Tuesday 24 February 2009

From the Archives-India-Ranthambhore


I have travelled to India many times, In 2000 i spent 3 months there and then went 2-3 times a year after, It became addictive, There is nowhere like it on earth and i hope it continues to be like that, You will not find a more diverse place with its cultures,people and places,It has everything from mountains to deserts,wetlands and forests, I have visited Ranthambhore,Kanha,Badhavgargh Keolado,and Kazirnaga national parks in search of Indias fantastic wildlife, I think i should take each Park seperatley as they are all very different and offer different things Ranthambhore NP in Rajesthan is my favorite Tiger reserve,Its not the easiest place to get Tiger shots-that falls to Bandhavgargh but there is something about the place that draws me back, Its a big place,very arrid-semi desert and extremely hot, I tend to go around march-may time,The later you leave it the hotter it will be but that will carry favour for you as the water dries up it will bring the tigers out looking for it-where there is heat and water there will be tigers, Nothing is guarenteed but i have always come up trumps here and on some trips have seen tigers daily whilst on others you may wait 4 days before seeing one,Tigers are not the only thing on offer here,Its the best place to see and photograph Sloth bear, It has large numbers of deer both Sambar (similar to our red deer) and chital which are similar to the fallow deer, Lots and lots of cheeky monkey's will keep the cameras clicking and stunning scenery,the park is built around a fort that is built high up on a rocky hill and it has large lakes with temples built around the place,The downside with all of this is that its the closest tiger reserve to Delhi-around 6 hrs by train so it gets busy and its also very expensive, But its not far from Bharatphur-keolado NP which is one of the worlds best bird reserves,Jaipur the pink city and also Agra is a short train journey away where you find the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort,They call this the golden triangle and its gives you options to make for a diverse trip, I stay in the Ranthambhore Regency-ask for Ravindra who will sort all your jeep and drivers out, Guides i would recommmend would be Rajesh and Hymraj-just remember a good guide is worth his weight in gold, I now have a friend who has set up his own business out there so if you are looking for a trip to Ranthambhore and the surrounding region drop me a line and i will forward it on

Dave

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