The Indian Subcontinent - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 318

car or taxi (2hr 30min; contact the Foundation for
directions). There are also half- and one-day tours
available. For prices and more information, see
W indusdolphin.org.pk; T [phone].

429 Go on a dolPhin saFari,
PaKistan

A devastating mix of over-hunting, dam building
and declining water levels has had terrible
effects on the Indus River dolphin, to the extent
that there are reportedly only one thousand of
them left in the world, all in Pakistan. Grey-
brown, stocky and functionally blind, these
dolphins have a peculiar and unique trick:
swimming on their side while underwater, they
use one fin to feel their way along the bottom,
then roll to the surface to take in air, appearing
to wave with their other fin.
Instead of hunting the dolphins for their
blubber, local fishermen are now working with
The Adventure Foundation of Pakistan to earn
a better living by taking guests on dolphin “boat
safaris”. For two days aboard the fishermen's
wooden sail-boats, guests glide down part of the
900km stretch of the Indus, searching for these
rare mammals.
Unobtrusive hydrophones, used to pick up the
dolphins' sonic communication, are dropped into
the water, so unlike many other invasive and
damaging tours - which might involve feeding
or swimming with the dolphins - The Adventure
Foundation ensures that your contact with them
is as discreet as possible. Once found, you'll
follow the chattering dolphins along the river,
watching them dive into the murky depths and
waiting for them to rise up again with that
distinctive wave.
Mesmerizing as the dolphins' antics can be,
it's also worth looking to the skies; among the
many bird species following the migratory flight
path south from Russia, you might spot Siberian
cranes, flamingos and pelicans. You'll have to
tear yourself away from all the action above and
below water - but there's also camping by the
river and a couple of visits to lively riverbank
villages to fit in.

430 Go BareFoot on the
andamans, india

With perfect beaches, dense rainforests and
some of the world's best diving, there's much to
lure travellers to the Andaman Islands, 1000km
off the east coast of India. But it would be best
to steer clear of Sentinel Island: so averse to
visitors are the indigenous Sentinelese that
when the Indian army airlifted supplies in after
the 2004 tsunami, they simply took everything,
buried it on the beach, and hurled spears at the
helicopters above. They remain one of the last
truly isolated tribes on Earth.
Elsewhere, however, development is happening
at a greater pace. The main tourist hub is the
island of Havelock, where plenty of beach huts
are set back among the trees that line two of
its beaches. The star is Barefoot Jungle Camp,
whose complex of thatched cottages and villas
is one of just two resorts located in the mahua
forest that fringes Radhanagar Beach. Staffed
by Andaman locals, the camp has set up the only
rubbish-collection operation on the island, and is
educating school children on how best to protect
and preserve their surrounding environment.
For those eager to get a taste of deserted island
life, Barefoot offers a few overnight trips to some
of the uninhabited islands. You can sea-kayak,
snorkel little-visited reefs and share the beach
with unperturbed and harmless monitor lizards.
And as you'll be visiting one of the hundreds
of islands on which no people live, you can rest
assured there'll be no spears piercing your tent
while you sleep.

Need to know For details on how to access the
resort from the cities of Chennai or Kolkata as
well as prices and further information, see W www.
barefootindia.com; T [phone].

Need to know The tour starts at the Taunsa River
Barrage, which can be reached from Multan by