Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park is one of India’s most renowned national parks. Located where the Aravali Range and plateau of the Vindhyas meet, Ranthambore National Park was once where the royals of Jaipur hunted. The national park is also considered a prominent heritage site due to the ancient ruins found inside.

The town of Sawai Madhopur is the gateway to the national park with a thriving biodiversity set among ancient religious structures, several man-made lakes and aesthetically-crumbling cenotaphs.

Although flanked by the Banas River to the north and the Chambal River to the south, the many lakes inside are not fed by either of the rivers’ waters. Having been declared a national park in 1980 with focus on protection of the endangered tiger, adjacent forests were merged with the Ranthambore National Park a little more than a decade later. The Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Kaldevi Sanctuary became part of the tiger reserve, making the national park at Ranthambore one of India’s largest.

You are bound to be enthralled to watch the splendid tiger roam about in its natural habitat, in the wild! Alternating between dry deciduous forests and swathes of grasslands, the Ranthambore National Park is recognised as one of the best places in the country to spot tigers. Today, sprawling across a little more than 1300 square kilometres including core and buffer area, the Ranthambore National Park is every wildlife enthusiast, photographer and a spirited traveller’s haven.

Ranthambore Safaris
Safari 1: A group of five left Gurgaon at 7.30 am to reach Ranthambore by 2.30 pm, in time for lunch and the afternoon safari at 3.30 pm. As we went up one of the fork tines at Bhoot Kohra Tiraha (translation: ghost inhabited, foggy, fork in the road) we saw a flash of orange, which turned out to be a tiger. And, Machli no less. She followed our jeep for almost 800 metres, pausing to cool herself in the many puddles along the way. While we were admiring Machli, a peacock decided to distract us by dancing on the other side of the jeep. So, we had Machli behind the jeep, and a dancing peacock in the front! This, for sure, is a Ranthambore safari in all its glory.
Machli, the Queen of Ranthambore, is well documented as a slayer of crocodiles - her battle with a 14-foot one is legendary. She’s the matriarch of Ranthambore, having borne several tigers that roam the forest today. Now she’s an old lady of 17 years and has lost most of her canines. When we saw her, she looked a bit emaciated but her gaze was still quite fearsome. Want to know more about Machli?

Safari 2: Our second Ranthambore safari was planned for the next day at 5.30 am to zone 1. We came back from this one without spotting a tiger, but with a lesson learnt: patience is a virtue. This zone is known to house Noor and her two 3-month old tiger cubs. We reached a spot surrounded by tens of jeeps and canters. We could hear the tigress’ growl and set our expectations high. But then rumour went around that the tigress had just had water and was not likely to come out in the open. So we decided to leave the spot, and the patient ones who did see the tigress and her cubs.

Safari 3: We were off to the forest again at 3.30 pm and went straight to the watering hole where the cubs had been sighted in the morning. After a short wait, tiger Noor walked up to the watering hole and stayed there for a good 30 minutes, drinking water, cooling herself, occasionally calling on her cubs and, well, posing majestically for over a 50 cameras. She then got up to go to the cubs, and came down the hill with the little ones in toe. By this time, there was a literal traffic jam of at least 15 jeeps and canters. While this did not ruffle Noor, she was cautious enough to not let her cubs come too close to human beings! They stayed several 100 feet away, but we could clearly see them romping playfully around mommy.

Safari 4: Our last Ranthambore safari was to zone 3, where tiger Krishna (T-19) and her three cubs are known to be seen. Krishna had recently laid a litter of four, of which three have survived. The tiger cubs eluded us, but we were rewarded with the sighting of Suraj (T65) a male descendant of Machli's. At three years, Suraj is a sub-adult, but to our eyes he was no less than a full grown tiger. This majestic guy posed for our shutterbugs and also walked the catwalk right behind our jeep!

Opening and closing hours of Park and Safari Timing

Morning Trips:
From 1st October to 31st October is 7 am to 10.30 am.
From 1st November to 31st January is 7 am to 10.30 am.
From 1st February to 31st March is 6.30 am to 10 am.
From 1st April to 15th May is from 6 am to 9.30 am.
From 15th May to 30th June is from 6 am to 9.30 am.
From 15th May to 30th June is from 3.30 pm to 7 pm

Evenging Trips:
From 1st October to 31st October is 2.30 pm to 6 pm
From 1st November to 31st January is 7 pm to 5.30 pm
From 1st February to 31st March is 2.30 pm to 6 pm
From 1st April to 15th May is from 3 pm to 6.30 pm

Rajasthan Wildlife

Rajasthan brings to mind the images of forts, palaces, lakes, colourful festivals and the mighty Thar Desert. Rajasthan is a land of varied topography, ranging from the semi green forests of Mount Abu to dry grasslands of the desert, and from the dry deciduous thorn forest of Aravali to wetlands of Bharatpur. Each of these areas is home to variety of rare as well as endangered animal and bird species. The sanctuaries and the wildlife parks here attract the migratory birds and become their temporary home. Migratory birds like the common crane, ducks, coots, pelicans and the rare Siberian cranes, imperial sand grouse, falcons, buzzards flocks to this state during the winter season. In the season time, the whole place echoes with enchanting sounds and fascinating visuals against the sprawling meadow of flora. Each of these areas is a haven for a wide spectrum of wildlife, bestowing the state with some of the most fascinating wildlife sanctuaries in India.

With its unconventional beauty and varied attractions, Rajasthan simply charms its way into our hearts. However, there is another aspect of Rajasthan that draws visitors in hordes. Well, it is Rajasthan's rich wildlife that makes adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts flock its national parks and wildlife sanctuaries every year. A very well known fact is that Rajasthan has a variety of flora and fauna. Rajasthan is the haven of the tigers and many endangered species. Rajasthan is the home of some rare species of tigers, blackbucks, chinkara, the desert fox, the endangered caracal, the great Indian bustard, gavial, monitor lizard, wild boars, porcupine, etc. The leopard (panther) here is found in forests and in open degraded forest areas with rocky outcrops adjoining towns and villages. Each type of ecosystem is host to some rare species, so they have been marked as special area wildlife.

Rajasthan boasts of three national parks and over a dozen sanctuaries that offer a fascinating variety of birds and beasts, of flora and fauna and of hilly and forested terrain. Most of these areas are open to visitors round the year but are closed briefly during the monsoon. The wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan offer some of the best wildlife tours in India and can be explored either by jeep or on elephant back. So, get set for a jeep or elephant safari and enjoy a close encounter with the wild beasts and beautiful birds in their natural habitat. For those looking for adventure, these wildlife sanctuaries of Rajasthan provide the kind of excitement that really makes the adrenaline flow.

The Nahargarh Biological Park has a variety of vegetation and several species of wild beasts. The Jhalana Nature Trail, Arboretum Park, Amrita Devi Park and Machia Safari Park are the other popular ones. Around 550 species of birds can be traced in the lakes, ponds, marshlands and grasslands of Rajasthan. They are an absolute paradise for bird lovers most of which are residents. The best colony of birds in the world is Kealodeo National Park situated in Bharatpur. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur is a bird sanctuary that is visited, every year, by our feathered friend from distant lands. It is famous for the exotic Spoonbills and Siberian Cranes. It has more than 400 species of birds and more than 130 of them breed inside the park. Being a unique bird place, the UNSECO has recognized it as a world heritage site. The Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ranthambore National Park are tiger reserves and homes to the royal Indian tiger. These destinations have a large variety of other wild species including the wild boar, jackal, sambar and nilgai. The Ranthambore National Park is also a heritage site, as it houses the magnificent ruins of a thousand-year-old fort.

The best season for bird watching begins with the onset of winter when marshlands and lakes are inhabited by migratory birds as well as resident birds. Flamingos, too can be seen in salt-water lakes like Pachpadra near Barmer and Sambhar near Jaipur. The major wetlands other than Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

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