The largest share of
tiger sighting that takes place is between Kanha and Bandhavgarh National
Parks. But you can see the tiger at Pench, Ranthambhore, Tadoba, and Corbett
frequently as well. For tiger spotting, I recommend Kanha and Bandhavgarh
National Parks as these are the parks with a dense population of predators.
Kanha National Park
is a habitat of good prey species like the hard-ground swamp deer and bison.
Nevertheless, the beauty of Bandhavgarh cliffs and deep valleys is enticing as
that of the large grasslands of Kanha. I have spotted many tigers at Pench, but
the destination has fewer crossroads in the core area, hence fewer areas can be
visited. Nevertheless, “The Spy in The Jungle,” says it all, it was a
film by BBC. Pench is also known as the Kipling Country since the “Jungle Book.
The story is based on the forests of Seoni Hills as mentioned in the book.
To reach Kanha you
can fly to Jabalpur, and drive for 3 hours to cover a distance of 165 km. For
Bandhavgarh, you can fly to Jabalpur, and drive 170 km to the Tala resort complex.
For Bandhavgarh, you can catch an overnight train from New Delhi to reach
Umaria railhead at a distance of 32 km from the Tala Gate.
At Corbett, the focus
is on birds since it is a fantastic birding destination with more than 500
species on the checklist. Its Terai landscape is intriguing. The tiger reserve
is home to many mammals, and you can see the yellow-throated marten, wild
elephant, hog deer, king cobra, and goral mountain goat they are rare in India.
The sight of crocodiles and gharial in the blue waters of Ramnanaga river is
amazing. Corbett takes about 7 hours by car from New Delhi and is overnight to
Ramnagar by rail.
Ranthambhore has a
good record of tiger spotting. It is included in the Golden Triangle Package
begins from New Delhi and covers Agra, Jaipur, and Ranthambore. From Jaipur, it
takes about 6 hours to reach Ranthambore using a train or taxi.
I have not been to
Tadoba in Maharashtra, but the place has become popular because of frequent
tiger spotting. You can fly to Nagpur from New Delhi, and then drive 100-plus
kilometers to reach the gate here. Some good resorts have come up lately hence
book your permits and accommodation in advance.
I may be biased in
favor of Kanha and Bandhavgarh but for those focused on holistic experience
these along with Corbett are the best places.
These places offer the experience of the wild expanse of Indian forest
in exotic settings. Besides the sight of the charismatic tiger, the panoramic
grandeur is very pleasing.
Big cats are
elusive, but worth an effort to witness
nature’s amazing charisma. The destinations mentioned here are all good for
spotting the big cats. Hence please consider the points of each before booking a tiger safari permit in the reserve of your choice.
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Uday has worked as a naturalist and loves to write about tigers and other wildlife forms. He also provides SEO Services and Content for Digital Marketing. He can be contacted at :
Mob/Watsapp: 9755089323
