Best Places to see the tiger in India?

The largest share of the conversion is between Kanha and Bandhavgarh. But you can see the tiger at many other places some of them are Pench, Ranthambhore, Tadoba and Corbett. For tiger safari I recommend Kanha and Bandhavgarh since these are the reserves with good population of big cats.

At Kanha you can sight more mammals since the hard ground swamp deer and bison is found in greater abundance. Nevertheless the beauty of Bandhavgarh hillocks and glens is as enticing as that of grasslands of Kanha.I have been to Pench and seen fabulous tigers but the destination has less cross roads hence you see comparatively less of the cross section of the habitat. Nevertheless “The Spy in The Jungle” says it all about the Mowgli Land. Pench is also known as the Kipling Country since the “Jungle Book” is based on the forest of Seoni. To reach you can fly down to Nagpur and taxi eighty kilometers to the park. 

At Corbett the focus is on birds but it is a fantastic destination. It’s Terai landscape is mind boggling and mesmerizes you. The tiger reserve has many more mammals and you can see the yellow throated marten, hog deer and goral mountain goat. The sight of crocodiles and gharial is awe inspiring.

Ranthambhore has a good record of tiger sighting. It is in the Golden Triangle Tourism and provides easy accessibility from New Delhi. It takes about six hours to reach Ranthambore using train or taxi. Corbett takes about seven to eight hours by road and is overnight to Ramnagar by rail.

To reach Kanha you can fly to Jabalpur and drive three hours to the hotels. For Bandhavgarh you can fly to Jabalpur and drive four hours to Tala hotel complex. For both the destinations you can catch overnight rails to Jabalpur. For Bandhavgarh you can catch an overnight train from New Delhi to reach Umaria rail head which is 32 km from the park. A seven hours drive takes you to the park from Khajuraho Temples.

I have not been to Tadoba in Maharashtra but this place is abuzz with frequent tiger sightings. Though devoid of good accommodation there is a wild rush to get here and see the big cat. You can fly to Nagpur from New Delhi and then drive in a radius of hundred plus kilometers to reach the respective gate here. Book your accommodation in advance.

I may be biased in favor of Kanha and Bandhavgarh but for those focused on holistic experience should arrive at the former. While those looking for the exotic and intrigue should experience the ancient structures besides the tiger at the latter. That also means booking your safari and hotel much before your tour begins. These places offer experience of wild expanse of Indian jungle besides some amazing settings. At the world famous Bandhavgarh National Park tigers abound.

Of tiger safaris I should say sometimes you are unable to see the big cat hence always seek a holistic tour. It is essential not to rush, if hard pressed at least stay for two nights, three nights being ideal. Stay in an accommodation that is suitable for wildlife holiday. They should have good naturalists, interpretation center and serene ambiance.

Big cats are elusive  but worth an effort to witness nature’s amazing charisma.

Birding at Kanha

Though well known for its tigers, Kanha is an exciting birding place. Yet it is little known for its birds such is the charisma of its tigers. Most of the visitors are involved in a tiger chase and miss out on the fantastic ecosystem and small life. But  many birding enthusiast like to see the avian wonders of this magnificent tiger reserve in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India.

The topography though varied is more suitable for forest birds and to some extent grass birds. The wetland species are scarce and can be seen at the water bodies on the outskirts. Some water bodies inside the tiger reserve contain wetland species. One can watch Large Egret, Greater Cormorant, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Lesser Whistling Teal, Osprey, Palas Fish Eagle, Gray Headed Fish Eagle, Cotton Pigmy Goose, Wooly Necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant Stork and the common shore birds.  But the birds of the forests make up for the lesser number of water birds.

The best areas for bird watching at Kanha are: Nakti Ghati, Bija Dadar, Bahmni Dadar, Link No 7 and 8. The mixed forest, bamboo clumps and meadows offer sightings of many birds. Swampy grass hold interesting species like the munias, pipits and larks. The commonly seen raptors are the serpent eagle, crested hawk eagle and the honey buzzard. These raptors are found everywhere. The top notch songster, the shama can be encountered often in the bamboo clumps, besides Tickell’s blue flycatcher, tawny babbler, Asian paradise flycatcher and black naped monarch.

Most attractive and noisy birds are the Alexandrine parakeet, plum headed parakeet and the rose ringed parakeet. The Indian scimitar babbler, Malabar pied hornbill, painted francolin, Indian pitta and Verditer flycatchers are much sought after birds in this park. The warblers and pipits are the winter visitors and most secretive. One should also look for common iora, gray breasted prinia, ashy and plain prinia, common tailor bird, brown cheeked fulvetta, red rumped swallow, red avadavat, scaly munia, tricolor munia among the grassy patches and near the banks of ponds and small lakes.

On the buffer zones one should visit the lake at Boda Chappri for birding. Other interesting places for birding outside the Kanha National Park are the Banjar, River, Ganghar Nala Bank and the village fields for grass birds.  Each eco niche in Kanha has a variation of avian species to discover. Birding outside the park would be less costly as well. The forests all around the protected area are rich in bird life hence a walk will add to your checklist. About two hundred fifty specie shave been check listed in Kanha Tiger Reserve. Hence a three day bird watching trip leads to sighting of more than hundred species. A birding guide is a must for inbound tourists not familiar with Indian avi-fauna.

Kanha Birds Trip Report

Tiger Tours – End of New Begining

Come June end the tiger safaris in India come to a stop. Many people all over the World wait in expectation for the opening which usually takes place on 16th October in Central India. Hidden within the enthusiasm to see the tiger in the wild is a deep seated desire to save the tiger as well.

Most of the visitors to tiger reserves like Kanha National Park or Pench, Bandhavgarh begin to understand the complex web of food chain that takes place within the ecosystem. Hence it is apparent  that in order to save the tiger, the ecosystem as whole has to be conserved.  

In India the tigers and leopards have been magnified four fold as weapons of grueling death. The myth has turned them into mostors that are after human blood hence treated as a pariah. Before the wildlife protection act which banned hunting in India in toto the big cats were shot for paltry sum of 45 rupees may be a little bit more.  Like the wolf they carried a bounty on the head assumed to be vermins. It is ironic that a country deeply rooted in Vedic Culture – which favors all life forms and prescribes veneration as symbols of holy – has witnessed such large scale destruction of forests and hunting of wild animals. The conservation ethos have been nullified by human greed and apathy.    

Though the large scale hunting has been brought to a very low scale by law, the tiger faces a near extinct situation. The licensed hunting has been replaced by organized poaching by gangs of thugs who sell tiger bones to China or wherever these medicine making factories are.     

A new dimension albeit age old has come to surface some time back – The much talked about man animal conflict. The number of live stock being killed by big cats is very high – though it is not apparent to general public.  There are people who exploit the pay back scheme in lieu of the live stock lost. There are people who wait for there defunct livestock to be killed for the lure of money. How far this is true has to be looked into but the number of bulls present in  the villages around the periphery of tiger reserves is very high.   

Tiger habitats have been encroached upon by live stock, agriculture fields, and burgeoning humanity. The ingress has heightened the conflict as is evident from man killing cases in Bandhavgarh and Corbett recently.  Eventually it is the animal that suffers by poisoning or a maligned status.

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.       

Nauradehi – Indiana Safari

Avinash Bhai – Muchmucha

Scion of renowned Pathak Family of Katni in Madhya Pradesh, India, Mr. Avinash Pathak grew up amidst nature. The family owns a Royal Kothi ( Heritage Guest House) at Muchmucha now accommodation for celebrity and top notch business men. Growing up in family fields and forests his knowledge of Central Indian Wildlife is astounding.

At ease in the forest of Muchmucha close to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve he has organized many a tiger safari in this unexplored region. Most of his clients as a luxury tour operator are highly esteemed guests. These are the  people  who love  staying in his ethnic Kothi and enjoy local tribal lifestyle, customs and mores. Staying in the fabled surrounding is a bliss with a retinue of local service providers at your service. Muchmucah Kothi delivers a Maharaja lifestyle in the old heritage guest house in Central India.   Along with retinue of servants and planquin ride the night entertainment by fire side is full of gaiety. Enjoy tribal dances, songs, tribal shows all full of intrigue and mystic.

Mr. Avinash Pathak conducts excellent tiger safaris and jeep safaris. The unexplored forests of Muchmucha are open to surprises with wildlife as never seen before. The undisturbed forests are home to wild animals and amazing birds that Bandhavgarh next door holds.

My first meeting with Mr. Pathak took place whence he decided to foray further into wildlife tourism. His experience of tiger safaris at Muchmucha propelled him to move forward. His company Indiana Safari now conducts wildlife package tours in Madhya  Pradesh in Central India.

Indiana Safari delivers package tours to lesser known destinations in India as well as popular places. The niche wildlife tourism is in order to provide excitement of exploration a less known sanctuary of Nauradehi. We visited Nauradehi often in order to checklist birds and wildlife. The wildlife of Nauradehi is unique as one sees the Indian Wolf, Chinkara, Fox and Nilgai animals not seen easily at Kanha and Bandhavgarh in MP.  Mugger crocodile finds home here in Central India.

The topography of this wildlife sanctuary is unique with low lying hills and dry deciduous mixed forests. The forest types are different from Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench National parks in Madhya Pradesh. Exploring Noradehi is a heart throbbing experience. The element of surprise makes the trip interesting with new bird and animal?species to encounter.

Trekking along with Mr.Avinash Pathak was very interesting; his knowledge of the sanctuary and its inhabitants boosted my own.
He has the feel of the place and we could come across exciting findings. He is well versed in local lifestyle of people of the WLS and it was a holistic experience in all. Being a staunch conservationist he encourages people to preserve and nurture nature.

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary – Indian Wolf

We came across many interesting birds and animals on jeep safari. Nauradehi wildlife tour is focused on birding and wildlife safari as well. The main emphasis of the Nauradehi tour will be on trekking rare tigers besides enjoying other wildlife of the park. The Indian Wolf is the keystone species since tigers and leopards are rare. New bird findings like grey creeper and white bellied blue flycatcher are an encouragement.  The sanctuary offers forest as well wetland birding since water bodies are home to many wetland bird species.

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is a short distance from Jabalpur town. The tour offers one day trip to the sanctuary as well as  Rani Durgawati wildlife sanctuary nearby. Those en route to Kanha, Pench or Bandhavgarh can spend a day on Jeep Safari in both the sanctuaries to add on the wildlife sightings.

The package tour is full on board with accommodation at Penthouse Homestay Hotel in and to and fro for this wildlife safari.  For bird watchers the tour offers exciting birding at a new destination.

Planning a tiger safari

The best places to see Bengal tigers in the wild are in India. Hence when you plan for a tiger safari you plan for a trip to India. This trip will certainly include many other aspects other than wildlife watching. India is a diverse country and beautiful so it is worth exploring all aspects of the country.

You can begin by exploring Indian destinations and tiger reserves on Internet since there is enough information in this regard. Another option for organizing and tiger safari and sightseeing trip to India is to look for  tour operator packages to India which have destination you wish for in the itinerary.     Many of these tours are customizable or can be tailor made according to your choice. Variation in a package tour will cost less if you add nearby destinations. Major changes in the itinerary will cost very high. 

The best places to see tigers in the wild are Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench tiger reserves so see that these reserves are included in the package other interesting wildlife destinations are Ranthambhore and Corbett. If you are interested in package tour to Kerala then Periyar is an interesting tiger reserve to see bison, wild dogs and wild elephants. 

Check websites of  National Park. Also check the websites of Pench, Bandhavgarh and other reserves. Do this to  find out about accommodation mention in the packages. Are they right for you or do you prefer another hotel.  Check out the best seasons to visit these parks for tiger sighting, animal watching and birding. You need minimum three nights to see the tiger and broad spectrum of wildlife in the parks. Does your package offer three nights stay? Check the season does it suit? Summers in India are very hot and winters very cold. You need warm clothing for winters in India.    

Chalk out your food preferences and inform the tour operator for Indian food can be hot and spicy.  You need wildlife books, binoculars and a nature guide for holistic experience in the park does the hotels provide that? Of course you should carry your own binocs.   

Wild Safari Tours in India

India is  rich in biodiversity hence rich in wildlife and bird life. The country has more than three hundred mammalian species, 2600 species of birds including sub species and amazing variety of reptiles and insects including butterflies.
This phenomenal wildlife is due to different zoo geographical zones diverse terrain – elevated and plain, distinct flora and fauna elements that thrive in desert, scrub, riverine, grassland and forested ecosystems.

The main zoo geographical zones that have distinct habitats and flora and fauna are the Himalayas, Thar desert, Western and Eastern Ghats, Central Indian highlands, Gangetic plains and Deccan plateau or Indian Peninsula. Western Gujarat which has Gir National Park famous for lion safari and Arunachal Pradesh with Indo Chinese sub flora and fauna in true tropical forests of the North East Indian states.

The best way to see Indian wildlife is to go on a wildlife safari at National Parks situated in various parts of India with major animals and birds peculiar to those regions.  The National Parks offer well organized tourism infrastructure for wildlife safaris in India.

One must first choose the keystone species that one has a desire to see and them go for a safari there. For those interested in birding tour Bharatpur is the best place. For tigers Bandhavgarh and Kanha preserves in Central India. For Rhino, Kaziranga is the ideal safari park while Corbett and Periyar are the best place to see wild elephants in India.

There are many other interesting birds and animals to be seen in India but one must first find out about them.  The potential of wildlife safaris in India is limitless and thousands of tourists from India and abroad visit wildlife heavens. There are many states which have yet to highlight wildlife that there is. There is a concerted effort that is required to highlight Indian wildlife so that more and more people from all over the World come to see it. Not only tigers but all wildlife and natural places offer immense scope for eco tourism.

Wildlife of Kerala

India is a diverse country and overwhelmingly diverse when it comes to wildlife, habitats and zoo geographical zones. The animals, birds and flora are unique in distant regions of India.

Visiting tiger reserves on wildlife safaris in distant states will definitely offer new experiences to the tourist. Likewise  Southern India is rich in biodiversity. Regions like the Nilgiri Hills in the Western Ghats are home to diverse forms of life.

Kerala is one of the prime wildlife destinations in India.There are many National Parks and tiger reserves in the state. Many hill resorts also offer wildlife and bird watching opportunities. There are many endemic animals and birds found in the state. These are found nowhere else and can be seen in the protected areas in Kerala. The state is home to wild elephants and tigers which are major tourist attraction.

During your Kerala tour you can visit Periyar tiger reserve and many others. Periyar offers extensive wildlife viewing and major mammals like wild elephant, tiger and Indian bison. Though tiger sightings are not as high as Kanha or

Bandhavgarh the wildlife experience in totality is something not to be missed.

Periyar also referred to as Thekkady is spread in an area of 777 sq.kms and is one of the finest tiger reserve in India. At Periyar one can go for nature walk, border hiking, adventure trekking and bamboo rafting apart from wildlife safari in the park. Most of these nature programs are organized by the administration and are conservation oriented.

Periyar nature preserve is situated in Idukki district of Kerala and can be reached:
Air

Cochin : 190 Kms.
Thiruvananthapuram : 267 Kms.
Madurai: 140 Kms.

Rail
Kottayam : 114 Kms.
Changanassery: 120 Kms.
Ernakulam : 190 Kms.
Madurai : 135 Kms.

Road
Bus links to / from Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Kottayam, Munnar & Madurai.

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.

Tiger Safari at Kanha

Read my account of an amazing wild tiger safari at Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Me and my tourist friends where able to spot six tigers in two days. It was simply amazing, I had never had such good tiger sightings ever. Though I have often seen four to five tigers in one trip but never had a tiger safari like this. WOW!

After the tourist rush is over by January 2nd week. It is tiger time at Kanha since there is less disturbance and water holes elsewhere start to dry up. Good times then begin with lots of wildlife at your doorstep. Although to be quite honest there can be dry days without much sightings. That is Indian jungle life for you…the element of surprise…

We were lucky enough to sight another secondary carnivore..the wild dog or dhole as the animal is known in India. We could not see the whole pack but could spot three of them two being the Alpha pair perhaps.

Plus we came across the rare endangered Hard Ground Barasingha or Swamp Deer (cervus duvauceli branderi)and Asia’s largest deer Sambar (cervus unicolor) the ubiquitous chital or spotted deer (axis axis)which is the main prey base of tertiary carnivores like the leopard and the bengal tiger in Indian jungles.

It was a fantastic trip for my guests from UK who did lot of tiger photography as well. They got some exciting photos of the tigers in the wild. Kanha is most visited by photographers and filmmakers during the summers. These months offer good sunlight and longer days.