If I knew it, I wouldn’t have touched it! I would have just sat there watching it uncoil. Yes, that’s a python I saw—10 meters long and still as an old log.

There is a totally different side to Jim Corbett national park if you remove the Great Bengal Tigers and the Big Five of wildlife from the spectacular jungle destination. Most tourists hog for the opportunity to witness tiger in their natural habitat, and it’s magical. No doubt! However, there is more to Jim Corbett if you find the vigor to stay back a little longer and explore into deeper, darker parts of the jungle.

Kosi—the swift, fast-flowing river is a spectacular dimension of Jim Corbett that often misses the attention. Or, for that matter, the mystical Girija Devi Temple, seated high atop the hills facing the Kosi! The 100-odd steps to the temple make the trip to the top of the hill is nothing compared to the view you get from the temple chamber.

Corbett Waterfall is another natural beauty that lies close to resorts in Jim Corbett. Famous for pools and greenery around the waterfall, Corbett Falls is thronged by visitors first thing in the morning. If you are lucky on a secluded weekday, chances of seeing a jungle cat or deer pack are very high. The laughing monkeys and birds add to the cacophony of the sputtering music that waterfall makes.