Jim Corbett National Park

Relying on the punctuality of an Indian airline is not usually a good idea, but, just in time, we were rewarded and made our overnight train from Delhi to Ramnagar in a mad dash (but the train was delayed anyhow;) Jim Corbett has an interesting story as well - a hunter turned conservationist who had to bag some man-eating lions after he hung it up.

We arrived for a heavy breakfast of paratas (fried bread) and chai and set out on safari shortly after. We were thrilled to find scores of deer and monkeys. By the end of the trip, we were secretly hoping that a tiger would jump out and eat one. We did not see any tigers but saw a leopard family walking through the bush. We also got to play with a domesticated elephant which was fun. I fed her some crackers - the snout was slimy and firm - eww!

The best part of the trip was getting to know our new friends. We bonded over savory meals, campfires, drinks, hikes, and activities (a small rappelling and zip-line course near the camp). We exchanged unfiltered views on politics and religion and just hung out while enjoying the long weekend.