India’s first Voco Hotel in Jim Corbett offers little surprises beyond the tiger trail

There is more than tiger trail in Jim Corbett. Stay with Voco Jim Corbett and escape for a scenic drive to Bhaunkhal , a hidden gem 35 km from Dhikuli for a party on the cliff.

Imagine dropping tigers off your itinerary when in Jim Corbett and opting for a 35 km drive up to Bhaunkhal, a scenic spot in the ghat section in Almora district. Believe me, you will not regret it!

It is a rare pleasure when your day begins and ends in the beauty of Nature, and you realise there is more than the tiger trail in Ramnagar district of Uttarakhand.

But first an honesty alert: In my five trips in the last two decades to Ramnagar forests, a gateway to the Corbett National Park, during the summers months when tiger sightings peak, the majestic cats have always eluded me. I have returned only with stories of tigers spotted by others and the sighting of pug marks and carcasses.

In this part of the State it is said that you got to be lucky to catch a glimpse of the big cat in Jim Corbett.

So this time around, when the invitation came from India’s first Voco Hotel in Jim Corbett, my objective was to do everything but chase tigers inside the sanctuary. Even the rain gods approved the plan as the skies opened up and the national park was closed!

But come rain or shine, the Voco Jim Corbett, the newly launched upscale brand from the IHG Hotels & Resorts, has a party laid out on a cliff. It is a dramatic, not-to-be missed spot, assures general manager Suprabhath Roy Chowdhury, as we hit the road even though the mountains looked ominous under the ebony clouds. The slow drive through the forest and fog was both eerie and magical, like an unending romance of the sky and the earth celebrating with showers, and the trees dancing to the whisper of the cold breeze.

The table-top cliff gives a mesmerising view of the valley, water body and the surrounding mountains. Under picnic umbrellas, the hotel staff enthusiastically served steaming bowls of noodles along with pakodas and tea. Snacks never tasted this good!