Greater Andaman (January 2024) - Isles. Love. Birds

The Andamans. For most people a water paradise. For a few others, it is one of the finest places to bird in India. With almost 3 dozen endemic species and a whole host of others which are best found on these wonderful islands. A dear friend's milestone birthday celebrations provided the perfect opportunity for a visit, and the birding part also slotted in beautifully. The family and friends leg was absolutely sensational, spending a lot of time togethers and also exploring some marine life. The highlight was a pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins, playing along with our boat, swimming alongside and in front of us. it was absolutely enthralling and a bonus of magical proportions. The birding part then took over, with Jay, Lakpa, Aditya and me led by the wonderful Vikram Shill and his team. 

All four of us congregated at Port Blair one warm afternoon, to be met by Clement, Vikram's right hand. A quick lunch and we were ready to rock and roll. We drove straight to the Sippighat area where in a large waterbody, we got our first endemic bird of the trip; the beautiful Andaman Teal. One of the rare avian species where the female is far more striking than the male, at least I think so, with their chocolate colour and beautiful eye-rings. As we turned to leave, an Andaman Coucal (another endemic) whizzed past, right in front of us and settled into a thick bush, with no chance of any further sightings. We left that spot and headed towards a small patch of mangrove forest. Our first meeting with Vikram happened there, he was with a couple of Dutch birders. After exchanging pleasantries we quickly got on to the task at hand and got some immediate results - a distant sighting of Blue-eared Kingfisher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Yellow Bittern, Chestnut-headed & Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and a White-bellied Sea Eagle gliding majestically above us. 

A nudge from Clement and we were back in the car, heading to the Ograbraj wetland where we would try and look for stints, a couple of warblers and some swifts. One of the first birds we found there was an Oriental Reed Warbler, on an island within the waterbody. It took a spotting scope to see the bird clearly but it was a lifer all right! We waited for Edible-nest and Blyth's Swifts to make an appearance but only the omnipresent Plume-toed Swifts seemed to be in attendance. With darkness falling rose our expectations for one of the Andamans' renowned birding activities - Owling! With 6 endemic species of owls and a Nightjar, it is a really rewarding place to bird after dark. And with Vikram leading us (fortified by a lovely cup of tea) we knocked off Owl after Owl that evening. The first on the list was the Andaman Scops Owl and a very cooperative customer it proved to be.

A kilometre or so along and it was the turn of the Andaman Boobook (Hawk-owl) to grant us an audience. It was like we were in owl central! We spent as little time as possible with these birds, to ensure that their daily hunt wasn't too impacted and Vikram led us down another little path where we encountered the Walden's Scops Owl (a sub-species of the Oriental Scops Owl) It flew by so close to us, that I could literally feel the breeze from its wings on my face. Our heads were spinning and we were only brought down to earth slightly when we found that the Andaman Masked Owl would prove to be a distant sighting. There were two of them sitting under the roof of a school building and while we tried to get ourselves into a vantage position to get a photo, it wasn't possible. So we contented ourselves with distant sightings and a record shot or two. And that ended a spectacular first session of birding. If this was a precedent, then the following sessions would have a very tough act to follow, we all thought. But then, what did we know?

The next morning was to be spent at named Chidiyatapu (literally translated as Bird Island) a place I'd read about in several peoples' birding accounts. And the anticipation was that a lot of the Andamanese endemics would be seen there. But we hadn't really expected the morning to be as productive - Clement drove/guided us to a spot alongside the road, flanked by a forest of tall trees on the right. And standing almost at one spot we ticked off Andaman Woodpecker, Drongo, Bulbul, Treepie and Coucal. Added to these were the Asian Glossy Starling and Red-breasted Parakeets. It was like being in avian wonderland, with the only complaint being that the birds were a bit far for photography. Nevertheless, the binoculars and scope were put to good use! 

Further on, near the Wild Grass resort, we found another endemic - the Andaman Green Pigeon along with their cousins, the non-endemic Green Imperial Pigeons. The former gave us a faraway photo against grey skies, so still no decent photography. We then entered the Biological Park and almost at once, ran into the female of an Ornate Sunbird having her breakfast. She didn't mind in the least being clicked during her meal, which was very kind of her. Finally, some photos to break the morning duck. We spent the rest of the morning within the Park, getting more endemics including the White-headed Starling, Freckle-breasted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Parakeet. The Andaman Wood Pigeon eluded us, like it would for the next few days. And it seemed like the Andaman Serpent Eagle would too, till Clement's 'eagle-eyes' spotted it in the middle of thick foliage. It was a prized sighting, the only endemic raptor for this part of the Andamans and one whose sightings had gone from regular to uncommon. A great morning overall!

We came back to Chidiyatapu that afternoon, reacquainted ourselves with our friend the eagle, and headed out with Vikram for the two remaining night birds. Hume's Boobook and Andaman Nightjar. The former proved a slightly more challenging customer to engage with, with a few attempts before we got one agreeable personality. He then proceeded to introduce us to his missus, albeit at a fair distance. Wouldn't blame him, after all you wouldn't want to take a chance with a jeepful of men! Just as we were willing to bid him adieu, he flew up to a tree right in front of us, but with something green in his talons. He'd brought dinner! A grasshopper for those curious about the menu. He polished it off and winged it, leaving as also a little bit hungry; but for another endemic bird - the Andaman Nightjar.

This sighting was a testament to how well Vikram and Clement know the habitat and its birds. We walked down a grassy slope towards some shrub. A flick of the torch and Vikram announced that the bird was there. We slowly and carefully walked slightly closer, saw the bird, got a few frames and headed straight back out. Done in less than five minutes! Another spectacular day with our tally of new birds already close to 25! The next day would see us headed to Shoal Bay for some more specialities, including the Andaman Crake and Ruddy Kingfisher. And off we went, early in the morning, on a ferry across the bay. A lovely, early morning breakfast of steaming hot idlis at Wimberlyganj was the perfect way to start the day as we headed further in towards Kalatang.

Sometimes, things can change in an instant while you're birding. The first hour produced pretty much nothing apart from an against light sighting of an Andaman Cuckooshrike. And then, like magic, the birds started pouring out. An Arctic Warbler started things off, followed by Andaman Flowerpecker, Freckle-breasted Woodpecker and White-headed Starlings. Not wanting to be left out, our friend the Cuckooshrike also decided to take part in the photoshoot. Too much FOMO, even amongst birds! A flock of minivets got us all excited, as we prayed for one of them to be an Ashy Minivet, but without luck. We then sat at a place for the Andaman Crake, waiting for it to cross the path ahead. Even as we waited, we first heard (that call seems less crake and more tiger-like!) and then clearly saw the bird in the mangroves to our left. But when it crossed the road, it was at least a hundred metres ahead and in horrible light. Anyways, at least we got to see it!

The Ruddy Kingfisher kept calling from deep within the mangroves but did not deign to make an appearance. In that quest however, we got a bonus, as a flycatcher sized bird popped out from the mangroves and into our frames - a Mangrove Whistler, one more of the in-demand species. We shot a few frames and said goodbye to Shoal Bay. Back at Port Blair and at Chatham jetty and Vikram showed us a Pied Imperial Pigeon (tucked away in a tree right overhead) and a Western Reef Heron against the pier! The lifers kept racking up even on our third day!

A nice cold shower and a lunch that included a cold beer revved the spirits even more as we ventured out to look for a few 'sure-shots' that had eluded us - Long-toed & Red-necked Stints, Red-throated Pipit and the endemic Swifts. The regular wetland spots had been filled up with the recent rain and the Stints were absconding. We finally found the Long-toed chap in a quite squalid pool, with a Common Redshank as bodyguard. A few distant shots was all we got, even as Jay and Lakpa spotted a Watercock and went to investigate further. The rest of us walked towards a huge open scrubland, but any hopes of Pipit were quickly dashed as only the resident Grey Wagtails scurried busily to and fro, no doubt to catch our attention.

The following morning was a break from terrestrial birding as we were to head a bit into the seas to look for a couple of Terns - Black-naped (resident) and Roseate. Manju on his recent trip had seen a flock of more than a hundred birds so our expectations were high. As we stepped into the little pier to board our fishing boat (called Dhungi) we looked at the water alongside and to our amazement, we saw a live coral reef, buzzing with activity - fish of all shapes, sizes and colours, an eel and even an Octopus! We almost forgot about the birds for a few minutes, mesmerised as we were with the marine life just a few feet beneath us. But the arrival of the boat brought us back to the task at hand. And we spent an extremely pleasant couple of hours traversing the open seas, looking for birds. Except that we found practically none! No huge flocks waiting to receive us, not even a single one for the first hour. And then, a nonplussed Vikram pointed to a solitary chap on a big rock- it was a Black-naped Tern. We thanked our stars and this lovely chap for the sighting, clicked a few snaps and headed back to the jetty. 

Back on terra firma and we had another dekko at the reef when Vikram called us to celebrate another lifer, on the wires right above us - Pacific Swallows! Lovely little fellows, if a tad frisky. We left them to walkabout in the nearby forest where a pair of Andaman Shamas gave us an audience but no great photos for me. That afternoon began with a distant sighter of the Red-necked Stint in a large waterbody. Another lifer! We headed back to the Ograbraj wetlands where our first species was a Richard's Pipit, followed very quickly by a Red-throated Pipit. I finally had my lifer! This chap was quite the runner, never in one place, but I got a few record shots. That place also gave us decent sightings of the Oriental Reed Warbler and also the Black-browed Reed Warbler (no photos though) It all tied up nicely at sunset as the Edible Nest Swifts kept flying above us. Why they're called that is a fascinating story (one to Google for sure) And so, even on an average day (according to Vikram) we'd scored almost double digit lifers; what a place this is.

The next morning saw us head back to the wetlands, this time to get a better sighter of the Warblers. And while the Oriental Reed Warbler was willing to pose in the open, his Black-browed cousin sulked and skulked as always. But the moment of the morning came from a sighting of the Pallas' Grasshopper Warbler, another remarkable species! Off it was to Chidiyatapu, for some photography and also to check out the Andaman Wood Pigeon. These chaps were totally absconding, as Vikram and Clement searched high and low. 

Photography of some other species was not bad, though the Treepies were a literal pain in the neck, hopping from tall tree to taller tree as they played hide and seek. We finally gave up on the Pigeons and were almost at the exit gate when we saw a few Andaman Bulbuls feeding on some berries. We stopped to enjoy the scene when Clement and I saw a small, pale bird in the tree right above us. We first thought it was a flycatcher, but on closer look, it turned out to be a warbler. And not just any warbler, but a Two-barred Warbler!! A rare species, first seen in the Andamans just a couple of weeks earlier. We'd heard about the sighting but hadn't expected to see it, and to get it was the absolute crowning moment of our entire trip. The pice weren't great since the bird was high up in the canopy, but to just see the bird was an absolute privilege! Beer and lunch tasted all that much more special.

We rounded off the day with another special endemic - The Andaman Cuckoo-dove. For an hour, there was no sign of it but it finally made an appearance, again high up in the canopy. And, just like that we were down to our last full day. Vikram spelt out the schedule, we would mop up what was left, starting with the Ruddy Kingfisher. So it was the ferry-idli-Kalatang routine again. Except that this time, the Kingfisher was in the house. Deep in the mangroves, but definitely visible. The scope was set up with alacrity and we enjoyed great views of this beauty! There was still time that morning for another lifer - we drove another 50kms to Wandoor Beach to look for another endemic beauty - the White-breasted Woodswallow. We navigated several picnickers and groups who had come to enjoy their Sunday morning and walked to the far side of the beach, and lo! on a dead tree sat two little birdies - the ones we had come to see. A few frames were taken and life was much much better. Even on Day 5, we were knocking off lifers and that too after seeing so many already. Unbelievable!

That afternoon saw us head to a spot near the Port Blair jetty which had a patch of mangroves, the roosting spot for yet another lifer - Daurian Starlings. We arrived early and waited patiently, till a flock of around a hundred starlings flew up and twisted this way and that, before diving into the mangroves and out of sight. A couple of smaller flocks followed and we were able to get a lovely sighter and some record shots of this lovely bird. Vikram has told us that we could find an occasional Chestnut-cheeked Starling in this flock, but checking all the images later, they all seemed Daurian. A hot cup of tea at the local Anna's stall and life was really worth living. The last morning was a stab at the Wood Pigeon at Mt. Harriet, without any luck. it would be the only time we didn't get ourselves a lifer!

This was probably one of the longest posts I've written. Thank you for soldiering on through. But the fact is, I've only covered half of the activity that we witnessed and the species we saw. If this was not birding paradise I don't know what is. I came away having added 42 new species to my list, the most in many, many years. With Vikram and Clement and the rest of his team, it was an absolute hoot! Birding and good friends, what more can one want? 

Here's hoping for an encore but with Little Andaman and the Nicobar Islands the next time around. Till then!

Greater Andaman Trip Guide

The Andaman Islands are known far more for their marine life and aqua sports, and with good reason. The coral life in some parts is just sensational. But for a birder, The Greater Andamans alone can get potentially 40+ new species, if not more. Including 20+ endemics, found nowhere else on the planet.

Getting there

Port Blair is a direct (or one stop) flight away from most Indian cities. We got a direct flight in from Mumbai, which saved us a lot of time. You're based in Port Blair and most of the birding happens in and around.

Stay

Despite being a tourist (transit hub) Port Blair does not really have a wide variety of places to stay, as one would expect. But Vikram being a local, he put us up in a comfortable hotel, very close to the city centre and the airport.

Naturalist (guides)

Vikram Shil is the original master of the Andamans. His knowledge is amazing, his work ethic is spectacular and most importantly, he's a fantastic human being. You will have an amazing time with him. Clement, his gifted and able deputy is also a special talent. You can reach Vikram on 9434262681. But you have to book months in advance, because he's much in demand!

Shakti Vel is another of the local legends and there's Arun Singh. I haven't traveled with them but they come highly recommended too.

Best times of year to visit

November through February is probably a decent time, it gets even hotter in the subsequent months, before the heavens open up for the monsoon.

Uttarakhand (January 2024) - Back to my first love

The Uttarakhand Himalayas have a particularly close place in my heart, and not just for the amazing birding. It was where I actually went from a birding enthusiast to die-hard birder, after a magical few days with Hari Lama nearly a decade ago. Since then, I've made several trips back there and it's been special every single time. And so, when a long-ish weekend popped up and brothers-in-crime Jaysingh and Manjunath also keen, a trip was quickly put together. On the wishlist this time were some special birds, including the Cheer Pheasant which both Jay and Manju particularly wanted. An overnight train from a rather chilly Delhi dropped us early in the morning at Ramnagar, on the outskirts of the Corbett Tiger Reserve where we were met by Hari Lama, and we headed straight to Cheer-capital - Manila.

This town, about 3 hours from Corbett has become famous in recent times for its Cheer Pheasant sightings and we were hoping that the place lived up to its reputation. A pleasant drive later, we arrived at Cheer-point. And waited. And waited some more. Lamaji paced up and down, peering and squinting down the grassy slopes for a sign of the Cheer, but there was none forthcoming. Not even a single call. Manju got a record shot of a White-headed Bunting and some Black-headed Jays hung around, but apart from that, there was total silence. We headed to breakfast at Manila village, hoping that this was an aberration. Sadly, it would not be the case.

We checked in at the comfortable Manila Birding Lodge and a lovely lunch later, we set out in a different direction. We drove downwards into the valley and at one point Lama ji stopped the car and said we'll walk around a bit. And almost immediately, in the backyard of a little home he spotted what would become the bird of the trip- Black-throated Accentor! A bird I'd been looking for a long time, and one of those that proved frustratingly elusive. Not any more, as a small flock foraged in the little field and one or two took up positions in the thorn bushes above. We got a few decent images of one particularly co-operative bird. It sat at the same place, allowed us to get reasonably close and even preened and strutted a little bit. Maybe it was eyeing a career in films and thought we were paps who could give it a break.

Anyhow, the spirits underwent a dramatic lift after this remarkable lifer. Only to be dented a bit by the non-appearance of the Mountain Scops Owl. We heard calls all over the place, including right in front of the lodge, but it stubbornly refused to show itself, despite all of Lama ji's efforts to coax it out. Nevertheless, dinner tasted better that night and the optimism for a Cheer or six the next morning was reasonably high. And the next morning we were back at Cheer point, to set up a long stakeout. And once again, we got nothing. Maybe the recent burning of the grass on the higher slopes could have disrupted the Cheer's usual routine. Whatever the reason, we got nothing. A pair of females - Pink-browed Rosefinch and Blue-capped Redstart tried their best to revive our spirits, but it didn't really work.

Post brekkies, we set out for Kaladhungi, on the outskirts of Corbett Tiger Reserve, where we would spend the next couple of days. The targets were Grey-crowned Prinia, Immaculate (Nepal) Cupwing and Yellow-breasted Bunting. The usual Cupwing spot near the Garjiya temple was overrun with people and cars, it being a Sunday and seemingly everyone in a 100km radius feeling the need to offer their prayers. We gave up that particular spot and tried along the riverbank. A beautiful Crimson Sunbird gave us a belter of a sighting and Manju got some remarkable photos of a hunting Plumbeous Redstart. And as we were wrapping up and heading back, a Himalayan Rubythroat (lifer to both Jay and Manju) made an appearance and played a bit of hide and seek in the scrub. And that was that for the day.

Lamaji took us to some nearby hills the next morning to try for the Prinia. We climbed high and low, walked about almost endlessly but without any evidence of the Prinia. And this was prime habitat for the bird! Talk about bad luck. The highlight was a lovely little waterfall where Manju indulged his wide-angled landscape itch. That apart, a Black Bulbul flitted about and a Grey-breasted Prinia briefly raised hopes, which were quickly dashed. We went to yet another place to try for this bird, and there too were met with total silence. It was almost like all the Grey-crowned Prinias were on vacation together. Driving back, Lamaji spotted a bird in the puddle on the roadside and proclaimed "Chestnut-eared Bunting" - a lifer for Jay and one where I was looking for a better photo. Managed a decent one in harsh light and felt a little better.

That afternoon, we headed to the Haripura Dam to look for buntings. Amidst the flock of Black and Red-headed Buntings lay the tantalising prospect of finding their rare Yellow-breasted cousin. And we looked at every Bunting that came our way with eagle eyes, but apart from one which looked slightly different (but flew off into the distance before we could get a photo) we didn't see any evidence of the rarity. And so dawned the final morning. We headed to the previous day's spot with intel that both Prinia and Cupwing made it their home. And almost at once, we saw evidence of the latter as it flitted to and fro in a thick bush right along the road. Frustratingly, it refused to come out and grant an audience. The Prinia obdurately refused to even acknowledge our existence and it was with a heavy heart that we had to accept defeat and retreat. A small flock of Common Green Magpies and White-crested & Striated Laughingthrushes gamely tried to lift our spirits, but we knew when we were beaten.

Lamaji of course refused to stop trying, stopping at various spots along the way to try for the Cupwing. The highlight was a lovely walk though a very promising birding area, with Black Bulbuls and Blue-throated Barbets offering lovely sightings. That led to a little bridge above a small rivulet with scrub on both sides, where his eagle ears heard a Himalayan Rubythroat call. That worthy kindly decided to become the highlight of our final outing as it came out and posed for a few photos. With that, and fortified with a lovely lunch at a roadside dhaba, we bid adieu to Lamaji and my beloved Uttarakhand. This may not have been the most productive from a lifer point of view, but that's the way the dice rolls. Finishing off my Accentor list was an eventful enough landmark for me to cherish, as was the opportunity to bird with the incredible Hari Lama. 

Till next time then!

Uttarakhand (Kumaon) Trip Guide

Uttarakhand is nothing short of birding paradise with an incredible number of hotspots - from the area in and around Corbett Tiger Reservice, to Sat Tal and its surroundings, right up to Manda/Chopta, Munsiyari and the pristine Harsil valley. There are so many birds to sight, and there's always something, no matter which time of the year you come here. 

How to get there

By train from Delhi - Kathgodam/Ramnagar are the nearest rail head, there's an overnight train from Delhi to both these stations and also a day train to Kathgodam - the Jan Shatabdi.

Alternatively, Ramnagar/Kathgodam is a 5 hour (235/275 km drive) from Delhi, very doable most times of the year.

There's also a new airport in Bareilly, connected surprisingly well to many cities. That's around 3 hours from Corbett or Sattal

Places to stay

There are many stay options in this part of the world. Hari Lama runs the Birders Inn at Bajoon and another well-regarded naturalist Rajesh Panwar runs properties in Manila and Kaladhungi. 

Guide
The peerless Hari Lama. Superb bird guide and lovely person. You cannot do better than him and you cannot get what you want without him. Give him a call on +91-9927935841. He will also help sort out stay and transport.

Namdapha (December 2023) - A trip to Goosebump heaven

For nearly a decade, since birds entered (more like took over) my consciousness, I have heard about Namdapha. That word (still) gives me a bout of goosebumps, and having heard Ramki talk about his love for this incredible forest always filled me with a sense of wonder. And I decided to pay him a small tribute with a visit to this most special part of India. And so Sriram and I arrived in Dibrugarh from our Rongtong/Senchal birding leg. We'd spend a night in Maguri Beel, while waiting for our friend and ace birder Lakpa Tenzing to arrive the next day.

The evening birding session in Maguri produced some lovely birds, including a couple of lifers for me Eastern Marsh Harrier and an Oriental Scops Owl, thanks to Jibon Dutta, who not only manages the lovely camp at Maguri Beel, but is a great birder himself. The next morning he took us to 'parrotbill island', only for us to find that it was no more an island. What would be at least a 10 minute boat crossing was now accessible on foot! The river had slightly altered course, so we had to cross on foot. On the 'island' itself, we got Sriram a few lifers with the Black-breasted Parrotbill and Jerdon's Babbler being prominent species. We tried for the Marsh Babbler and then for the Swamp Prinia on another island, but they decided not to give us an audience. Back at camp, with Lakpa joining us, we left for Namdapha, spending the night at the quaintly named town of Miao, where local expert and Lakpa's friend Rahul joined us.

The birding started the next morning at Miao itself, Rahul took us to a little hillock on the town fringes to look for two prized species - White-tailed Flycatcher and Golden-crested Myna. These Myna are found in ones and twos within a flock of Common Hill Mynas, and we feverishly scanned every Hill Myna flock that came our way, without luck. The Flycatchers were slightly more accommodating, at least Mrs. Flycatcher was. The male was camera-shy and refused to leave the undergrowth, while his mate sat in the open and called him incessantly, no doubt rebuking him on his shocking manners! We left them to deal with their domestic squabbles and drove further towards Namdapha.

Namdapha Tiger Reserve is one of India's largest national parks and the only one to have four big cats - Tiger, Leopard, Clouded Leopard and Snow Leopard. Our focus was more on feathered beings, but we wouldn't be averse to a sighting of old stripes, or even a Cloudy! Wishful thinking really; even forest guards hadn't seen stripes in years, that's how dense the jungle is. The reserve also plays host to a couple of refugee tribes, the Chakma and the Lisu. The former have settlements very close to the park entrance while the latter are 120kms away, beyond a small village called Vijaynagar. The only means of communication is a road (if you can call it that) where the average speed is seldom more than 10kmph. An army camp within the park also adds to the action. Any birding would either have to happen along this road, or a trek within the forest. We had only 4 days so the former was our only option. And as we settled into the lovely camp at Deban, with the Noa-dehing river flowing past, I was really keen to see what we got. 

A Pale-blue Flycatcher started things off, but sitting right above our heads did not help get a decent photo. And as we drove further into the forest, Rahul showed us the areas to explore for the endemic Snowy-throated Babbler, which we would try and look for the next day. Further in, we round a bend and he proclaims 'Oriental Hobby' - and we look up and see a majestic Hobby perched high up on a dead tree. We descended, set up our lenses, took aim and got a few decent photos, given how far up the bird was. And then we discover that there was another one on the next branch. This one was shyer (given our track record, it should be the male) and preferred to sit in the shadows, generously allowing its spouse all the paparazzi attention. We stayed on till dusk to try for the elusive Oriental Bay Owl, but given no encouragement, we returned to Deban, highly satisfied with the day's work. Turns out there was more to come, for within the camp, we found a beautiful Red Namdapha Flying Squirrel. It put on a bit of a show, interrupting its feeding to glide to a neighbouring tree, no doubt trying to live up to its name!

The next morning dawned with a bit of bad news, we'd have to do without Rahul for the trip, he'd been called away on an emergency. But we were not worried at all; we had Lakpa with us and even in an unfamiliar place, his instincts and experience were incredible to experience. It was fantastic to see him ate work, gathering as much information on locations from Rahul and filing that all away. We headed out towards the bridge called 22nd mile and en route, had a short encounter with the endemic Snowy-throated Babbler, not enough for me to put it in my 'list'. The bridge itself promised Blyth's Kingfisher sightings and while the stream below held the perfect habitat, the subject did not deign to make an appearance. But it was more than made up by another stellar local species - Hill Prinia. One bird suddenly burst into song near the stream, and we got some decent sighters, even if the photographs were against the light.

We headed even further, beyond the bridge and at one point, Sriram invoked the raptor fiend within him, as he pointed to a dead tree stump high above and said, "There's something perched up there". And lo, there was! A Pied Falconet, no less! It was a bird that was so high on my wish list, that there was pretty much nothing above it. And while the distance and size of the bird (it's one of India's smallest raptors) proved a problem for photos, Lakpa's spotting scope proved invaluable for us to observe this amazing little bird; it posed and preened and even as we 'scoped' it, we realised that it was carrying a kill and was probably engaging in a pre-meal preening ritual. It then proceeded to polish off the little bird it had killed and looked on, satiated, with the world being a slightly better place. The rest of the afternoon produced no more excitement and the owl wasn't forthcoming, so we called it a night.

We set out on the same route the next morning, but the forest was totally silent and the birds were not forthcoming at all. But Lakpa, being Lakpa, kept at it. He focused his energies near a grove of banana trees, hoping for some birds to come for the fruit. And finally, his efforts paid off, as a mixed flock of Scimitar Babblers and Parrotbills suddenly burst out of the undergrowth. One moment there was silence and the next, we were surrounded by a flurry of activity. They were in no mood to linger and wait though, so we got only glimpses and record shots. But we could confirm two new species in that (for us, that is) - Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler and Pale-billed Parrotbill. They, along with White-hooded Babblers completed the hunting party. And before we knew it, they were gone, blowing over like a beautiful little storm of activity.

The afternoon produced more lifers, within the camp premises itself, as Lakpa conjured up Himalayan and Lesser Shortwings, another two on the 'much wanted' list. The former gave a photo, the latter declined. And the day was complete with sightings of two more on the wish list, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler (who was eluding me for a long, long time) and a Rufous-headed Parrotbill, again together in the same flock. The pictures were ordinary, but that's more a reflection on my abilities than anything else. Our friend the Kingfisher continued to elude, though we did see him flash up the rocks, to an upstream hidey-hole no doubt. Later that evening, we had an encounter with the shadowy form of an owl, but it remained just that, a shadow, a call and something flying in front of us. And, just like that, we were down to the last morning.

Since the time I've started birding, I've always coveted many species, some because they're spectacular looking, others because they're elusive and then there are others which are just an itch. Not particularly remarkable that another bird lover would go 'Wow' but they just stubbornly exist on the wish list. And the Collared Treepie was one of them, hard to explain why, but it was there. I'd tried unsuccessfully in many other places. And Namdapha was one of the best places to see it. Except that we hadn't. We'd heard it a few times, sometimes really close by, but it always seemed to be on the wrong side of a tree or bamboo patch or something. So I didn't really hold out any hopes; I was more keen on enjoying that morning just wandering about. 

Till the local guide who was with us, pointed to something in front of us and said "Treepie". No way! I couldn't see it at first because I kept looking further away for a large, noisy bird. It was only when Lakpa said "it's right here" that I refocused and saw a smallish and rather dainty bird on a curved bamboo right in front of me. Small, dainty, but definitely a Treepie! I shot a few frames, more in relief than in excitement and we left the little fella with a huge vote of thanks. What an unexpected treat to leave with!! It was only when we were done with the sighting that I'd realised that this was a watershed moment; another itch successfully scratched. 

We left the park with sightings of White-crowned Forktail and a lovely Grey-backed Shrike, went back to Miao to check for the Myna. And within the multiple flocks of Common-hill Myna, I saw one bird with a yellow-head. Alas, no one else saw it and I had neither binoculars nor camera in hand, so it will remain an unverified sighting. One more goes into the wishlist, one more bird left to see in this wonderful land of ours. I left Namdapha with a huge smile and an even bigger vote of thanks to one man who opened this wonderful world of birds for me. 

Ramki, I owe you even more da!

Namdapha Trip Guide

Getting there

Namdapha Tiger Reserve is about 220kms (6-7 hour) from the nearest airport, Dibrugarh. The closest town is Miao a couple of hours away. Given its location, it makes sense to do a couple of days at Maguri Beel/Dihing Patkai before you head there.

Stay

You can actually do Namdapha in two ways - the straightforward, where you stay at the Deban Forest Camp and bird along the road or cross the Noa Dehing and trek for a few days across Haldibari, Hornbill Camp and Firmbase.  We did the former, given that we had limited time, but the latter option is fabulous as well.  These need to be booked in advance and your guide can arrange for all of these and the permissions as well

Here's a trip report from Ramki from 2010 (https://wildventures.com/gallery/2010-february-namdapha-digboi/)

Naturalist (guides)

A lot of the east Assam naturalists do trips to Namdapha. Ravi Mekola (+91 9402457180) Palash Phukan, Binanda Hatibaruah (+91 7002189756) and Jibon Dutta (+91 9954135613) all do regular trips there. We of course were with the peerless Lakpa Tenzing (+91 9773018122 or +91 73190 25123) and he is special, wherever in the world you bird with him.

Best times of year to visit

The regulars recommend November through February as the best times to visit Namdapha. 

Goa (December 2023) - A whim-chat

This was a mini-twitch, if I can call it that. Right after I got back from Namdapha, we were headed for a family and friends holiday to Goa. While there was no birding on the anvil, the news that some local birders had found a rare vagrant there perked up the ears. The said bird in question was a Whinchat, seldom seen on the subcontinent. So the question, "I'm already there, it's just a couple of hours of birding, what say?" became that much harder to answer in the negative. And so here I was, a couple of hours after arriving in Goa, meeting up with local birder Fondu Rane at a spot near the new MOPA airport.

Fondu took me straight to the spot, a nondescript scrub-field with a few concrete poles serving as a fence. And on one of those sat a bird that looked, at first glance, very much like a Common Stonechat. A slightly closer look, prompted by Fondu, confirmed that it wasn't the above, and was indeed the rarity I had come for. What followed was a few minutes of observing the bird (remarkably like a Stonechat) and taking a few photos. The chap was quite relaxed in his adopted surroundings, allowing me to take photos and not even batting a metaphorical (avian) eyelid when a dog bounded past or two men sauntered across, chatting nineteen to the dozen.

Anyways, I spent not more than 15 minutes with this delightful little vagrant. Then, happy with my lot, I thanked Fondu (who had ridden more than 40kms to show me the bird) with all my heart and put birdwatching to rest for 2023. A year that began with an awesome trip to Kashmir in January, then saw birding drying up for most of the year, finally concluded on a high in the North East and then with this vagrant in Goa.

Next year will feature more birding, I said to myself as I headed back, having bid adieu to my newest friend, the Whinchat.

Rongtong/Senchal (December 2023) - Foothills and Fancy free

India is a bewildering place for a birdwatcher, not least because of the sheer number and diversity of habitats and species. So, the wishlist gets longer and longer without much time to make a dent in it. But sometimes, things just beautifully fall into place, just like they did last December. A two (and a half?) legged birding trip, with Sriram and me producing the always-on parts and other dear friends joining in selected scenes. It all began with the West Bengal foothills of Rongtong, where we were joined by childhood friend Krishnan, on his first ever birding trip. Bagdogra airport saw us connecting with Parag Gurung, local bird guru and our leader for the next 4 days.

We headed to Rongtong first, to a delightful little homestay run by a group of even more delightful ladies. They fed us a sumptuous lunch post which the logical option should have been a snooze instead of a birding sojourn. But we were conscientious birders after all, so we headed out for an afternoon walk. We stopped at what seemed like a nondescript tea-stall and I wondered what the tea-break was for; but the action lay behind and underneath. On the slopes behind the stall, they'd created a small hide overlooking the valley. The place was frequented by Common Green Magpies and Greater-necklaced Laughers, neither lifers for me, but both important photo targets. As we settled down in anticipation, the first visitor was our old friend, the ubiquitous Blue Whistling Thrush. We obliged him with a few photos, but were actually waiting for main course. Which stubbornly refused to appear, causing some anxiety. But when the first dish came, man did it wow! the Common Green Magpie came, posed, strutted and did its stuff in full view. A bird with 'Common' in its name but its appearance is anything but. A truly spectacular species.

Ice broken, the Greater-necklaced Laughingthrush also graced the audience with their presence and a few photos later, we were well satiated. We headed back out for a little drive to see what else we could get. A Red Junglefowl floated in and out of frame and a Great Hornbill gave us distant sightings, so it was a very happy bunch of birders that came back to the homestay, to tuck into yet another delicious meal, so kindly served by the ladies. For Krishnan, it was his first ever birding experience (still not sure what he made of it) and for the two of us, it was business as usual in birding paradise!

The next morning was spent in and around the tea gardens that dot Rongtong, hoping amongst other things for some raptors - Sriram has a huge raptor-fetish and I'm not averse either to helping myself to a sighting or two. However, it was the smaller birds that really obliged - a beautiful Yellow-vented Flowerpecker was joined in the sighting by a Plain Flowerpecker, and both put on a really good show. Further down and a Grey Bushchat raised some hopes of being a rare bird, which were quickly quelled. A flock of Scarlet Minivets flitted about the trees, resplendent in their spectacular colours. All of which made for a very satisfying morning of birding. And now it was time to head to the second leg - the Senchal hills near Darjeeling.

The name Senchal is more familiar to birdwatchers, other tourists know the area as Tiger Hill, which gives grand views of some of the world's highest peaks, including Khangchendzonga up close and a more distant Mount Everest. However, we were only interested in the birds, specifically a couple of Parrotbills and a laughingthrush of particular interest. The latter, a Grey-sided Laugher was known to frequent a hide near the shops below Tiger Hill, along with a family of Hill Partridges. We waited for a bit and quite quickly saw a pair of beautiful Hill Partiridges. The female was more amenable to a pose, the male was more shy but we did get some decent photos nevertheless. The laughers didn't show up, and our spirits dimmed with the local shopkeeper said they hadn't been visiting for a few days. We occupied ourselves with a walk down the hillside to see what we could find.

Parag led us up a little slope to the hillside and we waited near a clump of bamboo. And within a few minutes, our calls were answered in the form of a mega-lifer - a flock of Great Parrotbills! We knew there was a chance, but hadn't hoped for such a sighting even with the slight mist that hovered around. And it was a very happy bunch that made their way to a rather cold Darjeeling to hunker down for the night. And cold it really was, but our evening sightings had certainly warmed our hearts! The next day dawned with a Grey-sided hope, but more on that later.

First up, we chose to avoid the tourist crush up to Tiger Hill and went looking for birds in the valley below. Finding nothing of note, we headed back to the Hill and once again were defeated by the Laugher. Determined to make the most of the situation, we walked up on the path upwards and were rewarded by sightings of Brown Parrotbill and White-browed Fulvetta. Mount Khangchendzonga rose up in all its might in front of us as we crested the hill and we spent a few awestruck, fan-boy moments just lapping it up. On our way down, a Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler called incessantly and we decided to investigate. As we sat on our haunches in front of a particularly interesting patch, the bird was right behind us, less than 6 feet away! We moved a bit to allow it some space and it returned our favour with a grand sighting. Lovely little fella!

Parag took us for a walk, to try and look for some rarer birds, but apart from a flock of White-throated Laughers, who dominated visual and audio, we had to move further down the valley to encounter some other species, albeit still commoners; a Rufous-breasted Accentor and female White-browed Rosefinch helped close the afternoon and this leg of our North-east trip with a broad smile and some decent pictures. We stayed that night near the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, in a lovely little homestay, with some outstanding food. The appetiser had done its job, bring on main course - Namdapha!

We left, like with most places, having planned a repeat. In the monsoons of 2024.

Rongtong/Senchal Trip Guide

Getting there

Bagdogra is the nearest airport, New Jalpaiguri (in Siliguri) the nearest railhead and Siliguri and Darjeeling are the nearest towns.

Stay

Darjeeling being the tourist hotspot it is, has all kinds of options, but we birders prefer smaller, quieter, and more local homestay options. Which are available aplenty here. Your guide will make all arrangements

Naturalist (guide)

We went with Parag Gurung, local to the area and highly recommended by none other than Lakpa. Parag is not much of a talker, but he more than makes up with his expertise, he knows the area and the birds better than most and has incredible bird sense and work ethic. You cannot go wrong with him. You can reach Parag on +91 9475624816

In addition to morning and afternoon safaris, you can also do half and full days in the forest, though it is restricted to very few vehicles. The rules are more cumbersome now, but they still give you advantages that the regular safaris don't - like being able to choose which zones you want to go to (at least for part of the day)

Brown Parrotbill

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler

Plain Flowerpecker

Ranthambhore (June 2023) - The annual pilgrimage

That there are more posts on Ranthambhore in this blog, than any other wildlife destination, is not a coincidence. Much as I love every single place I have been to in this wonderful country of ours, Ranthambhore definitely claims ownership to a sizeable sliver of the heart. It's not just about the tigers and the people here, it is also a place where people near and dear to me like to congregate. The fact that it was my brother's favourite place on the planet is the proverbial cherry. And inevitably, the summer trip was planned with friends and family, with a wildlife debut for dear friend Ganesh Kumar.

His first safari began in the shadows of the imposing Ranthambhore fort, the route for Zone 2 snaking around the back of the fort towards the home of Arrowhead, one of the most visible tigresses in the park. Just not that morning. We drove further to look for Noorie or her 3 sub-adult cubs with no luck and then Hemraj took us to the extremities of the zone to seek out T60 or Ghost. She certainly lived up her name, as we saw fresh pugmarks and heard many urgent alarm calls but saw no tiger. We drove back with slightly drooping shoulders to take one chance on the otherwise reliable Noorie. Her territory was quiet too till out of nowhere a jeep comes towards us saying the tigress is on the move. And in a few minutes, Ganesh got his first tiger sighting on his maiden safari. Queen Noorie walked the catwalk for us, got a drink of water, though not as close as we'd like (no greed there!) but a lovely sighting nevertheless. And in a couple of minutes, a humdrum safari transformed into one buzzing with excitement. And that is the magnetic power of Pantera Tigris.

Appetite whetted, Ganesh was ready for more. That afternoon saw us in Zone 3, the 'heart' of the park with its stunning lakes and old ruins, the domain of Riddhi, Queen of the Lakes. She had seized the throne after overthrowing her mother Arrowhead in a largely non-violent coup. That afternoon, her entire area was totally quiet; deer grazing peacefully, the giant crocs on the lake shores lying motionless and even the normally playful langurs in a stupor. And then Rajesh, in our other jeep had a premonition that we would encounter Ganesh, the dominant male tiger (not to be confused with the aforementioned Ganesh Kumar) in the outer reaches of the zone. They went to scratch that itch while we hung around the lakes, lost in our own individual thoughts.  

Sudden alarm calls broke the reverie and we drove to the source, the border of Zones 2 & 3 to find a host of vehicles on the Zone 2 side excitedly pointing at something in the undergrowth. Hemraj's eagle eyes caught it at once, a few supine stripes in the grass in front of us. They eventually morphed into a full tiger, who gave us a fleeting glimpse before descending into a waterhole, out of our sight but not of the lovely folks in Zone 2. Hemraj thought it was Arrowhead, given this was part of her territory and we were grateful that our record of seeing her in every single trip since 2014 was intact.

In all of this, our other jeep was still absconding. And something told me that the reason for that involved stripes. And we got confirmation as a volley of calls rebounded from the other side. Something was on the move! We made our way there to find our friends escorting a tiger along the lake shore. Rajesh said it was Arrowhead, and a closer glimpse confirmed that. So who was the tiger we saw in Arrowhead's territory? Could it be Riddhi, making the old switcheroo with her mother? A lot of conspiracy theory type questions started to float in our minds. Hastily, however, we suspended the questions for now and focused on the tiger in front of us.

She came. She saw. She killed.

Arrowhead proceeded to walk through her old stomping grounds, right in front of our stationery jeeps. Ganesh (friend, not tiger) could not believe how close she was! Her catwalk came to a rather abrupt end as she suddenly stopped and pounced on something along the lake shore. It was an Indian Flapshell Turtle; I'd never seen a tiger kill a turtle before! Not that my reaction mattered to her as she spent the next hour demolishing her prey right in front of her audience. With a twist though - she had her back to us and her face hidden behind a bush, as she chomped away. Talk about feline table manners! And so, Ganesh had chalked up a kill (and a rather unusual one at that) in only his second safari. How about that for a debut day? Turns out he wasn't quite done yet.

One of the accompanying jeeps (a VIP vehicle with a forest guard in it) got news that Riddhi over on the other side was now in the open and he kindly passed that message along. We left Arrowhead to her meal and zipped towards her daughter. And there she was, lying in the open on a grassy patch, evidently in the mood to put on a show. She did her routine, some mock stalking, followed by a couple of rollovers and some air-football. Finally, resting her head on her front paws, she looked up at us, almost to remind us that it was time to go back home. Which we duly did, wallowing in the unadulterated delight that comes with a couple of amazing tiger sightings!

With a great high, sometimes comes a little low. And the next morning proved an exercise in maybe's as we hunted all over Zone 4 for Shakti and her cubs or for an old favourite, T41 or Laila. Early in the morning Rajesh in our other jeep spotted a tiger heading into the undergrowth and we all waited at the waterhole on the other side, waiting for her to appear. Given no sign of her, we headed to the border of Zone 4/5 and almost as soon as we got there, we heard what were definitely tiger snarls. Given the length and intensity, there seemed to be quite a battle going on in the thickets. Hemraj surmised that it could be Shakti's family fighting over a kill. Lots of audio but no video, not even for the good folks across the border in Zone 5. The three things of note - A pair of beautiful Painted Sandgrouse which made up for the absconding tigers, Ganesh experienced his first 'tigerless' safari and our other jeep got a good sighting of Pantera pardus.

That afternoon's safari would be in Zone 1, a part of the park that has a slightly complex relationship with us. Despite some fine sightings over the years, it still remains our least favourite part of Ranthambhore. We sailed in, patiently waiting for some action or signs of activity. A Golden Oriole performing some stunning acrobatics at a waterhole was the highlight of an otherwise uneventful first couple of hours. Our other jeep had departed towards the gate when a Monitor Lizard peeked from within a hole in a dhonk tree and we decided to take a few photos. And almost at once, loud sambhar alarm calls shredded the silence and raised adrenaline levels. The predator was evidently close by and on the move, but totally invisible to us, even to the eagle-eyed Hemraj. With a sigh, we headed towards the gate, with only a few minutes left till time was up. And about a kilometre from the gate, the jungle teased us again with alarm calls on the hillside to our left. We slowed down, looked for anything that moved, but apart from the sambhar that called (and promptly stopped), there was nothing! We drove on, but Hemraj stopped, looked at his watch and said 'We have time. Turn back'. And so we did, looking at the hillside to our right this time.

And then Hemraj looked left and said "Leopard"! And to our delight, a beautiful leopardess was clambering up the rocks on our left. She had probably crossed the road once we had passed the first time around. Now she stopped, looked at us and decided she wanted her portrait taken. So she perched on a rock and stared as if to say, 'Show me what you got'. There was irritating foliage in the way of a clear frame, but we managed some satisfactory photos. With literally minutes to go, our safari had gone from totally 'meh' to 'wow'! And Ganesh (friend, not tiger) had his first encounter with old Spots.

The final morning saw us back in Zone 2, with more familiar news. Arrowhead was absconding, Noorie was missing and T60 was ghosting. A far-off leopard on a gallop ensured the cat quotient was alive and (barely) kicking. But what salvaged the show was old Bruin, the Indian Sloth Bear. We saw two of these chaps, sniffing for termites and then taking apart a termite mound with a nonchalance that was truly awesome and not a bit humbling. These were nearly four feet high, but his giant claws just went into action and then his nose and tongue ensured that breakfast was served to his liking. And that set up the final safari nicely.

The last hurrah

The last safari is almost always our best. There is no logical explanation why, but it just happens that way. This time we licked our lips at the prospect of Zone 10. With 6 resident tigers and a few more 'guests' it was one of the park's most happening spots. We were in search of the resident queen Aishwarya and her new consort, the massive male Jai. They'd made a kill that morning and there was a good chance that they would spend the afternoon wallowing in a nearby waterhole. In the heat of summer, tigers cool down after a big meal with a leisurely dip. Before we got to them however, we chanced upon another tiger sitting rather forlornly in a thicket - it was the female from Aishwarya's previous litter, evidently excluded from the banquet happening less than a kilometre away. We sympathised, but had very little else to give her, including time. We had to see the power couple.

And as we reached said waterhole, we saw the female walk through the trees and gently immerse herself neck-deep in the water. His Highness followed a few minutes later, but preferred to lie down at the water's edge instead. We could see that he'd had an enormous meal (and so had she!) so the need to cool off and digest was paramount for both. And that was most of the rest of the afternoon. He snoozed in various positions, she exited the water to snooze, we waited. A small movement from either of them provoked a flurry of shutters  from the paparazzi, but that was all too fleeting. And just when we were ready to give up, she woke up, waltzed into the pool and did some yoga poses to make her audience happy. He was still being a lazy so and so, evidently having eaten the lion's (tiger's?) share of lunch. And even when he did get to his feet, he was slow and ponderous, no doubt torn between berating himself for going off his diet and salivating at the prospect of another go at the kill.

He proceeded to walk around, showing off his massive frame (and his still distended belly!) to his admiring fans and then sat down like the regal creature he was. She joined him by his side and they both spent a very content, if silent few minutes while we all got a few pictures. As we left, we reflected on the fact that we'd spent nearly 3 hours with two magnificent tigers, a true 'Ranthambhore' sighting. Once more, this wonderful forest and its amazing tigers did not disappoint. I consider myself truly blessed to have the privilege of being able to see these amazing animals in their natural habitat.

The ranks of the believers have swelled by one more - Ganesh (friend, not tiger) has finally seen the light and is now a convert. In fact, he has already started planning for his next trip. Long may that continue!

Ranthambhore Trip Guide

Getting there

Ranthambhore is arguably the 'most easy to access' Tiger Reserve. Sawai Madhopur (SWM), the adjoining town, is a major junction on the Mumbai to Delhi/Jaipur trunk line hence train connectivity is excellent. From Mumbai, the Delhi August Kranti Rajdhani is the best option (leaves Mumbai at 17:10 and reaches SWM the next morning at 05:30) and on the way back it leaves SWM at 20:45 and gets into Mumbai at 9:45 the next morning. There are a number of options to Delhi, including the August Kranti.

Jaipur (140 kms) is the nearest big city and airport, a comfortable 3 hour journey on largely good roads.

Stay

Ranthambhore has it all. From budget hotels to home stays to mid range to full-on opulence, you can get the whole nine yards. 

For those who prefer a home-like ambience, the best is Tiger Home, an 8 room place (www.ranthambhoretigerhome.com) built by Hemraj Meena, a local who is one of the park's finest naturalists. A personal friend, Hemraj's dream had always been to have a place of his own where he can host wildlife lovers. And Tiger Home does exactly that. It's a really comfortable 10 room house with air-conditioned rooms and all the mod cons. Excellent home cooked food and very helpful staff make you feel genuinely like you're at home. And the best part is the company, Hemraj's experiences are incredible and you could well hear all about his stories with Ranthambhore's amazing tigers.

At the mid-level, the Ranthambhore Regency is a superb option. It is comfortable, offers facilities like a pool and a bar and has some awesome food. And the hospitality of the Jains is incomparable.(ranthambhor.com). Their new place Sawai Vilas (sawaivilas.com) is exquisite and a must-consider if you're looking for a luxury stay

Other luxury options include Taj Hotels' Sawai Madhopur Lodge, Oberoi Vanyavilas and Amanbagh. 

Safaris

Ranthambhore offers two types of safaris - gypsy (6 seats) and canter (approx 20 seats) Unlike most other parks, here the bookings are on a seat basis, so you can book individual gypsy or canter seats without having to pay for the whole vehicle. All bookings need to be made on the website (https://fmdss.forest.rajasthan.gov.in/) 

Please do book well in advance, especially if you need gypsy bookings. And always carry your ID proof with you, since there might be some checking at the entry gates.

In addition to morning and afternoon safaris, you can also do half and full days in the forest, though it is restricted to very few vehicles. The rules are more cumbersome now, but they still give you advantages that the regular safaris don't - like being able to choose which zones you want to go to (at least for part of the day)

Other attractions 

Ranthambhore Fort and the Ganesh Temple - one of Ranthambhore's most distinctive features is the huge fort that looms over the park. This medieval fort also has Rajasthan's oldest Ganesh temple, which attracts thousands of visitors, especially on Wednesdays.

There are village visits and homestays - Hemraj's village Bhuri Pahari is an example where there are some comfortable stay options. You can explore and experience village life and also spot some interesting birds, especially in winter.

Other Tips

Ranthambhore can get really hot in summer, so sunscreen, comfortable clothes and headgear are a must. It can get equally cold in winter, so carry a thick jacket for sure.

Please carry a bag or haversack with sun-block, adequate water and also some dry snacks or fruit if you get peckish during the safari. 

Another factor is the dust, so if you're troubled or allergic, a face mask will come in handy.