Travel to Rajaji National Park:
A National holiday coinciding with the weekend is an excellent opportunity to go on a family trip. So, we planned to go on a family road trip on one such occasion. My kids wanted to go and see wild animals in their natural habitat but my mother wanted to go visit a holy place. After a lot of discussion, my wife suggested we go to Haridwar and then visit the nearby Rajaji National Park. This way, all three generations will be happy.
After the destination was finalised, how to go was the big question. My wife didn’t know how to drive and I driving for such a long distance would be tiring. Hence, we decided to book a reliable and economical taxi from Delhi to Haridwar.
Overview and daily activities:
Although it’s very difficult to avail a car rental in Delhi at affordable rates, we searched online and booked a car rental that suited our needs. Their representative was prompt in responding to our query and asked detailed questions about our requirements. An itinerary and package was suggested accordingly.
As per our planned itinerary, the driver arrived at our doorstep at twelve in the night. We planned to travel through the night to reach Haridwar early in the morning and enjoy the morning aarti at Har ki Pudi. The car was in good condition and the interiors were clean too. The driver was courteous as mentioned on the website and was also helpful in loading luggage and helping my old mother.
The driver explained the route he would be taking and asked for our preference for further pitstops. We were impressed by his thoughtfulness. As the journey began, the kids dozed off and we elders too fell asleep. We had planned to take the Delhi-Meerut-Roorkee route to Haridwar. We took the same route and reached Haridwar just in time for the morning aarti. The driver was experienced, so he dropped us at the nearest place to Har ki Pudi, so my mother needn’t walk too much to reach the Ghat. After taking the holy dip in the River Ganga, we changed into fresh clothes. We watched the mesmerising aarti with lakhs of diyas floating in the river Ganga and loud chants reverberating around us. After the aarti, we spent some time sitting on the ghat, enjoying the spiritual atmosphere and then went for hot poori- sabzi breakfast in one of the numerous small shops near the ghat.
As per our plan, we spent a few hours in Haridwar, visiting the many temples there like Mansa Devi. Then, in the afternoon, we proceeded towards the Rajaji national park. The Rajaji national park was approximately 23 kilometres from Haridwar and we took roughly 40 to 45 minutes to reach there. We had enquired about the timings and timed our visit as per the evening park timing of 3 to 6 pm. The route was very beautiful and scenic with hills and green jungles around us. The beautiful Shivalik ranges were a sight to be behold. We travelled to Chilla on the other side of the River Ganga and reached the park gates. After reaching there, before entering the Rajaji national park, permissions and tickets have to be taken from the forest department. Our driver was helpful in doing all this for us. We hired a guide to help us spot the animals and navigate the park better. The Jungle safari was amazing as the kids spotted many animals like elephants, jackals, hyenas, several birds and a fleeting glimpse of a tiger. The kids were very excited and happy.
We had planned to stay the night at the Rajaji national park, hence we had made a prior booking at the eco-lodge located near the park. So, we proceeded to it after the safari was over. It was a beautiful place amidst the jungle, water sounds and chirping birds. We had a good time there, with a bon fire at night, sitting in the open, enjoying the jungle sounds. Throughout the night, elephants and even the tiger roaring could be heard. In the morning, after breakfast, we again went to the Rajaji national park to enjoy an open jeep safari organised by the park authorities. This time, we could go deeper into the park as it was day time and many animals were outside. After a completely satisfying trip, we returned to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, we again headed to Haridwar for some more sight-seeing and back to Delhi in the evening. Booking a cab made us enjoy our trip fully and without any exertion of driving.
How to reach Haridwar from Delhi:
There are many cab services to Haridwar, which can be booked offline or online. Their doorstep pickup and drop service for the passengers is also an added advantage. Their drivers are knowledgeable, provide all information and ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers.
Distance and time taken:
The distance between Delhi and Haridwar will vary according to the starting point in Delhi. The approximate distance between Delhi and Haridwar is 232 kilometres and it takes around five hours to reach Haridwar.
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