Ranthambore National Park is the best place to spot wild tigers in Rajasthan. Tucked between the rugged Aravalli and Vindhya hills, the park boasts a spectacular landscape filled with boulder-strewn highland plateaus, lakes and rivers. Deriving its name from the crumbling but impressive Ranthambore fort the park is dotted with old forts and abandoned mosques that create a wonderful environment for both bird and mammal viewing.
The park was once where the royals of Jaipur hunted but today you are sure to be enthralled as the splendid Royal Bengal Tiger roam about in its natural habitat. Declared a national park in 1980 with a focus on protection of the endangered tiger and other threatened wildlife the park was expanded by merging the adjacent forests a little more than a decade later. Although flanked by the Banas River to the north and the Chambal River to the south, the many lakes inside were man made and not river fed.
Alternating between dry deciduous forests and swathes of grasslands and 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. Not the least camera-shy, the tigers of Ranthambore are openly on the prowl much to the delight of visitors.
Leopards are scattered across the park in significant numbers, while mammals like the Nilgai, Striped Hyena, Jackal, Wild Boar, Indian Flying Fox, Sloth Bear, Jungle Cat and many others inhabit the forests. The reptiles need a special mention, and the park is home to a large population of Snub-Nosed March crocodiles, Monitor lizard, Indian chameleon, Ganges Soft-Shell turtle, and snakes like the Cobra, Common Krait, and Indian Python.
There is no accommodation in the park and my home for three days was at gorgeous Sher Bagh which is a tented camp comprising of 12 luxurious tents and located a short drive from the park. Inspired by the safari encampments of the 1920s, each tent is furnished with 19th century ‘Campaign Style’ furniture and has all the comforts you could wish for on safari. Sher Bagh was among India’s first luxury tented camps and promotes sustainable tourism. The ecologically friendly resort provides high levels of service and a faultless Ranthambore experience.
During our visit we enjoyed an early morning and afternoon safari every day with plenty of time in between to relax and soak up the camp atmosphere. We saw a fabulous parade of wildlife including the spectacular Royal Bengal Tiger and Slouth Bear. It was a privilege to see this magnificent animal in its natural surroundings.
Click here to read more of Glenda’s India travel blogs.
