Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out! Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, though we
Dubare is known for its elephant camp. Located on the
picturesque banks of the Kaveri, this was where the elephants used in the
Mysore region were trained.
Those were the days of extensive logging, and before the
times of six wheel drives, and elephants were invaluable. That was also the
time when the Mysore Dasara celebrations were at their most ostentatious, and
there was a lot for the elephants to do, and to be trained for. Times changed,
as they are wont to do, and the elephants were rendered jobless. They are still
used during the Dasara celebrations, but not in numbers like in those times. Besides,
the elephants still had to be fed and taken care of, for the rest of the year. Someone,
along the way, had the brilliant idea of opening the camp to visitors, and they
have struck lucky with it. Today, Dubare sees loads of visitors, who rush to
enjoy a chance to bathe or feed the elephants, or simply to enjoy a joyride on
one of them.
We visited Dubare in March this year, and, though it wasn’t peak
season, the place was still packed with squealing adults and kids. Yes, that
included my excited son, who was scared of the elephants, but still wanted to
go near; didn’t want to get wet, but couldn’t stay away from the water; was
saddened by the chains on the elephants, but couldn’t help smiling when he
could go near and scrub the elephant, reassured by those very chains.
As for
me, I simply stood afar, trying desperately to get some decent photos – without
the crowd in them!
Information:
- The Tourist arrangements at Dubare are handled by JungleLodges and Resorts. They have a resort in the camp, though it is not necessary to stay there to enjoy the activities. Most of the crowd are visitors, who make day trips to the camp. Apart from the activities involving the elephants, it is also possible to go rafting on the Kaveri, or on treks inside the forest.
I have not stayed at their Dubare resort, by going by my
experience of their other resorts, I
would think that staying there would give us time away from the crowds. That,
to me, can only enhance the experience of Dubare!
Heard a lot about this place, yet to visit..
ReplyDeleteIts nice, Meghana, but a bit too crowded for me :D
DeleteI am yet to go there..but very soon I will..Thanks for reminding me what I missed :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Ankita! look forward to reading about your experience!
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ReplyDeleteLove the third photo of the elephant sitting in the water. Where is Dubare, btw? Near Kabini?
ReplyDeleteGreat piece of information, especially on the history of Dubare . I just wanted to add a couple of points for the benefit of the readers who wish to reference this blog if they are travelling to Dubare. While the place is most famous for elephants, one can spot other animals like spotted deer and sambar. The river is home to some crocodiles too. Having a local expert always helps. For birdwatchers, there’s a feast awaiting in the form of woodpeckers, kingfishers, and partridges. Being in the Coorg district, mornings are especially beautiful and weather is simply great throughout the year.
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