Bandhavgarh has always been the family favourite for tiger encounters - its difficult to return from there without a sighting. So, when Swarup, my husband, suggested a Ranthambhore trip with about 20 other people (colleagues and family), my son, Rudraksh, and I went with an open mind.
We did the trip in April - a terrible time to visit Ranthambhore or any other place in Rajasthan ! We got sun-burnt, got splitting headaches, stomach upsets (though, probably the resort food had something to do with that !). Some portions of the park were a little disappointing - unlike Bandhavgarh while has lush fields / forests, Ranthambhore can be quite bare.
Like most national parks in India, two safaris are allowed daily for tourists - one starting at about 6.30 a.m. and another at about 2.30 p.m. Each safari is for 3 and a half hours.While most people go with a one-point agenda of seeing a tiger, the jungle itself is quite captivating. The birds, the deer, the nilgais and the cool, cool breeze on an otherwise hot day is fascinating in itself. The heat and the dust...well, you notice them only after returning from the safari !
Even more interesting than the tiger-sighting, is the tracking preceding it. The superstitious jump into the canters of drivers who have been lucky during the season and completely avoid fellow-tourists who have not. Close buddies turn foes as they fight for that last seat on the favoured canter. The pugmarks and the warning calls (of monkeys / deer) all add up to the excitement. There have been times when we have spent more than an hour listening to the calls of a 'dumb' monkey and not had a glimpse of the tiger. And the stories that follow at the resort after one group has sighted a tiger...:-)
It was on our second day at Ranthambhore on route no.3 that we got to see a tiger, happily drinking water from a little pond he found under the shade of the forest trees. He took no notice of us till he had had his fill, ambling away nonchalantly after quenching his thirst. He did model for some photos, though. He made our day, and our trip.
There are many other fascinating animals and birds in the park and one should not get disappointed if the tiger is elusive. We got to see crocodiles, vultures (which are so rare these days), a dancing peacock on a hot summer afternoon, treepies which literally ate out of our hands, an owlet and many others. As a prelude to Mother's Day, we also got to see a monkey with her baby and a deer feeding her baby !
We did the trip in April - a terrible time to visit Ranthambhore or any other place in Rajasthan ! We got sun-burnt, got splitting headaches, stomach upsets (though, probably the resort food had something to do with that !). Some portions of the park were a little disappointing - unlike Bandhavgarh while has lush fields / forests, Ranthambhore can be quite bare.
Like most national parks in India, two safaris are allowed daily for tourists - one starting at about 6.30 a.m. and another at about 2.30 p.m. Each safari is for 3 and a half hours.While most people go with a one-point agenda of seeing a tiger, the jungle itself is quite captivating. The birds, the deer, the nilgais and the cool, cool breeze on an otherwise hot day is fascinating in itself. The heat and the dust...well, you notice them only after returning from the safari !
Even more interesting than the tiger-sighting, is the tracking preceding it. The superstitious jump into the canters of drivers who have been lucky during the season and completely avoid fellow-tourists who have not. Close buddies turn foes as they fight for that last seat on the favoured canter. The pugmarks and the warning calls (of monkeys / deer) all add up to the excitement. There have been times when we have spent more than an hour listening to the calls of a 'dumb' monkey and not had a glimpse of the tiger. And the stories that follow at the resort after one group has sighted a tiger...:-)
It was on our second day at Ranthambhore on route no.3 that we got to see a tiger, happily drinking water from a little pond he found under the shade of the forest trees. He took no notice of us till he had had his fill, ambling away nonchalantly after quenching his thirst. He did model for some photos, though. He made our day, and our trip.
There are many other fascinating animals and birds in the park and one should not get disappointed if the tiger is elusive. We got to see crocodiles, vultures (which are so rare these days), a dancing peacock on a hot summer afternoon, treepies which literally ate out of our hands, an owlet and many others. As a prelude to Mother's Day, we also got to see a monkey with her baby and a deer feeding her baby !
Tips :
- The most obvious - carry loads of sunscreen, cap, scarf, anything that helps you to cool off.
- Avoid route no. 6 if you can - its difficult to get a sighting there.
- Carry the best camera you can afford.
No comments:
Post a Comment