Celebrate this New Year in the Wild

The idea of a New Year, with 12 brand new months is always exciting. Perhaps that is why we celebrate the arrival of a New Year with partying, fine dining or in some cases with bizarre customs like wearing colorful underpants and stuffing our faces with grapes! You always want to do something different, something even more invigorating than the last New Year’s Eve party to make this one special.

Here's an idea. Make this year’s celebrations stand out with a trip to a national reserve or a wildlife sanctuary. What better way to wake up than to the sounds of birds chirping and an elephant roaring on the first day of the year.

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the best kept secrets of Kerala is the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary situated just 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, its capital city. Hemmed on one side by the Peppara Dam, this huge national reserve is one of the fastest emerging holiday spots in the state and offers endless wildlife sighting opportunities to the adventurous holiday maker. The sanctuary’s rich biodiversity is supported by its dense forest cover comprising beautiful trees like Kindal, Malabar Kino and the elegant Cotton Tree. Make this your New Year vacation destination for a chance to catch a glimpse of the elegant big cats like leopards, the energetic Nilgiri Langur and the not-so-energetic Sloth Bear.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

Fly in to either New Delhi or Lucknow and drive down to the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve to feast your eyes on the majestic, near – endangered Royal Bengal Tiger. Celebrating New Year’s Eve at Dudhwa will surely be memorable, With elephant safaris to hunt around for just a glimpse of the awe inspiring big cat, or super-cute but deadly rhinos (yes, there are rhinos at Dudhwa!) and a host of nimble footed Sambhars and tribes of Hog Deer. Dudhwa tiger reserve is also famous for its 300 plus species of birds and the famed Barasingha. You could stay at one of the two resorts within the thick forest or at a hotel in the adjoining town of Palia.

Keibul Lamjao National Park

The Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur is truly a gem in India’s cache of wildlife reserves. Far from your average, run of the mill wildlife sanctuaries, this is the only one in the world that floats on water! Get on the next flight to Imphal and drive down to Bishnupur where the park is located. Home to the famous Dancing Deer aka Sangai, the park is also accessible by rail at Dimapur. While here, take a boat trip on the Loktak Lake and watch out for migratory birds and playful otters.

Gir National Park

Home to the majestic and once endangered Asiatic Lion, this 1400 sq km park is the last refuge of the beast. There are around 411 lions in Gir National Park, coexisting with Maldharis, the traditional herdsmen. The otherwise dry Gir forest is best after monsoon, when the thick undergrowth makes it comfortable for the pride of lions to move, but challenging for tourists. There are enough jeeps and elephant safaris to take you around the sanctuary! Visit the Kankai Mata hot springs, which is located within the boundaries of the park. The Gir National Park attracts over 65,000 visitors each year. 

Bird lovers can visit the Nalsarovar Lake and Sanctuary, which is home to various species of water-birds. 

So, do you hear the call of the wild this New Year day? We are all ears!