After 36 hairpin turns descending the Niligiri mountains, a drive through a very dry Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary with no elephants or other wildlife in sight, we eventually arrived at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve where the driver told us to transfer from our teensy weensy car to a jeep. No one had mentioned this but we trustingly did as we were told. Good thing. The road into The Wilds (www.serendipityo.com/thewilds/index.html) was the bumpiest road I had ever seen with ruts that were over a foot deep throughout most of the kilometre drive. And nothing, up to this point, in all our travels around the world had beaten the bumps of Costa Rican roads.

The warm breezes, bird songs, monkeys scurrying, Chital deer chomping in the surrounding coffee plantation and the pretty gardens (even with last season's monsoon rain of only 19cm versus the normal 55) invited us into the serenity of this place. The Wilds holds onto the feel of its original purpose as an old British hunting lodge without the hunting part. Relics from older times decorate the lodge, evening campfires and an elevated outdoor gazebo all contribute to the feel of people gathering communally to eat, drink and experience the magic of nature all around.

During the afternoon plantation walk, that required a staff member to accompany guests for safety, we met a couple from Nairobi, Kenya. Duncan, a writer and photographer and Aru, an environmental consultant, provided endless stories and information to guide us in many ways. Jim observed Duncan as he took charge to create the photos he desired, assertively placing his subjects in a specific spot to get the light he wanted and effortlessly charming them into giving him the expressions that would produce the photo he was composing.

We did not do a safari as most animals were far away, deep in the forest seeking water. Envious, we got news of rare tiger and black panther sightings by staff when driving the jeep in and out of the road. We did, however, see wild boar, peacocks, Malabar Giant Squirrels, a tiger paw print and fresh bison poop.

An excursion to a temple on a hill for the sunset was a nice break from the lodge. We arrived with plenty of time to spare so Jim and I played around photographing. Time feels so expansive most days, I wonder if we will ever re-integrate into Western norms...hopefully not.


To see more of Jim's photos and in higher resolution, visit his Flickr site.