Forest Getaways: How The Lush Greens Help Us Rejuvenate

“Are you a hill person or a beach person?” I wonder why people offer only these two options, I mean there are forests as well! My first experience with a forest getaway was my recent trip to Jim Corbett. And after that I can proudly say, I am a forest person.

We decided to have a mini family weekend at the Jim Corbett in March. It took us about five hours from Delhi to reach Ramnagar, the nearest railway station to Corbett. The night had settled peacefully at the station. We hired a cab and made our way to the resort at Corbett. The road journey was accompanied by forests on both sides and a continuous sound of crickets giving an eerie feel to our journey.

The Stay at Corbett

The resort at Jim Corbett was a perfect weekend destination to head over to, that provided a relief from the pollution-laden air of Delhi. With a little brook flowing in the campus, my morning and evening destination were fixed. With a cup of coffee in my hand, I used to sit on the rocks, sip my coffee, hear the calls of the birds and the river and let the wind blow my hair off my face. The next morning we took off to the forests at 5 am. I had undermined the cold! Wearing almost all the clothes that I had packed, I still shivered as our jeep entered the dark mysterious forests.

Forest Getaways

The woods are lovely dark and deep...

The meaning of this childhood poem never got so much clearer till I was deep inside the woods. Imagine this. You are in a jeep, struggling to stand and holding that bar in front of you to keep yourself steady. Your eyes are barely open, because its six in the morning. All around you are other jeeps. And then, you enter the woods.

A strong gust of wind that almost slapped my face was enough to wake me up at the very instant. In no time I was in this enchanting territory of the forests. Since we were here for sighting animals, no one was allowed to make a sound. All you could hear was the wheels of the jeep touch the rough terrain, the wind whispering into the trees and the sound made by birds and animals that you barely know.

What a trip into the Forests does for you

In such a serene environment you unconsciously surrender your worries. How much ever you try to recall the problems you had back in the city, they just don't enter the woods. The powerful breeze and the cold make your nose red and your cheeks blush. The purest form of greenery refreshes your senses and you understand the importance of a genuine need to conserve the ecosystem. The birds and the animals, and the local dog that you meet at the only tea stall in the forests, seem like your closest friends. Phones just simply can’t do justice in capturing the feel and the mood of the place. And in that moment, of no network zone, of no diplomacy and of no confusion, you find yourself.

Go take a trip to these forests. I bet you’ll include a ‘forest person’ as an option too.

Also Read : How The Hills Help Us Heal

 Rachna Chandira is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv. The views expressed are the author's own.