Kolkata to Gangtok via Pakyong - The Flying Experience

There was the time, even till a few days ago that going to the Gangtok was almost having one full day of travelling. Taking an overnight train/bus to NJP OR a flight to Bagdogra and thereafter a 5-6 hours journey up-hill to gangtok. Once you reach gangtok, you are already exhausted for the day. However, now there is a good news for the tourists who are Sikkim lovers... Guys you can now fly directly to Gangtok!!

On 24th of September 2018 our Honourable PM Mr. Narendra Modi, inaugurated the new airport at Pakyong, Sikkim; adding the Himalayan state to the aviation map of the country. Pakyong, a small city, is only 32 Kms away from Gangtok. The first pubic flight headed from Kolkata, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport to Pakyong Airport, Sikkim on 8th October 2018.  

I took the first flight from Kolkata to Pakyong on 8th October 2018 and there is a very interesting story behind how I ended up booking the tickets. On 1st September 2018, I was working late night when my partner, in business, called me and mentioned that there is a news, though not very sure that a flight service is to be launched from kolkata to gangtok. It was late 1.30 am when we looked more about it on the internet and then ended up confirming the news and booking the tickets at 2.30 am on 2nd September 2018 directly from the spice jet booking portal. From that very day till I boarded the flight I was very excited to own the experience of the first flight. I told no body about this till the news started becoming viral from around the end of September. The news started spreading like a wild fire and I, since being into the travel business, started getting calls from friends and family about this. Every one has been very inquisitive on this and still have a lot of questions. In this post I will try to provide all relevant information about this new experience and I am sure this will help my fellow travellers and Sikkim Lovers to plan there trip. 

The Airport - Pakyong

Pakyong is a small city in the state capital of Sikkim and is about 32-35 Kms from Gangtok. Pakyong Airpot is greenfield airport and is spread over an area of about 1000 acres (as reported by the officials there). It took almost 9+ years to build the airport and this is one of the five highest airports in India, at about 4500 ft!!

On my discussion with a official in the airport, I realised what Hercules effort has been made to built this small and nicely crafted airport carved from a mountain side. He also mentioned that there has been some excellence and state-of-art structural technologies used to build the airport and ensure its stability at this height and this position.

The airport does not have a very long runway unlike other airports but it does not affect the landing and take off in any way. I was quite comfortable during the landing and take off and did not feel any thing unusual or scary. Unlike Paro airport it does not have closely walled mountains. This airport is in a solitary peak and it has got a very clear sky and space for the flight to drift and does not scare a passenger in any way when he/she looks out of the window.

The airport presently does not have any cafeteria though a Cafeteria location is dedicated to open soon in the parking area. However, there is a small outlet in the airport where you will get muffins, pastries, tea and coffee. Do not expect full course meals or variety of platters in the airport as of now.

To add to the experience, the landing is a great experience compared to conventional flights taken. Further the moment you step out of the plane after landing, the kiss of the cool mountain breeze and the whole ambience of the airport must win your heart....

The Flight (from CCU)

The flight which flies now is a Spice Jet Bombardier, a 70 seater (two rows with double seating). The flight fares are 2600 one way onwards however based on demand the prices may raise. For an instance, when I booked the tickets I got it at Rs. 2600. However on 8th October morning I checked the fares were about Rs. 12,000 !! This month the rates scheduled are as high as Rs. 14,000 in mid of October and by end of November the rates are lower than Rs. 3000. So, if you have to plan for the flight trip you have to book well in advance and avoid the peak season times. 

The flight duration is 1 Hr 20 mins. One flight is scheduled each way every day from Monday to Sunday. The same flight comes and goes once a day. The scheduled departure from Kolkata is at 9.30 AM with a scheduled arrival of 10.50 AM at Pakyoung. The scheduled departure from Pakyong is at 11.15 AM and scheduled to arrive kolkata at 12.45 PM. Though the schedule time is on charts for the last 3 days all the flights have been delayed by 2 - 3 hrs. 

On 8th October, when we started our flight departed Kolkata at 11.30 AM and on 10th October when the scheduled flight from Pakyong which was at 11.15 AM, started at 2 PM. There are some probable causes for delays to initially happen unless the services stabilise:

• Considering new services
• Frequent and unpredictable bad weather conditions in the hills (especially in the monsoons and winter)
• Small air bus which has its own limitations to risk weather conditions
• Height of the airport makes it more prone to bad weather conditions affect the landing and take off

However, these are unpredictable circumstances and this in any way should not pull back the beautiful initiative. As travellers I am sure we must accommodate and comply with such unforeseen situations and co-operate with the managing team/authority. As a caution, for the first few months I would advice to consider chances of delay and be prepared for situations.   

Pakyong to Gangtok

From pakyong to gangtok is a journey by road. The road condition is mostly good barring a bad road of maximum 2-3 km stretch. Enroute Pakyong to Gangtok via Ranipol which is 21 Kms from pakyong. The ideal time from Pakyong to Gangtok is 1 Hrs 25 mins covering 35 kms for the total route. However, please note that presently there is some road work is going on at some parts of the gangtok and hence the pressure on Ranipol is huge. Traffic is very congested and you can have a wait time as high as 2 hours. Also, during the peak tourist seasons, heavy traffic is highly expected and so during those times too, you may encounter longer waiting time in traffic. 

Tourists availing the flight for the next 3-4 months are advised to carry some dry/packed food with them so that while on the way to Gangtok from airport. However, you are also open to wait at any local food stall at or before Ranipol and get your self topped up. While your way back from Gangok to Ranipol, the same applies.

Also note that, on your way to Pakyong, once you cross Ranipol, you will not get many restaurants or local food stalls as of now. So whatever food you need to have you have to take it either from Gangtok or from Ranipol. Since the return flight is at the mid day with with chances of the flight to get delayed, you may have to skip lunch. So get yourself a heavy breakfast when you start from Gangtok and cary some dry or packed food as a back up. 

Since, Pakyong did not seem to have a tourist footfall before, the city is more localised with more shops and local residents and not many hotels or restaurants. However, we have seen many newly painted shutters down in buildings near to the airport drive way which implies that shortly we can expect Pakyong to be enabled to address the tourist needs and may be some good lodging facilities can also be expected by the next year. 

I have not explored the surrounding area of Pakyong, but I am sure that there would be some more good tourists spots and sightseeing places expected to pop up with this area being open to frequent tourist invasion now. However, two things which I have noticed or have been acknowledged during my conversation with the driver of my vehicle,  

• There is a forest check post in Pakyong and the area is good for bird sighting. 
• There is a Saramsa Garden, (which I did not visit) in Pakyong. 

Transportation from Pakyong to Gangtok

The airport has a big parking lot and Taxi Stand. So whenever, your flight lands at Pakyong, you will find enough taxi waiting at the parking lot. The taxi rates from Pakyong to Gangtok is approximately Rs. 1500 - Rs. 1800 for an SUV and for smaller cars Rs.1200 - Rs.1500. The drivers may end up asking more but you will have to negotiate. 

There is also a bus service from airport to gangtok. These are Govt busses and have AC luxury coach and tickets cost Rs. 70 per person. Presently there is only one 30 seater (approx) bus available, so if you want to avail the bus you will have to be fast in checking out and grab your seats for the bus. The Bus does not wait for long after the flight lands. 

The Flying Experience

The overall flying experience is great, I was probably more excited in taking the first flight to the place. The air bus is a smaller one so you will feel the slight turbulences flying through the air pockets. I believe that this initiative is about to bring a surge in the tourist footfall at Sikkim. Once the system stabilises and there is more influx of tourists through the air-way the delays shall also be taken care of and you will save on time to travel to gangtok.

I must also mention the landing experience. In normal flights you will have the feel of the plane going down to land, but here the plane lands on a mountain and the landing is just like a table landing. You will not feel the plane going down before landing and it more of a abrupt landing. I loved this part. When flying, if the sky is clear you also can be lucky enough to see the beautiful Himalayan range from your window. 

I have also analysed the impact on the cost of travel from kolkata by road via NJP vs by flight through Pakyong. You hardly end up spending Rs.3000 - Rs.4000 extra, if you can get the tickets at a lower price of Rs.2600 - Rs.3000. However, considering the experience and the time you save on the journey, I believe it is worth betting on the extra penny spent. 

To Conclude

It has been a very nice addition to the tourism over all with a great experience. The airport, for the start is very well decorated and the nature sits all around the airport with a amazing view for your eyes.

I thank and appreciate the Sikkim Govt for the initiative and especially the Honourable Cheif Minister Mr. Pawan Kr Chamling  for such a initiative. We expect the system to be more stabilised with less of flight delays and with better arrangements to enroute Pakyong-Gangtok, so that the tourists incur lesser time to drive to Gangtok. Even for people going to other sides of Sikkim, having good road connects will encourage them to avail the flight than the NJP route. 

So friends, I will strongly recommend every one to once avail the flight and feel the experience yourself. If you have any queries further please comment on my blog and I will revert with the possible answers to the best of my knowledge. 

Note: All the pictures are taken by me on my iPhone and uploaded with no edits...

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How do you plan your Forest Trip?

Ideally for a forest trip you should plan at least 4-5 months earlier. I know people who have their yearly calendars made for forest visits and expeditions. So, the earlier is better. 
The points mentioned below may ideally seem simple but trust me it needs a lot of effort and hard work to drill down to the specifics and set off. The major part depends on the gate chosen. I would subsequently try to explain each one of them in the way I plan my trips… I will always appreciate my fellow travellers commenting on other ways/ideas and tips they have which can help my readers.

There are a couple of things which you should be ready about before you consider yourself ready:

• you should have the route map planned and get your travel tickets done
• You must be clear on what modes of transports needs to be availed till you reach your destination
• Plan for hotels which are nearer to the forest gates
• Make a budget for your trip and allocate most part of the budget for safaris and keep the staying and fooding at basics
• Choose the most appropriate entry gates and book your safari
• prepare your gadgets - Camera and Video
• Make a checklist of things to include in your luggage. (You can check my blog “Forest- Far from the Rest” to plan your luggage.)

Plan the route map

First pick up a place and a forest reserve you intend to visit. In India we have more than 110 National Parks and approximately about 50 Wildlife sanctuaries out of which there are about 45-50 Tiger reserves!! So I am sure picking up a name is not the biggest deal based on what flora and fauna habitat interests you. If you are a tiger lover then you will atleast have 50 names to deal with; out of which anyone can be picked. Once you choose the destination, you have to do some research on how to reach the place. The best way to do is either getting a reference from some one you know who has already been to the place. If you are lucky enough to get one, your relief. If not, you will have to dig your own info out.

• Google search on the place to see the nearest station/ airport
• Visit the official site of the forest or the national park or the wildlife sanctuary to collect further info
• See if you can get some agents who can help you arrange the logistics.
• Get information and budgetary estimates from different sources like logistics vendors, hotels, forums etc...

Once you get all this info, you can now set the time and tenure of the trip, decide on the train/flight to board and also decide on the lead time to reach to the nearest destination to the forests. Usually, in most of the places, you will find that the nearest railway station or the airport is quite far from the main entry zone of the forest, quite obvious being these are far from the core city areas. So now that you have the plan in mind and information in place, start mapping them together.

How to pin your plan for a better execution

For a forest trip, as I always say, plan most of your time and money to avail the safaris. So spend more time in the forest than just leisure...

• First book your train tickets, as they open 4 months ago you will be in a better position to get the tickets when you start planning 4- 5 months ahead. (in some cases it is better recommended to book your safari, if possible, before booking your trip tickets)
• When you book a train/ flight, try book a train/ flight which lands in morning or latest by the afternoon. Once you land you should hurry to reach your destination hotel which must be nearer to the forest entry gates. I do not recommend that you stay nearer to the railway station or the airport as you must be exhausted and then you leave for your final destination next morning. You will unnecessarily waste time in the city. (I have explained below further on how to chose the right gate). 
• Why I emphasise on reaching your near forest destination is because, you will have to arrange a couple of things once you reach the hotel, which i will explain in the subsequent sections.
• In case you do not get the train tickets forget it, you have tatkal, take the immediate next step to book the safaris from the official sites. Rather in some cases, for popular forests, I would recommend you to book the safari first to see the availability and then book the tickets.
• For booking a safari, generally each forest has 2 to max 3 safaris in a day, starting from early morning. Book back to back safaris. At a go for bigger reserves you may not be able to cover 3-4 gates in a mid length trip of 3 Nights. So it does not matter if you visit one gate twice. The probability of sighting increases.
• For safaris take a mix of a canter and gypsy safari...
• Book a vehicle beforehand to pick you up from your drop location and take you to the final destination of your stay. Do not waste time by searching vehicles after you get down. You may assume that taking something after you reach may save your money. But guys it also costs you time!! Moreover, there is not much difference in a pre-book, but what you save is time.

Considerations for Safari Booking

Most of the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have their own websites through which you can book a safari within the jungle. The main skill lies in selecting the gates as most of these have multiple gates. Some of these gates lead to buffer areas and some of these lead to core areas. Core areas generally have better probability of sighting of carnivorous beats and these are more dense and with less human habitat. To select the right gate you will have to do some research and speak to some relevant people to get the right gate. For bigger wildlife parks do not restrict yourself to one gate (like for Tadoba, Ranathambore, Job Corbett etc). For smaller ones you will have only one or two gates which lead to core and rest shall be buffer zones. 

Once you have selected the gates you want to book, check the dates available. In most of these you will find two types of vehicles One a JEEP/Gypsy (which shall accommodate max 6 people) and one a CANTER (which accommodates as high as 15-20 people).

On your left you see the Gypsies and on your right you see the Canter lined up at the Entry Gate

Gypsies are costly but probabilities of sighting with a gypsy is very high. Gypsies can go in narrower parts of the jungle and can travel faster than the canters and offer a better probability of wildlife sighting. With each gypsy the forest authorities allot a driver and a guide who is responsible for taking you through the forest en-route. 

A Canter give you the opportunity to travel with a bigger team, however, they are not as flexible as the gypsies but that does not mean that they are not good. Sighting is also possible in a canter but may be with a bit lesser probability only because of the fact that they are not as faster and flexible. However, we did have sighting in a canter too. So, as mentioned in my earlier post, the sighting is again a matter of luck!!

It is better if after booking the safari you book the train tickets. However, for some forests you may not find the safari booking open at the time of train booking. So, you will have to book your tickets earlier and then have to do the safari booking at the very first instance when the dates open. DO NOT MISS THE FIRST DATE as you may not get the safari booking done on the desired dates then. As I mentioned that you will have to plan on having most number of safaris, involve all members of your team to book different safaris simultaneously, to have better chance of booking done. Book two safaris in a day back to back with same or alternate zones. 

On the day of the safari, you must reach the booking gate at-least 45mins earlier. On the gate, you will have to produce the booking slip at the counter where the forest authorities shall allot you the vehicle and the guide. Board on the vehicle and get ready to en-route!! If you are late in reaching to the gate and the gat closes for entry, then your booking is void, so please do not take the chance and liberty to be late. We have faced this and believe me it feels devastating. 

Planning your Stay

There are many limited areas now where they allow you to stay inside the forest. All such provisions have now been closed down except some in Jim Corbett and Nagzira. So if you want to have the taste and feel of staying amongst the wild, go for these two places. I shall soon be writing on Nagzira which will provide more information to plan you Nagzira try.

For the Rest you will have good resorts and hotels in a vicinity of 5-10 kms from the forest gates. You just need to search and get the booking done in any of these resorts and hotels. Some of the resorts and hotels also have their own safari vehicles, wherever it is so allowed. So even these people can take care of your safari bookings. You may speak at the hotels and they may help you with the safari. 

Madukunj and Latakunj inside Nagzira Forest Reserve Core

In case you are staying inside the forest, fooding is very costly and very basic. Its like, you may have to pay Rs, 80 for an omelette!!. But believe me its worth it. However, wherever you stay just remember to have lighter food and more of water so that you do not end up upsetting your tummy and health over all else you shall jeopardise the entire trip…

Behave inside the Forest

When you are inside the forest, it is very important that you behave yourself.

• DO not throw any waste material or plastic items, packets, edibles etc in the forest
• DO NOT feed wild animals. Like most people I have seen feeding monkeys with biscuits etc. Never do that! It can be detrimental. Even the birds, do not feed them with anything.
• DO NOT shout, scream and chatter too much when on the safari. Your guide shall be keen in listening to forest calls and signs of sighting. The more you make noise you shall distract him and you shall be the one to bear the loss….
• DO NOT get down on the forest floor without the permission of your guide and driver
• DO NOT cary any cooked material in the forest especially ones with a strong smell especially non veg items.
• Carry a lot of water and dry stuffs like cake and buiscuits. Also carry an empty carry bag to throw your trash, which you can further dispose when you come out of the jungle.
• Even if you do not have a sighting of a TIGER, which all of us do expect, do not get disheartened, enjoy the beauty of the forest.

The App which helps you!!

Also for information, I follow a very good app which updates the sighting highlights on a daily basis across all gates and all national parks/sanctuaries is the “WildTrails Recent Sightings”. You may download the app and this will help you to plan your trip in terms of selecting the location and the gates. You can find the sighting history across all national parks and Tiger reserves and it also gives you a sighting index with a separate Tiger Sighting Index, which is amazing. This is the only app, I found till date, which gives you a complete details of sighting of all species and not only tigers. My thanks and kudos to WildTrails Technologies Pvt Ltd for the out-of-box thinking and presenting such a beautiful thing for the forest lovers. I am sure they must be doing a very hard work in mining such data and then presenting it ready to us. Go for it…

Get Set Go.....

Once all planned to set and go, prepare a checklist of things you will need to carry. See my last blog for more details, the link is mentioned below:

http://www.debrajbhattacharyya.com/2018/09/forests-are-far-from-rest.html

Well, do not forget to carry your photography gadgets that you have which may be a good smartphone to a high end camera or handy-cam with a good sizeable power-bank. In case you have dearth of storage in your devices, please cary your laptop too so that when you come to your hotel you may transfer the device dump into your laptop. Do not expect internet in all areas, you may be lucky if you find one. 

Please do comment if you have any queries and in case you need any further details on this. You can even call and WhatsApp me. I will be ready and more than pleased to help….

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Forests are Far from the Rest.....

I have always been a forest lover and the silence of the woods, the fear of being watched, the fresh dwelling air and the cool within the trees have always attracted be. The best part which I like about jungle now-a-days, is the “forced exile” a jungle offers to you. Once you step out of the busy world for a leisure or a passion trip and hope that the 5 inch gadget in your pocket does not call out, does it really works; and at times you cannot even ignore the call and your leisure has the treat to be invaded by stress. But for a jungle, you have my guarantee mates, your phone can be used uninterrupted only as a camera and not a phone any more….till you are inside. Now thats what is the loveliest part I like…

My love for jungle started with Simplipal followed by Kuldiha and that so in the years of 2003-2008, I with my friends have covered almost all gates and spots the excellent tiger reserve had until it got closed due to the maoist turbulences in 2009. As any other human, the basic instinct to a pre forest trip, especially a tiger reserve, was TIGER TIGER TIGER TIGER….. But gradually when I started exploring forests the calmness of the forest, the patience of stalking and the damp earthy smell engulfed me I started being completely mesmerised by the feel. I carried back something new to feel and speak about each time i return from a forest trip.

"There is nothing like the thrill of walking through the jungle looking for a tiger and knowing they could be watching you already."Ashlan Gorse Cousteau

Pic taken in a DSLR (Nikon)

However, late 2007 and henceforth till the year 2014 life took over passion and I was completely no different to the crowd in gearing up myself to match the pace to the weird rat race of the professional and personal space. The passion for forest had not a strong enough pull to keep me away and all my friends of the group had likewise the same status…. We would meet plan and call to revolt but then it was uptill that, none of us could have called to stand to make it happen, circumstantial liabilities became priorities!! From 2016 the journey re-started again with Ranathambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan followed by Sundarbans, Jim Corbett, Tadoba, Nagzira and so on…

I have always felt the statement deeper ......

"Do not call the forest that shelters you - a jungle."

I would want to share my experience of forest expeditions and also help the young forest lovers with some tips and tricks I learned which shall be helpful to shape a better trip and get a better sighting. 

Best time to visit a forest

Generally all forests and national parks are closed down from June to mid of October, in general, due to the monsoons. However, for different places there may be some slight variations in date. So if you plan your trip vis-a-vis to your holiday list, you will have to exclude your puja holidays from this scope. Winters and Summer are two different time suitable for a forest visit. However, each of them has their own pros and cons. I will throw some light upon the same as per my experience. 

WINTERS are comfortable and good for you if you are starting as a amateur. In the winters you will have a pleasant weather. Soft sun rays amongst the dense forest drive ways will not make your trip sweat-drenched. The cool breeze in winter pins through your skin and add more life to the mystery of the jungle. You would need to carry good winter garments and a wind-cheater on top of it is a must. The chances of sighting, agin is a luck….always!! However, early morning safaris, is what I would suggest for winters. The first half of the safari, you experience the dawn emerging in the forest to bring the jungle slowly to life. and in the second half of the trip when the sun is brighter but may be not on top of head, the cold blooded beasts come out to take the first ray of the sun. So your guide may set up stalking probable water sheds and open areas of the jungle where visibility is open ended to some extent and the chances of sighting is prominent. In winters the temperature within the forest may be as low as 10 degrees celsius or even lower especially in the early dawn and nights.

If you are a pro wild life lover and your purpose is photography and getting deep insight on the wildlife, SUMMER is the time for you. Animals tend to gather to the limited water reservoirs and sources to quench their thirst that is when you quench yours’ too, the thirst of spotting and capturing the unseen in the your cameras. In summers you get the scope of watching varied fauna base may be at one or two sighting sites within the jungle. However, though the word of sighting seems to be attractive and pushing, you must remember that the trip is quite rough. It is very hard to persist and carry your self in the scorching heat and humidity. It can be a dreadful experience of your lifetime if you are not very used to with such expeditions. In summer the temperature raises to as high as 45 degree celsius. 

What should you carry when you visit a jungle:

• Lesser clothes and just basics. You wont appreciate if a tiger or an elephant comes near you to appreciate your dressing intel!!
• No bright and shiny colours for your dresses. Deep/moderately deep colours like green, brown, beige, mat blues etc are good to go. Red is big NO!! Even whites should be avoided. GREEN is the BEST. “My favorite color is jungle green. At least, that's what it said on the side of my favorite crayon in first grade. I don't know if it's an official color.” Mike Posner
• Sports shoes, typical sturdy woodlands with high ankles if you are used to them. whatever foot wear that makes to comfortable enough to stay for a long time should be good. Sandals/loafers/hawais etc open wears are a big NO!!
• For winters good winter clothes must be carried and a wind-cheater on top of it is a MUST to save the pinching heat pierce your skin. Also it is important that whatever winter wears you wear wear them on top of your basics. Most people wear thermals below the shirt/T-shirts and later they cannot remove it when the day raises during the trip and it gets a bit hotter. 
• For winters, also carry a face cover, a muffler for your throat OR you can have those smart face ski-mask sort of things. Even if you forget to carry one, you will get these accessories in the locality…or near the gates sometimes. 
• For summers, shoes do not change…dresses as lighter as possible. Something like a very light T Shirt in beige, ash or grey. No deep colours and lesser greens even as they absorb more heat and light. All cotton wears more likely. Carry more T shirts and under wears and less trousers in your luggage. For T-Shirts I always recommend full sleeves…
• Carry a lot of handkerchiefs. I personally recommend the towel ones. Another important thing are the socks. Always use cotton socks with your footwear either winter or summer. Other materials may tend to sweat and carry bad smell…..
• Especially in the summers carry a small back-pack when in safari trip and fill it with one pair of socks, atleast 4-5 handkerchieves and 2 T-shirts as a back up. Also carry a at least 2-3 bottles of water per head or may be more.
• For winters, one bottle of water in the safari trip is good enough to carry. The rest you will all have on you!!
• GLASSES for your eyes are are must. Either Sunglasses or Clear glasses! A Face cover and a CAP is also a must for both summer and winters. 
• Further to this, your gadgets….call for your choice!! Just do not forget to charge them every night and if you have back to back safaris for a day, you may also carry extra batteries or a good power-bank to charge your stuffs. 
• Many tourists and visitors I have seem prefer shorts and knee length capris for forests. Definitely it looks cool but its not safe for beginners and even veterans….we are not bear grills guys, please remember. In a jungle, you never know what happens and how, so you will have to be ready for adverses. So like I said shoes should be comfortable for long spent, similarly dresses too. Comfortable cotton wears are recommended. I personally recommend full sleeves and full trousers which covers most of your body. Jeans are best, i Love being in them, Chinos and cotton multi-pockets also look good and are practical to give you space to carry stuffs. Do not carry formal wears for the jungles. I have seen people coming with those formal trousers and black boots in safari…..I would say a NO to them…
  

Photography & Videography for amateurs:

I am not a or photographer as I am a traveller or a forest lover. It may sound surprising but somehow I am an exception. I always used to think that let me first see it myself, what is the use of capturing it when I am free to come as I wish. But gradually when the frequency of my trips became distant and chances became dim, I realised it would have been wiser to get some pics. Though lately I have started feeling so, I have never got any good device for myself yet. I always use my i-phone and I always have some company with me who has a DSLR!! Have been lucky yet… 

Captured in an i-phone 6s with 3x zoom

There are certain very specific tips you need for a “Wildlife” photography which is quite different from a landscape photography or a portrait photography. I am not the very right person to comment on that, but if you are interested to now more about photography and accessories to carry, I will take that up with some professional and addicted wildlife explorers I know as friends and acquaintances. So please comment and I will get back with specifics.

Captured in Samsung Galaxy note 2

However, as a basic, which I have been using, a good phone with a selfie stick is good if you are lucky enough to get a sighting in a space of 20-30 feet. As a amateur focus on taking videos and not pics. Because once you have a video you can extract pics from that, as the best pick, later using any editing softwares. So as starters, get more of videos. The very important part in a forest, if you want to capture the memories, is when to start the camera and the videos. Posted here are some pics and videos taken from my i-phone which i hope shall give you the idea… However, DSLRs with high zoom and tele-lenses are always pro and best!!

Captured in i-phone 6s

BUT Yes of-course if you are a phone photographer, you need to have the luck to be as nearer as possible....!!! You should be utterly attentive with hands and eyes steady to capture the right click at the right position. 

This picture below is a pic taken in Pench National park and is taken in an iphone 6s in the live photo mode.

An i-Phone live photo which is used to capture further stills. Taken in i-phone 6s

Medical Assistances and Your Medi-Kit:

When we talk of jungles, assume that you will not get any “good” medication facilities within the sheer near vicinity. The immediate aid is first aid. So please carry a medial kit with you. Your medical kits must contain:

• A “PRO” antiseptic cream like BOROLINE
• A bottle of Dettol and good amount of cotton
• Antiacids like Gelusil MPS/Digine and Digestives Enzyme syrups like Carmozymes
• Anti Allergic: Carry strong ones like Avil and also the mid Variants like Levo Ctrizine etc. These are must for insect bites, weather changes etc etc
• PPIs like Pantoprazoles (PAN)/ Es-Omeprazoles (ESOMEZ)/ Omeprazoles (OMEZ) etc etc
• I personally Love to Carry “Pudin Hara” soft Tabs. Beyound their medic offerings, they give you the mint taste and also take you away if you feel sleepy!!
• Band Aids (water proofs)
• Anti Vomitting - Domperidones (Domstal, Domperi etc)
• Anit Inflamatory Drugs for pain reliefs like Ibrufen, Zerodol etc…
• Paracetamol 500 and 650. (Coz you may have a body ache after the safari and especially in winters you may also feel feverish!!)
• Decongestants and Cough Syrups/Tabs like Nasivion Sprays, Ascoril/Solvin Tabs etc for immediate relief for cough and cold.

Further, you are recommended to consult your house physician for advice and guidance to the excat brand and type of medicines. Just remember, you would need to take care of digestion issues, cough and cold, any allergies you have, pains and nausea and vomits. 

IMPORTANT: If you have a dust allergy, please do consult your. physician to take good care and precaution before you step inside. You must have your inhalers and all recommended medications always with you and even in the safari back pack.

The DOs and DONTs:

Your forest guide willl guide you on the DOs and I better be specific on the donts which are most important for cosmopolitan beings…

• NO CIGARETTES inside the jungle. Like for me, being a chain smoker, I use unflavoured VAPEs when inside the jungle.
• No cooked food, raw meat, canned foods etc inside the jungle. Only dry food, nuts, biscuits etc are OK
• Do not throw trash inside the jungle premises bottles, plastic packets, wastes, diapers, sanitary pads etc
• DO NOT GET DOWN FROM YOUR SAFARI GYPSY without the permission from your guide
• Do NOT PEE anywhere in the jungle. The habitants there can a judge smell more stronger than you do!!
• Do not irritate your guide, even if you do not get a sighting. Remember, he is the only hope in there you have and his job is to get you a good spotting. However, always his instincts may not work..
• Do not primarily focus n sighting, make your mind and pre concieve to enjoy the ambiance of the jungle…I assure, you won’t be dissapointed
• Do Not assume that YOU ARE IN A ZOO!! You are in a open jungle and life OR Rather beasts are moving and not captive. So you may not see and notice that you are being watched. So stay absolutely calm and QUIET. NO shouting and noise making….
• Always rely on your guides instincts…it seldom fails….
• Try to book more safari trips and forget leisure and rest…this increases the probability of sighting
• DO NOT FEED wild animals. I have seen people feeding monkeys with biscuits inside the JUNGLE. Don’t do it. You are not in city, these are jungly monkeys and the next visitor who comes in will face a snatch as you have developed a habit in them…
• When you sight, do not make noise and express your enthusiasm, keep it cool

Always remember when you are inside a jungle, you are invading someones home…so you need to abide by their rules and not impose yours. Just think of someone invading your house and levy a set of new rules on you…won’t you kick him out!!

In my next blog I would detail you on what are the other tips and researches which you need to do way ahead before you plan a jungle trip. Any jungle has different gates and entry points which takes you to different zones. As an amateur, your primary insight and interest will be on a good sighting and that needs a bit of research. Keep yourself tuned and follow my next blog for the same……as that in itself is a subject to read and know…..

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