrill of seeing wildlife on foot, and it is not unusual for safari-goers to find themselves sharing the landscape with deer, elephants, and occasionally, big cats.

There are a number of walking trails from the lodge, varying in difficulty, such as routes into the hills that surround us or along the river where numerous pug marks can often be seen. With new routes being added and the landscape changing with the seasons, no walk is ever the same; the unique draw of the forest can be strongly felt at Vanghat.

What is this expedition all about ?

On the northern fringes of the famed Corbett Tiger Reserve, on the banks of the Ramganga Reserve, the wildlife -rich community forests near Vanghat lodge offer the finest walking safari experience in the western Himalayan foothills. Expert local lodge guides are fine trackers and bird experts. Riverine forests along the Ramganga offer sightings of Otters, Ghoral and Serow mountain goats, as well as Barking Deer and Sambhar. About 50 species of birds of prey indicate the rich bird life of the valley – raptors like the Lesser Fish Eagle, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Mountain Hawk Eagle are commonly sighted. Great Hornbills are often heard and seen above the valley. The presence of Tigers, Leopards & Asian Elephants adds great adventure to this walking nature excursion.

WHY VANGHAT: 

• EXPERIENCING THE DARKNESS OF THE FOREST
• LISTENING TO NATURE’S MUSIC
• MOBILE AND WI-FI FREE ZONE
• CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION
• USING NATURAL SPRING WATER
• WANDER WITHOUT WHEELS

We are taking COVID-19 safety precautions

• Please carry your mask and maintain social distancing

Disclaimer

Vanghat don’t serve gourmet meals, have no air-conditioning, no manicured lawns. Vanghat abounds in native trees and elephant grasses.

During the summer months, the cool, blue water of the Ramganga River substitutes any infinity pool. All our dwellings have fans electric lights, conducive to allow you to catch up with your reading. Just outside on the pathway candles and solar lanterns are extinguished once guests have turned in, and then Vanghat returns to the ones it truly belongs to, the wildlife. We live and promote the philosophy of ‘smart minimalism’.

We coexist with nature and our immediate vicinity is host to wild elephants, tigers, leopards, scorpions, spiders, and even the King Cobra. The safety of our guests and our wildlife is most important to us. At night an electric fence protects you both from each other!”

Please note that Vanghat is an absolute ‘No’, if you are seeking conventional hospitality.