On the way back to Bijaipur, we drove past Bassi, denoted by the signs depicting a leopard. It's not the first time we have seen such signs, but that is not to say that we've actually seen any leopard in our time in Rajasthan. Perhaps, we thought, that might change...

To gain entry to the sanctuary (with your vehicle) you need to obtain permission from the forestry officer, so a few phone calls and a couple of hundred Rupees later, we were driving in to the park, following markers which were supposed to lead you around the park. Perhaps a little naive of us to expect that these signs would last for long, or that they would not branch off in to so many directions that they negated their own worth. We pushed on, through what became an off-roaders dream. Of course we were still on the look out for the leopard which have been re-introduced in to the park (perhaps we should have just gone straight to the 'leopard introduction centre' outside the park?) but very soon we were just enjoying the adrenaline rush of driving through some pretty rugged terrain. No guide and no GPS reception meant we had to use our own in-built compass and just keep on going. On more than one occasion the car had to be parked while we got out to assess the viability of the route – this was a real adventure and we all revelled in the mood of it all. Rounding tress, down in to ravenes, up a twisting path no more than one and a half times the width of the car...


And then, the dense shrubs and trees suddenly opened up to reveal a wide swathe of green – and a little further on, a lake, with herons and water buffalo standing on the waterfront. A couple of teenagers walked, up to their waists in water while fishing. As evening started to draw in the light flickered on the water and the whole scene was a little eery, but enthralling. In one way it was so unlike the Rajasthan we have come to know and love, and on the other – it was just very typical, such a complete variation from what you expect.

We decided to head back before it got dark, and considered the eventuality of not finding our way out of the park before darkness fell. Of course it might have meant increasing our leopard-spotting chances, but was not something we were really prepared for! By luck or good judgement we drove on for less than ten minutes before finding ourselves exactly where we started out, approached form the opposite direction. So, this was only a small expedition in the grand scheme of things, but we were nonetheless very proud of our minor achievement.

Back at the hotel we settled for drinks on the balcony in front of our room before another  great meal in the courtyard. Earlier in the evening a group of about 20 people had arrived, so we had company for dinner and had to resist the urge to talk about the day's exploits. Travelling in a group must be appealing for some, but there is no way we would have had our adventure in Bassi, had we been travelling in a bus and competing with the demands of 17 other people. We realised once again that we're lucky - and that Rajasthan really is a very special place.