Hippos, tigers and kebabs

I travel to Lucknow, a place I had never been before, but had heard a lot of. I was curious but would not get to know it until later. After arriving I immediately travel to the area of Dudhwa N.P.

  where I stay three nights at the Jaagir Lodge. Nature experience is on the program, always devoted to me. I’m looking forward to it. The route by road takes about five hours and the roads are fine. Apparently, it’s the harvest time for sugar cane. There are long traffic jams of trucks and tractors waiting with their cargo at the factories. Watermelons are also sold in many places along the way.

After a rather exhausting journey, the arrival at Jaagir Lodge

is   a breath of fresh air. I’m the only guest apparently, so get all the service and attention. I’m going to let it get over me in this lovely place. In the afternoon I make a plan with the nature guide for the next few days. Although nature is not guided, I hope to spot many animals and birds. We’re going to see. What is certain is that I will be intensive days with getting up early so after a short but delicious dinner go to bed, because at half past four I wake up. There’s a knock on the door at 3:30. Personal butler Chaidresh stands there with a pot of tea and wishes me a good morning. In the open jeep I travel with the nature guide in the dark to Dudhwa N.P.,where we need to be as early as possible to be assured of a place on one of the elephants. The route to the park runs through many villages and it amazes me how many people are already out and about, after all, it is only 5 o’clock in the morning! The guide explains that at this very hot time of year people don’t go for a walk during the day, but in the early morning, often before breakfast. It is a very special sight whole families on the road during night hours but understand I do it, during the day it is impossible at those high temperatures.

On arrival in Dudhwa we are registered and when the park opens we drive in towards the place where the elephants are saddled. Together with the nature guide I take a seat behind the mahout. Seeing the rhino is currently in Dudhwa N.P. only possible on the back of an elephant. The rhino project started in 1984. From Kaziranga N.P. and the Nepalese Chitwan N.P. rhinos were brought to this park, a reintroduction. The beginning was disappointing, with the kaziranga rhinos in particular having difficulty with the food and some of them dying. More rhinos were then removed from Nepal and the population is now growing steadily and now stands at about 25.

Remains a special face, this huge animal. Even after I saw quite a few in Chitwan N.P. in Nepal last year. The trip on the back of an elephant takes about 1-1.5 hours and after that we enjoy the breakfast brought with us. Then a trip by jeep through the park, especially in search of wild elephants. We’re not lucky. Just before we arrive, they moved into the bush and they don’t show up anymore. However nature is beautiful and we see many birds including the imposing greater hornbill.

Back to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon on the way to the Kishanpur game reserve which is about an hour’s drive from the lodge. The entrance to the park is near a village and here I transfer in the safari vehicle, also someone from nature management travels with me. Kishanpur is relatively small, namely 225 square kilometres. The nature guide had told me earlier that many tigers had been spotted in recent days, i.e. two tigers, a mother and her daughter. We drive into the park and after two minutes we see a number of vehicles standing. We drive there and yes: on a small hill near a so-called ‘waterhole’ lies a tigress apparently to recover from the heat and in a good place to keep an eye on everything and everyone. What is and remains special to see this endangered animal and therefore with so few people around it. It’s not my first time seeing tigers. In several parks in Maddhya Pradesh and even in Ranthambore N.P. I have been allowed to spot tigers but it is and always will be an unforgettable moment.

The next day nature experience is also on the program. We set off very early to Katharniaghat N.P.,a drive of about 3 hours from the lodge. It’s bad because we can still take a boat trip on the Girva River. Due to work on the dam, this was not possible in recent days. We frequently spot the gaviaal,a crocodile with a very specific snout. We also see several storks including the painted stork. Years ago I saw hundreds of them in Kheoladeo Ghana N.P. near Agra where they breed in large numbers. Unfortunately, I don’t see any river dolphinduring the trip. They are already very rare and also very difficult to spot. After the boat trip we transfer into the vehicle with which we drive a route through the national park. This park is very different from other parks, it seems more like partly driving through connected meadows, also tree plantations. The good thing is that you have a very good view of the wildlife that for us is limited to many axis deer and wild pigs. On the way to the exit we suddenly hear the alarm call of a monkey. The guide points to the left and yes swimming in the water to the other side a tiger. We are all overwhelmed by this sight, even the nature guide who tells us that this is really special. The visit was already special, with this nature experience all the way. It is with pain in my heart that I travel to Lucknow the next day and leave the parks behind me. However, in Lucknow A new adventure awaits me.

Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. This state includes Agra, which is only a four-hour drive from Lucknow. Prime Minister Modi of India has ensured that the cities can now be combined via a perfect highway. As beautiful as the Taj Mahal in Agra, I’m not going to travel there this time. I stay in Lucknow myself and explore the city with a guide. Despite the scorching heat (43 degrees) I get a good picture of the city and its interesting history of nawabs, the former rulers of this part of India. The city looks neat and you can see that this is where the state parliament is located. Fine bypass, good airport, metro in construction, relatively clean and lots of new modern buildings.. Lucknow exudes a positive vibe. The fact remains that for us the historical aspect of Lucknow is the most interesting. The Bara Imambara is beautiful. Also interesting is the story of the British who were surrounded for a long time in their so-called Residency. There are still some ruins, but the story of all the suffering that has taken place can almost be felt as you walk through it.

In the afternoon I take part in the so-called heritage walk, a walk through the old town that consists of narrow streets with lots of shops and eateries. After this tour I meet the guide who introduces me to the renowned Lucknow cuisinein various restaurants. I taste dishes like kebabs, biryani and kulcha (kind naan). I enjoy it, both the food and the authentic and lively atmosphere in which everything takes place. India at its feet. In the spice shop I buy some kebab mixes for the culinary trips at home. I enjoyed Lucknow which is strategically easy to visit in conjunction with Agra and Varanasi. As a bonus, the opportunity to do nature experience. Why on earth do so few tourists come here?

From Lucknow I travel back to Delhi. I’ve been to this metropolis many times and yet she knows how to surprise me every time. This time I’m going on a bike tour with DelhiByCycle. I see in the newspaper that Prime Minister Mark Rutte did the same tour two days earlier. The organization DelhiByCycle was set up by a Dutchman, the bikes are orange and the bike basket blue, sponsored by KLM I suspect. Early from the feathers I leave for the starting point of the bike ride. After a short explanation we leave through the often narrow streets. The city wakes up, it’s not overpressure yet, sometimes a cow has to be dodged. It is quite special that in such a busy city you can ride around by bike. After a delicious Indian chai (tea) break we continue. We stop at the spice market and we go all the way up the roof. So you have a nice view about the trade that is being driven there. The tour ends with breakfast in a local restaurant, it tastes good!

The rest of the time in Delhi I still inspect a number of hotels including Oberoi Delhi which reopened after almost two years of renovation at the beginning of this year. I saw it years ago in ‘old’ condition and am amazed at the difference. What a beautiful modern hotel where all facets have been meticulously considered. Very, very beautiful.

Another top hotel I visit is the Leela Palace. Maybe for some travellers over the top but who doesn’t want to stay in a hotel that looks like a museum with its thousands of pieces of art? You’ll even be guided around here by a guide through all that beauty. Bling bling but in superlative I call it. Even a hotel can be breathtakingly beautiful I realize here.

With all these travel experiences, I’m getting on the plane home. Jet Airways will bring me back to Amsterdam safely and neatly in time.