The excitement was at its peak since the time we booked the Hollong Tourist Lodge for a holiday in January this year. I had been on several jungle safaris, but only on jeeps. This time, the very thought of riding a majestic elephant in a jungle was adrenaline-pumping. I refrained from researching on the internet or reading up, things that come naturally to me, because I did not want to cloud my mind with preconceived notions. The experience, something that was on my bucket list since childhood, had to be first-hand.
The path in front of the Hollong Tourist Lodge in the wee hours of a January morning Pooja Mitra
It was a chilly morning. I beat the alarm, layered up, and rushed to the gate of the Hollong Tourist Lodge. It was misty, foggy and blue. The elephants and their mahouts (the elephant whisperers) were to come at the entrance of the bungalow. I waited with bated breath, looking around in all directions. And then, through the fog, I caught the first glimpse of Meenakshi — the elephant, who gave me my first animal safari experience.
In the Jaldapara jungle, another elephant on a safari Pooja Mitra
There is a watchtower of sorts right outside the Hollong Tourist Lodge that helps one board and unboard from the safaris. The elephants were sitting when we were onboarding. There is an enclosure on the elephant’s back for people to sit on and it is locked once everyone is positioned. All set, the elephant before us rose. Then it was our turn and slowly and steadily it reached an elevation I was not prepared for, which most definitely gave me goosebumps. And then started the gajgamini walk, something that you have to experience and see for yourself. It is a walk that says — I own this place.
The baby elephant in front of the Hollong Bungalow, meeting us Pooja Mitra
The team of elephants had a baby, too, who was leading us. Honestly, I took notice of the surroundings a little later because I was smitten by the mini elephant. The li’l one with a trunk to match assumed the position of the captain. But a small bird flying at her eye-level or a leaf that caught her fancy would deviate her from the route (and the assumed role), and she would take a small detour or make a stop. The adult elephants would give a scoffing sound, perhaps, a mini rebuke in front of the strangers, and she would reluctantly come back and join us.
‘Landscape in the mist’ Pooja Mitra
Hollong is surrounded by the Jaldapara forest. It is dense in several places, while some portions are not as densely populated by trees and shrubs. On the safari, I saw mosses of a few kinds, trees of various kinds and birds. And at one point, the elephants suddenly halted. There were three rhinoceroses among the bushes at a distance from us. Animal spotting! The rhinos paused, too, corner-eyeing the elephants. We witnessed the underlying tension between the two species, and moved on.
Meeting the rhino from an elephant back Pooja Mitra
The safari soon came to an end, bringing us back to the Hollong Bungalow entrance. We disembarked one by one, still reeling from the beauty and fragrance of a misty jungle on a wintry morning. To be honest, animal safari turned out to be a bittersweet experience for me because while I enjoyed one of the most primitive modes of conveyance, I did not like being seated on an animal, which although was mightier than me, it somewhere felt unjust. However, Meenakshi, her mate and the li’l one made my first animal safari a memory of a lifetime, in a place that holds a special place in my heart.
A glimpse of the Jaldapara jungle Pooja Mitra
The Hollong Tourist Lodge, gutted by fire a few months ago, brought back the memories of that morning too. Who knew, a few months apart, a place that gave me something so special would be reduced to ashes…