Back to nature

It was during my stay in Northeast when I casually mentioned to my friend that I would love to plan a trip of a different nature, may be a jungle trek, a night out in jungle. She said ‘Visit Nameri, an eco-camp’ and all my dreams would turn true. I couldn’t believe my ears, but then she gave me all the details and we left with another couple in tow. We reached Tezpur in Assam on a cold March afternoon and the driver of our van told that Nameri is just a twenty minute drive from there.
I was so excited and so was everybody at the thought of entering a jungle, spending a night there. After all my dream of visiting an offbeat place was about to turn into a reality.
Suddenly we saw a rustic signboard’ Way to eco-camp’ and our vehicle hit a muddy track. The path was full of huge flowering trees and the only vehicles accompanying us were a few army convoys. There were mud hutments, the temperatures suddenly dropped down and air was full of cool breeze. All of us were so engrossed enjoying the beauty of the nature that we didn’t realize that we reached our destination. We got down of our van to be welcomed by a six-foot Assamese chap who was beckoning us in his flawless English with an American accent and explaining about the camp.
We were awestruck with the serene ambience. It was so beautiful. We were provided accommodation in ethnic cottages and tents which had all modern amenities inside. The cottages were so colorfully decorated with bamboo furniture. The absence of television, telephone network made us feel one with nature. The eco camp is adjacent to the Nameri National Park. With the river Jaibhoroli bifurcating the park, it is the most scenic of all the national parks of Assam. In the evening we were invited to a camp fire to enjoy the traditional Bihu folk dance of Assam.
The next day saw us rise early and we crossed the river to start our 10 km jungle trek accompanied by a forest guide. Nameri is home to some of the endangered species like, Sambar, Gaur, varieties of Hornbill and many other winged species. A jungle walk spotting hornbills, watching fresh footprints of elephants, hearing the roar of wild animals, sound of bison’s drinking water from the river, listening to chirping of various birds were few of the best moments I could enjoy on this thick tropical jungle terrain. But there were still lots the camp had to offer. Rafting is a major activity in this river full of rapids. We did rafting for 17 kms on the icy river and ate a freshly cooked lunch in a small river island out in the open enjoying the scenic beauty.
How refreshed I felt being in the lap of nature providing fresh air to my lungs and away from the hustle and bustle of maddening city life with its pollution, choking traffic. A nostalgic trip which will always remain etched in my memory.