Dhikala Forest Rest House is a popular accommodation located within the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, India. Jim Corbett National Park is one of the oldest national parks in India and is known for its diverse wildlife, including Bengal tigers, elephants, leopards, and various species of deer and birds. The park is named after the famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.
Dhikala Forest Rest House is situated in the heart of the Corbett National Park, offering visitors a unique opportunity to stay amidst the wilderness. The rest house provides basic amenities and comfortable accommodation, allowing guests to experience the beauty of the national park up close. The location is surrounded by dense forests and provides an excellent chance for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers to spot various flora and fauna.
Visitors can engage in activities such as jungle safaris, bird watching, and nature walks to explore the rich biodiversity of the park. The Dhikala zone is particularly known for its scenic landscapes and diverse wildlife. Dhikala Forest Rest House’s night stay is an amazing experience for every wildlife lover. You can enter this zone from Dhangari which is approx. 20 km away from Corbett Tourism. The time for visiting Dhikala is from 15th November to 15th June cause the National Park remains shut during Monsoon.
There are many Forest rest houses available at Dhikala Zone, Which are listed as follows:-
1. Sultan Forest Rest House
2. Gairal Forest Rest House
3. Sarapduli Forest Rest House
4. Khinnanauli Forest Rest House
5. Hutment FRH
6. Cabin FRH
7. New FRH
8. Annexi1 FRH
9. Annexi2 FRH
These Forest rest houses have a Double bed and Dormitory available for a Night Stay in Jim Corbett National Park. Some Forest rest houses have all the amenities like accommodation and a canteen for food, but some have canteen services not available which case you can bring your raw material for food and there will be a cook at the Forest rest house who will cook your food for you in the kitchen of Forest rest house all the required utensils are there which is provided by Govt.). The rooms are comfortable with basic amenities.
A very good restaurant caters to the needs of visitors staying in the Dhikala Tourist Complex. The restaurant serves buffet meals with a good choice of quality foods. A small Canteen is also available for the visitors. Visitors can enjoy wildlife movie shows in the evening and also spend their leisure time reading books in the well-stocked library.
Note:- You will only get vegetarian food inside the National Park because Non-Veg food is not allowed inside the Park.
One can spot several types of Deer when in the zone including Spotted Deer and others like Para (Axis pernicious), The Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Kakkar (Muntiacus muntjak) which is also called the barking deer due to the hoarse sound it makes resembling the bark of a Dog. It is one of the best places on earth to spot a tiger and wild elephants.
This area is also bird watchers’ dream destination. The surrounding forests and the large water body support a wide diversity of birds in the area. The chances of spotting a sloth bear are very high in this section of forest. They are attracted by both termites and the sweet nectar of Mahua flowers. The bears have been recorded in an intoxicated state when the Mahua ferments in their digestive system.
One can reach Dhikala Tourism Zone via Dhangarhi gate which is 20 km from Ramnagar. One can enter the Dhikala range via Dhangarhi Gate and the entry timing to the Dhikala range from this gate is 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
In the winter season(October-February):- In the winter season or the period of October to February, you will find this park a true abode of beautiful and unseen birds. So, for birding, this is the most captivating period as at this time, you will meet an unseen variety of birds there.
In the monsoon season(July-September):- The monsoon season is not an appealing time for visitors to come over to Jim Corbett National Park, we suggest you do not visit during this time because the park remains closed for this period of the year.
In Summer Season(March-June):- The time from March to mid-June is called the summer season in India. During the summer season, the temperature remains quite high. In the daytime, the weather becomes too scorching and may go up to 40 degrees C, but in the early morning safaris, you can spot most of the wild animals across the river or any water-accumulated area.
Open & Close Timing of Dhikala Zone:- Dhikala Zone is open for tourists from 15th November to 15th June. But remains inaccessible during the Monsoon season.