Published by Express, UK

Ride on the wild side of rural India
MARIA HARDING discovers exotic wildlife and alluring people on a river cruise through remote Assam

DAWN is breaking over the misty green expanse of India’s Kaziranga National Park and I’m about to experience a very different take on the concept of a “Bring Your Kids to Work Day”. I’ve hitched a ride with Umali, a hardworking mum who’s brought her eight-month-old Dula (meaning “dear one” in the local Assamese language) along to work with her. The “work” is rather fun, for we are off on safari – in this case, a gentle stroll across a vast, tree-dotted plain – our mission being to spot white rhino, wild deer, huge-horned buffalo, a plethora of vividly-coloured birds and even, if we are very fortunate, a tiger or a lurking leopard.