The wedding was a grand affair and went off smoothly. Also for me, it felt great to reconnect with some people who have been part of my Ranthambhore adventure over the years. The next morning was tiger-time. Joining me on this edition were close friends Sai Giridhar and Rajeev Raju and their sons Aran and Krish. Sai and Aran had never seen the striped one before, so they were extra keen.We picked them up from the train station and headed straight to the forest. Leading us was Rajesh Gujar, another extraordinary naturalist and one of the nicest human beings you can ever hope to encounter. We were to go on Zone 3, home to one of India's most photographed tigresses these days, the beautiful Arrowhead.
Safari 1 - Six off the first ball
Arrowhead |
And that's when Rajesh's genius really shone through. As the other jeeps waited for her to emerge, he asked the driver to take our jeep a few hundred metres away. So, when she walked out onto the path, we were the only jeep ahead of her. We kept a respectful distance and allowed her to walk at her pace. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of some of the other jeeps, whether it was intent or inexperience, we will not know. We stayed put, away from the circus of jeeps that had now arrived. And to our delight, she rewarded us by walking straight towards our stationary jeep and crossing not more than 6 feet away from us! She walked away and sat for a bit, probably mulling over a spotted deer breakfast. When none were forthcoming, she disappeared out of view into the thick bush. And that was our first safari, a debut of sorts for Sai and Aran and the closest ever sighting for Krish and Rajeev. For the rest of us, it was just Ranthambhore doing its thing. It would prove to be just an appetiser.
Safari 2 - A King and his heirs apparent
T8's young male cub |
Kumbha |
And then, under the adoring eyes of his admirers, he carefully lowered himself into the water and languidly drank to his heart's content. A few photos of Lord Kumbha and a few birds that joined in the party and we had had our fill. We drove off to leave him alone, but no sooner had we rejoined the road, than he got out of the water, posed regally (only for us) and walked away. We had a quick dekko at the cubs to see if Mom was back. She wasn't so we drove off and stopped at the forest check-post waterhole for some bird photography. That wish too fulfilled, we drove back to celebrate a fantastic day in tiger paradise.
Arrowhead |
T60's Male Cub |
Safari 4 - The Queen's new family
The last safari took us to Zone 4, home to Krishna (T19), one of my favourite tigresses ever. This even tempered queen had a litter about a year old and I'd never seen them. We drove through the wooded ravines of Tamba Khan, above the (alarmingly) almost dry Malik Talao and past the golden grass meadows of Lakkarda towards Semli where she had taken up residence. As we approached Semli, we saw a couple of full-day safari jeeps already stationed there. And in a cave, on the other side of a nallah, lay one of the cubs, snoozing. The other two were below, in the water, but obscured by thick undergrowth. We returned to the snoozer and got a few decent pics before he too descended for a drink. From then on, we saw glimpses as they drank and walked about a bit, but not much dramatic or really photo-worthy. It was still great to see the third litter of this wonderful tigress. We headed out to check if T86 had been at the sambhar, but it was where it was and apart from a couple of forays to drive away crocs, our man was happy to be in the bush. Maybe he was saving it for dinner!
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 17:40 and reaches SWM the next morning at 06:30) 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 8 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.(www.ranthambhor.com). Another great option is Aditya Singh's Ranthambhore Bagh (www.ranthambhore.com)
The 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 (www.rajasthanwildlife.com)
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.
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.
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.
The full day safari is a delight but it also takes some getting used to. Please carry a bag or haversack with sun-block, adequate water and also some dry snacks or fruit if you get peckish during the day.
While a gypsy can take 6 people, it's advisable for a full-day (or half day) safari to have no more than four people. 6 is a tight squeeze and manageable for a 3 hour safari, but to spend 6 or 13 hours like that is not recommended, definitely for your sanity!
The full day safari is a delight but it also takes some getting used to. Please carry a bag or haversack with sun-block, adequate water and also some dry snacks or fruit if you get peckish during the day.
While a gypsy can take 6 people, it's advisable for a full-day (or half day) safari to have no more than four people. 6 is a tight squeeze and manageable for a 3 hour safari, but to spend 6 or 13 hours like that is not recommended, definitely for your sanity!
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