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.
She came. She saw. She killed.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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)
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.
