Holidaying is not as much about the journey as it is about the destination – goes an old dictum. How very true! We, (my wife, daughter and I) are veterans at Orange County, Kabini. Yet, a suggestion to go on a wildlife holiday by friends, was reason enough for me to reach for my phone, block our cottages at Orange County, Kabini  and pack our outdoor and photo gear for another 3-night memorable holiday – yet another time.

As we drove into the resort, the location left my friends and their families breathless. They were spellbound right through the evening, with the tribal welcome, settling into the cottages, the wonderful food and mystical evening programs.

Yet, the best was in store for us the next morning.  A mystical sunrise set the tone for an amazing Boat Safari, where the sky was a collage of birds of different colours. The air resounded with shrieks, chirps, calls and songs.

A Western Reef Egret at Orange County, Kabini.

Some rare sightings included those of the cute Pratincole on the banks, and the fiery Osprey, which ‘dive-bombed’ a fish right in front of our eyes with her powerful talons. Apparently, we were also the first to sight the Grey Lapwing at Kabini (as per our Naturalist). These were the highlights of the morning, apart from regulars like Darters, Waders, Wooly-necks, Terns, Whistling ducks and so on. A lone Reef Egret, an unusual visitor to Kabini, was another rare sighting in the morning.

The Jeep Safari was the crowning glory. Apart from herds of Gaur, Elephants, Wild Dogs, Deer, Sambar, and Langurs which are normally sighted, the highlight of the safari was spotted on the way back to the resort. The park was to close by 6:30 PM and the light was fading. I had packed my long telephotos, tripods and other photo gear for the day.  Then, something fascinating happened.  Ashwat, my friend’s 12 year-old son, screamed “Leopard”, and the jeep screeched to a halt. There lay the magnificent beast, just 20 feet off the track, staring intently at the bushes, at what was possibly his mate, who was partially hidden by the bushes.  He was hardly bothered about us, and was intently focused on his mate, giving me ample time to unpack my photo gear, load my lens, mount my tripods and go bersek and shutter happy for the next 20 minutes, before the light began to fade and the driver had his 6:30 PM deadline to meet.

A Leopard Sighted at Orange County, Kabini.

Despite several visits, this place continues (and will continue) to cast its mystical charm. The service, the hospitality, the great food, and the amazing ambience, continue to provide us that magnificent experience, transporting us to an entirely new world; a world, where the bustle of the city seems a distant nightmare, a world where screeching tyres and honking monsters give way to soft chirps and soothing bird songs, where acrid smoke and exhaust fumes are replaced by the fragrance of wild flowers and water lilies, and where, amongst wonderful solace –Time Stands Still!

Rajan Kanagasabai

An ardent Environmentalist and an avid wildlife Photographer, Rajan is a prominent member of leading Environmental, Wildlife and Photography organizations. His works have been featured on several travel magazines. A frequent visitor to Orange County, Kabini and Coorg, Rajan specializes in Wildlife and Bird Photography. Possessing over 23 years of experience working in the IT Industry, Rajan holds a senior management position at one of India's top IT companies. Rajan has reviewed a number of global resorts for several leading travel journals and blogs and is also a Destination Expert for the renowned Trip Advisor travel forum.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 4:55 pm and is filed under Birds, Carnivore, Herbivores, Mammal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.