A Taxi Ride to Kanha National Park

In Central India there lies a beautiful Sal forest that is home to tigers and incredible biodiversity. This little magic kingdom is known as Kanha National Park, and it is situated in Maikal Hills the trailing edge of Satpura Ranges in Madhya Pradesh.

The amazing biodiversity and the picturesque landscape attracts many tourists to this land and the main attraction is the tiger. Tourists come from far and wide and stay at the luxury resorts that are spread out in the outer area of the park. This park is now a National Park and a Tiger Reserve a major conservation unit.

 

The area of the park is more than two thousand square kilometers with a core of 940 sq.km. The core is the main area of the big cats where tiger safaris are organized. In small portion of this area excursions on jeeps are organized for people with permit issued for the game ride by the forest department.

Tourists arrive from foreign lands and Indian cities far away and one common mode is taxi. Though the overseas visitors land at the airport in this case Jabalpur, Nagpur and Raipur they have to then drive more than four hours to the park. And hence large number of transportation is required.

There are major road networks that lead to Kanha National Park usually these act as common access point. Tourists arriving from Jabalpur Airport or Railhead in Madhya Pradesh take the Mandla Road via Niwas which is a single road but smooth and well maintained. From Mandla there is a diversion which leads to Kanha Via Bamni Banzar township. Soon direct Jabalpur to Mandla road will be completed and this will take much less time.

Tourists arriving from Raipur Airport in Chhattisgarh drive directly to Kanha and reach after a journey of four and half hours. Tourists arriving from Nagpur Airport in Maharashtra drive straight and reach after five hours.

Many travel agents and tour operators ply their own vehicles registered as taxi to cater to the tourists. There are some taxi operators in MP with transportation as their sole business.

Usually these operators have large number of assorted vehicles ranging from small car, SUV and mini buses. The latter is for group travelers who higher twelve seater of larger vehicles. Large bus is also hired for clubs and school groups who come here on summer holidays.  But the most preferred vehicle for two to four travelers is the SUV which are made by many companies in India. These vehicles are air conditioned ultra luxurious and safe. The SUV is the main vehicle owned by the transportation companies.

Chambal River Safari

The sand dunes with sparsh vegetation are characteristic of Chambal River Bank.  The thorn and Babul are most prominent though some major floral elements can be encountered in areas with greater rainfall.   forests The river flows through three state Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It merges into Uttar Pradesh before traversing a distance of 960 km. It originates from  Singaur Charui near Mhow from the slopes of Vindhyan Range. The pristine river eventually merges into the Yamuna near Etawah District of UP.

The Chambal River Sanctuary lies in two parts of the river one from Jawahar Sagar Dam (Rajasthan) to the Chambal Yamuna confluence in UP. The sanctuary lies in three states MP, Rajasthan and UP. Once notorious for bands of free roaming dacoits the river is now dotted with number of development projects and tourism. The dacoits have taken a back seat but nevertheless threat remains.

The sanctuary protects endangered species like the gharial, mugger crocodile and river dolphins. Thanks effective conservation measures these species are gaining ground after years of reckless hunting for pleasure and skin. Also protected are eight species of fresh water turtles and smooth coated otters.

Chambal River Banks are rich in bird life and one can see the Indian Skimmer here. Besides black bellied tern, river turn, Pallas Gull, Black Headed Gull, Brown Headed Gull, Ruddy Shelduck, Bar Headed Goose, Sarus Crane, Sand Lark, Wooly Necked Stork, Osprey, Bonelli’s Eagle, Laggar Falcon, Eurasian Eagle Owl and many more. The avian species number more than 300.

The major point of river safari are Dholepur were boating is organized by MP Forest Dept and Bah (Morena) were boating  is organized by the Chambal River Lodge. The latter is about an hour ride from Agra. Dholepur is about two hours from Agra.

Bandhavgarh Tiger Safari

One of the finest places to see the tiger in the wild Bandhavgarh in MP India is now a larger park.  Since its inception as tiger reserve in project tiger program the conservation area has increased substantially.

The tiger safari operates from four gates now. Most popular gate is Tala of course and the gate fees is higher. Similarly gate fee at Magdhi, Khitoli and Panpatha varies. The timing remains the same but as word of advice one should book in advance. Advance booking assures your park drive as well as give you time to book your favored entrance. Wildlife is sighted in all areas of the park but the landscape and vegetation may differ. In my opinion one should enter from all gates and enjoy the changing scape along with the tiger safari.   Bandhavgarh is one of the most scenic preserves in India.

For visiting the Fort and Shesh Shaiyya one needs to tour from the Tala Gate. This entrance intersects the best meadows in the park. But more is waiting to be discovered at new entrances so go in for a more holistic experience by exploring every nook and corner of this picturesque paradise.       

Tiger at Kanha

On my recent trips to Kanha tiger reserve, I realized that the core area is full of tigers and territory have become smaller which is a good sign and an indicator of good health of the habitat.

When forest ecosystems are healthy, habitats support diversity and availability of food and water is everywhere hence tigers need smaller territories to survive. They need not carve a large area for themselves. Thus conflicts between dominant tigers is avoided and the jungle can support more tigers. Kanha supports all forms of life that find habitation suitable in its environment.

This is the prime reason why tiger safaris and photography tours offer such wonderful tiger sightings. On a good day one can see two to three different tigers but sometimes the jungle goes to sleep and sightings can be poor. It is therefore advisable that the  tiger tour should be of at least four nights. 

Hiring a good naturalist helps since he is able to help track tigers and other wildlife. A nature guide elaborates on whatever is of interest in the forests during the park safari. Good photographic equipment, a pair of birding binoculars and books on Indian wildlife and Indian birds are a must.

Where to see tiger

When you look forward to see the endangered tiger in India you are in for a wild tiger safari.  The best thing is happening to you for you are in for watching amazing Indian wildlife and Indian birds. Do book your tiger tour in advance. Look for a travel agent India that caters for ecotourism since they are well versed in offering package tours that are suitable for a tiger safari.       

The best places to see tiger are in Central India in the state of Madhya Pradesh at Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench tiger reserves. The other place you can expect to see tiger is the Ranthambhore National Park and Corbett but the first three offer the best tiger sighting in India.     

Bandhavgarh is the most enchanting tiger heaven on earth with unique charismatic landscape and historical ruins, ancient caves and monuments as fort, dungeons and exotic temples and zoomorphic statues of Lord Vishnu. It harbors the maximum number of tigers in a given area in whole of India.

Kanha is renowned world famous national park where zoologists like George Schaller conducted successful study that was instrumental in saving the Bengal tiger and the Hard ground barasingha or the swamp deer (Cervus duavcelli branderi). Kanha harbors a large number of mammals, reptiles, birds and insect species with amazing array of butterflies to impress a wildlife lover, scientist and the visiting tourist as well.

Pench tiger reserve is the Mowgli land where Mowgli the wolf child was discovered and made famous eventually by Rudyard Kipling in his “Jungle Book”. The Pench river intersects through the forest in turn sheltering amazing biodiversity and wildlife in its folds. The forests are dry deciduous types and are famous for birds as well as the tiger.

These sanctuaries also offer the finest birding tour to those interested in Indian birds. They harbor around 250 plus bird species with Corbett leading with around five hundred plus Indian bird species including winter migrants.