Dhikala Accommodation Specifics?

After initially considering and then jettisoning the idea, I'm again exploring the possibility of a visit to Corbett, irrespective of the (un)likelihood of spotting an elusive big cat. I know it'll be hot, but it's a world class reserve after all, where I can also see elephants, jackals, crocodiles, chital, kingfishers, eagles, rhesus and langurs. And with so many competing India and other global destinations, who knows if I'll have the chance again. (I'm still disappointed I had to ditch my Jaldapara visit in 2007.)

My current plan calls for going directly to Dehra Dun (and on to Landour) from Delhi, but I could instead get a train to Ramnagar, I suppose, or even see Corbett at the end of my trip, en route back to Delhi.

Anyway, I may or may not visit Corbett but, if I did, I know it's important to book early for Dhikala. To that end, does anyone have any first-hand knowledge about the details of the various buildings/rooms below, all of which are listed separately at the Corbett website? Can they be reserved independent of one another, or are they rented as blocks for groups, etc.? Can they reliably be reserved by fax or phone to the numbers at the website? Might it already be too late (my trip is 4-5 weeks away) to secure a private room, as opposed to a dorm bunk (not an option for me, I'm afraid)?

Old Forest Rest House(Room No. 1 & 2)
Old Forest Rest house (Room No. 3, 4 & 5)
Cabin No. 1. ABC, 3ABC and 4ABC (nine rooms)
New FRH (four rooms) Annexe 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6
KMVN Annexe 5 & 7
KMVN Tourist Hutment 1 to 6 (6 rooms)
Log hut Serpduli, Garil & Halduparao

*Edit: The above are as listed here. Some additional googling around yielded this first-hand info, including a suggestion for a "best" room-- #1, in the "annex building".

tacita, you are a meticulous reasearcher........

delhiwala, as a relative newcomer to IM, you don't know the half of it! i was the subject of much teasing here when i was preparing for my sikkim/darjeeling/kolkata trip in 2007. compared to that, i'm being a real slacker this time! but, i've always considered the research half the fun--sort like a puzzle to be solved, or investigative work--and the investment pays off in overall efficiency. plans can always be changed to accommodate spontaneity, but they're still good to have.

I can't agree more...same here...but pre selecting even room nos....now that's something reallly meticulous.

well, i didn't mean like "room no. 3 has nicer curtains"! rather, i wondered if they were all in the roughly the same location, had private baths, if some were single-room bungalows as opposed to a more hotel-style set-up, that sort of thing. the way i've listed them is exactly how they're listed at the website. presumably, they distinguish among them for a reason. if there are variables worth knowing about, i figured i'd be able to make a better-informed request. mostly, i'm just looking for some first-hand experience with dhikala.

I'm sure there will be many...

hmmm...or maybe not?

All the Dhikala accom is in a line of approx 250 m. There are separate cottages/buildings, some have 2 rooms, some 4, etc.

Yes, all rooms can be booked individually.
The distinctions are based on facilities, some rooms have a/c, geyser, etc. (altho I can't tell you now which is which - last stayed 5 years ago, I think it was the annexe. There was a geyser, I think a/c too, but unsure as it was winter). Electricity is erratic though.

Yes, it may be too late. Other than that, bookings are 'authentic'.

Other than Dhikala, only the places with catering facilities are worth considering, for the others you have to carry ALL supplies.
Note: I doubt it's an issue, but all wildlife zones in this country are 'veg only'.

As you've seen, they have this dumb thing of desi/foreigner rates.

Thanks, Dilliwala. That's very helpful. I'm still on the fence about the visit. Unfortunately, if it "may" be too late now, it most assuredly will be by the time I resolve the question of whether to go.

Yes, I noted the disparity between the desi/non-desit tariff, but I tend just to accept this as the way things are. Instead of thinking of it in terms of my paying "extra", I just think of it as desis getting "a break", which is fine with me. Non-desi tariffs (whether for accommodations or admission fees) are still quite reasonable on the whole, and if my extra rupees can thus further advance the cause of maintaining a World Heritage Site, national monument, or wildlife preserve, so much the better.

Just my two cents, anyway.