IORA, The Retreat at Kaziranga offers luxury in the wilderness; (right) The Retreat’s in-house restaurant offers sumptuous traditional Assamese fare

So there I was, staring straight into the eyes of a rather livid pachyderm. All I could hear was the rustling of leaves in the soft breeze and countless croaking crickets. Looking back, I think the huge animal could hear my heart pounding against my ribcage.

Suddenly, she began to move towards us, first in a walk, then in a menacing slow run. Kushal, my guide, snapped orders to drive away immediately. The whole scene, played out in a matter of breathless minutes, seemed to stretch into hours before we were out of the clutch of danger.

I was on a jeep safari in Kaziranga, Assam’s famous national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’d arrived a day earlier, both nervous and excited, especially at the prospect of catching a glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tiger in the wild.

Kaziranga is known best for being home to the largest population of one-horned rhinos in the world. But wildlife enthusiasts can also expect to encounter elephants, wild Asiatic water buffaloes, deer, wild boars and Big Cats. Kaziranga boasts of a huge variety of fish, turtles, snakes and nearly 500 species of largely migratory birds too. You’ll be sure to catch sight of some endangered animals like the one-horned rhino and sambhar and birds including different species of geese, kingfishers, hornbills, eagles and pigeons. The park, with its high density of tigers, was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.

(From top ) A jeep safari into the Kaziranga reserve is imperative for wildlife enthusiasts; a mahout shares a playful moment with his elephant; a watchtower overlooks the Jia Bhoroli River at Prashanti Cottages

As I landed in Guwahati’s airport and zoomed towards Kaziranga, a five-hour drive away, I was taken aback at the complete lack of green around — a far cry from the Assam I had imagined. With the construction of a highway underway, deforestation had robbed the place of its lush charm and I drove through clouds of dust for most of the way.

The scenery changed as we approached Kaziranga, and I suddenly found myself surrounded by a burst of green. A tree fallen by the roadside marked the beginning of Kaziranga, where I put up at IORA, The Retreat, a privately run enterprise.

IORA, located a couple of kilometres away from the Kaziranga Central Range, is a luxurious haven for all those who want to soak in the wilderness in style. Barely two years old, it has played host to the Princess of Thailand, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. My first day ended here with me being lulled to sleep by the dull beat of drums and lilting voices singing into the night in nearby villages.

At 6am the next day I was off to the Bagori or Western Range for an elephant safari. My ride was Kalpana, a rather gentle elephant, and as we swayed into the forest, we were joined by Raibahadur, a majestic one-tusker (which are rare and believed by some to be an incarnation of Lord Ganesh). Perched high up on a wooden seat, we made our way into the heart of Bagori, with Kushal, my guide and a mahout.

Soon enough, I spotted a grazing one-horned rhino, and as Kalpana sauntered deeper into the forest, there were others ambling about peacefully. A large number of hog deer flitted in and out of the tall grass, and I even spotted wild boars and a baby rhino gambolling about.

Thoroughly rejuvenated by the fresh morning air, I headed to Assam’s only rural business hub after the safari. This weaving establishment produces clothing in cotton and silk and soon I was the proud owner of a red muga mekhla chadar, the traditional Assamese attire.

After breakfast, I headed to Camp Rhino, an eco-friendly property in Kaziranga for lunch. Sitting in a large dining hall, Deep, the owner and Rinku, a naturalist, treated me to bits of Kaziranga trivia, while I munched on a simple but delicious fare.

In the afternoon, I took off for a jeep safari into the Kohora or Central Range. Within minutes of driving in, I spotted a huge herd of swamp deer at a short distance. Many birds and more deer crossed our path as we drove on, and soon I saw a Bengal monitor lizard, water buffaloes, pelicans, storks, turtles and a family of dusky eagle owls.

As we approached a particularly dense part of the jungle, I saw scratch marks on trees left by tigers marking their territory. The subsequent run-in with a pair of angry female elephants (one of which chased us for a bit before retreating at the sight of other vehicles, while the other was poised to charge on the other side of the path) shook me up. And Kushal, tongue-firmly-in-cheek, said: “Darr nahi lagega toh wildlife kaise hoga?” (“If you aren’t a bit scared, how will you experience wildlife?’’)

A huge Assamese platter topped the eventful day. I dug into some delicious aloo pithika (mashed potatoes), smoked chicken junglee masala, xaak bhaaji (a vegetarian dish) and sticky rice with duck curry. It was rounded off with a soul-satisfying dessert of green tea tiramisu.

Next morning, I set off for Bhalukpong, a small town on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border and my final destination. Bhaluk-pong’s claim to fame is as the interim point between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Prashanti Cottages, an Assam Tourism property managed by IORA, was my home for the day.

Here I was treated to yet another high — a rafting trip down the Jia Bhoroli River that flows into Assam from Arunachal Pradesh. Snaking its way through the Nameri Forest Reserve, the river is a favourite angling site for the Golden Mahseer.

Sitting on wooden boards placed across the raft, I bobbed up and down the river, hitting a few tame rapids along the way. I hoped fervently for a glimpse of a tiger (Nameri is also a Tiger Reserve) or a Black Panther, but in vain. However, the cruise down the river was charming, with beautiful landscapes and pristine river beaches at every turn.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, I wished I could stay a little bit longer, if only to sit on the banks of the Jia Bhoroli and watch it flow past; if only, for that tremendous rush of adrenaline that fills the senses when you step into the wild.

Ready reckoner

Getting there: There are daily flights from Delhi and Calcutta to Guwahati. Kaziranga is a 5-hour-drive from there. Alternately, you could also take a train to Guwahati.

Staying there: Check out IORA, The Retreat at Kaziranga. Tariff ranges between Rs 3,900 (for a double deluxe room) and Rs 9,500 (for a suite).

Photographs by author