Ranthambore National Theme Park, Jaipur

Article by Dr. Apurva Tamhane

The Ranthambore national theme park is one of the most visited National Parks in India. Covering nearly 392 square kilometers of vast landscapes in Sawai Madhopur, the tigers are the precious assets of the Ranthambore National Park which are gradually getting extinct. Back in history, the forests of Jaipur were the private hunting grounds for the kings of Jaipur and of the forests, Ranthambore  got a good name and later on became the best place for wildlife photography in the world.

The Wildlife in the Ranthambhore National Park

A walk through the Ranthambore National Park gives a spectacular sight through the open shrubs and the calm lakes and the best of lush greenlands shows the histories of the widlest of life in these areas of India. The Park also features the Ranthambore Fort of which only the remains and ruins are present for view and to provide the glimpse of the past. The entry to the Ranthambore National Park is straight from the foot of the fort and also the rest house in the forest, named, Jogi Mahal. The specialty of the Ranthambore National Park are the presence of extinct species of Tigers they have. More and more tourists have been coming at the Ranthambore National Park to view the tigers which are now facing extinction. Tigers can even be spotted during the daytime which is not so at the other parks, sometimes hunting and sometimes taking care of their cubs.

The other majestic animals that can be seen at the park are the Langurs and the Chinkara which is an Indian Gazelle and the smallest Gazelle can also be seen here. There are some peaceful and calm lakes in the park out of which the Malik Talao, is one of the biggest where many animals and birds come to drink water and marsh crocodiles can also be found in the big lake.

Nearly 264 species of birds are found in the park. Other animals found in the park are Antelopes, Nilgai, Sambhar, Chital which are many in numbers and easy to stop. One can ferry in the park in a Jeep or a Lorry van. There are four travel tracks in the park for the safaris.

Care for yourself while on the safari in Ranthambore National Park

The Safari track can get you in a lot of soil and ust. So it is always better to wear Earth coloured – Green or brown coloured clothes. Also the weather can get very hot and dry in the summer. Have a Cap with Sunshade and also have yourself warmly clothed in the morning s in the months of winter.

Climate of the Ranthambore National Park

Because if the proximity of the Ranthambore National Park to the Thar Desert, the climate can become very harsh around 38°C and the rainfall in the park is in the months of July and August. Make sure that you hit the safari track at around 7:30 in the morning.

Reaching Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore park can be reached by Air, by rail and by road.

The nearest airport is Jaipur Airport which is 145 kilometers away from the National Park.

The nearest railway station is the Sawai Madhopur Station which is 11 kilometers away from the Park.

Road connections are excellent to the other tourist places and major cities in Rajasthan.

The Ranthambore National Park Tour and Safari can be a part of your tour in the Golden Triangle tour by Train which is from Delhi to Jaipur, to Agra to Delhi.

Other tours are Palace on Wheels Tour and the Taj and Tiger Tour.

Bandhipur National Park, Karnataka

Article by Dr. Apurva Tamhane

The Bandipur National Park

The Bandipur National Park is located in the State of Karnataka. The Nearest access to the Bandipur National Park is from Mysore and Ooty cities, both of which are located nearly 80 kilometers from the National Park.
The Main wildlife animals found in the Bandipur National Park are the Asian Elephants and the Gaurs.

About Bandipur National Park

Around midway in the Mysore – Ooty National Highway, the Deccan plateau rises from the mean level of the Grounds where it meets the mountains of the Western Ghats. This place has become one of the most popular places for the reserves of Wildlife and is named after the local area – The Bandipur National Park.
The Park lies in the District of Chamarajanagar of the Southern Western District of Karnataka and also becomes a part of the States of Tamilnadu and Kerala. The climate in the Park is ambient, moderate and the geographical features are diverse in flora and the fauna. The richness of the place gives it a resemblance to the paradise of Wildlife.

History of Bandipur National Park

The year 1973 evidenced Bandipur to become one of the first Tiger Reserves which was a part of the Nine reserves under the Project Tiger. The next year, Bandipur was declared as the National Park under the Wildlife protection Act. The best time to visit the Bandipur National Park are the Pre monsoon showers in the month of April when the reserve becomes greener. The birds in the park start their breeding activities and the air is filled with melodious calls. The grass which is sprouting has visitors like the herds of elephants and the Gaurs in large numbers. The Bandipur National Park is a heaven to visit in the months of April to October. In the dry months of Summer, The Kabini Reservoir in the Northwestern portion of the park has the most congregations of animals from the Reserve.

Time to visit Bandipur National Park

The Best time to visit Bandipur National Park is between the months of April to October.

How to get to Bandipur National Park

Air : The nearest airport is at Bangalore which is 220 km from Bandipur.
Rail : Mysore is nearest railhead, at a distance of 80-kms.
Road : 220 km from Bangalore; 80 km from Mysore; 80 km from Ooty.

Bandipur National Park Tourism Packages

Check out the tourism packages for Bandipur National Park which is a part of the South India tourism packages and is usually a 2 to 3 day tour package. Enjoy more deep forest reserve tours from the Indian forest department or you can enjoy the bigger tour packages which include the other national parks too.

Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary and Forest Reserve

Simlipal elephant reserve is also a National Park in the state of Orissa. The national park have derived its name from the abundance grwoth of the Semul and red silk cotton trees. The elephant reserve was originally a hunting ground for the kings which was later converted to sanctuary which became a national park in the event of time. The National park is a part of the tiger reserve and it have about 95 tigers.Government of India declared Simlipal as Biosphere reserve in 1994 and in the year 2009, UNESCO added it to its list of International Biospheres.

The forest have 61 villages and about 10,000 people live in those forests. These people are mainly tribals. The park has a total area of 2750 sq kms and is at an altitude of 559.31 mts. Out of the total 2750sq kms, 845.70 sq.kms comes under protected area. The national park is the home of Asian Elephants, Tiger and Gaur. The forest is located in the northernmost district of Orissa and is mainly hilly in terrain. The park receives an annual rainfall of about 2000mm. The park have 12 rivers running across it and is the home land of lots of medicinal and aromatic plants and 82 different kinds of Orchids. The park is also the home land of Mugger crocodiles at Jashipur.

The climate during summer is too high and it goes upto 40 degrees and during winter it falls up to 14 degrees. The forest reserve remains open from mid October to mid June. To enter one have to get a permit from the Assistant Conservator of Forest in Jashipur or from the Range Officer at Pithabata. The permits have to be obtained from the entry points atleast two weeks in advance. The tourists are allowed to visit the park from 6.00 am in the morning to 12.00 noon and is extended for another 2 hours till 2.00 pm for the reservation holders. The park can be entered either from Pithabata or from Jashipur. The Santal tribes celebrate feast and dance festival during the month of January which can be attended by tourists after prior notification.

How to reach Simlipal National Park:
Airports: The nearest airports are Kolkata at 240 kms and Bhubaneshwar at 270 kms. Many prefer to drive to the national park directly from Kolkata.

By rail: The nearest railway station is Balasore which is at 60kms from Baripada.

By road: The district headquarters of Mayurbhanj distrcit Baripada is on the junction of NH5 and 6 and is 170kms from Bhubaneshwar by road and 240 kms from Kolkatta, 60 kms from Baripada and 22 kms from Pithabata, 94 kms from Jashipur on N.H.6. Both the entry points are well connected by regular bus services.

Once entered inside the park, one can hire jeeps to venture inside the forest. People can do bird watching, trekking, nature walks, buy handloom products, stone carvings and curios from the locals and also visit the tribals living in that area.

Food and Drinks inside the park: Indian and local cuisine is available at the tourist lodges inside the park. Bottled water is available but Alchoholic beverages and drinks are prohibited inside the park.
Accomodation inside the park: There are a number of Forest rest houses within the forest run by Orissa Tourism department which needs advance booking.
Tourist office, Baripada, Ph. 06792 - 52553, Fax 56705
Youth Hostel at Jashipur also provides accomodation for those visiting Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary.
Contact Information:
Assistant Conservator of Forests, Jashipur Ph. 06797-2474.

Ranthambore National Park - Rajasthan

Ranthambore, the destination of wild life sanctuaries of India is famous for its different kind of birds and animals. It is also regarded as one of the tiger reserves of India. Watching tigvers in their natural habitat is the major tourist attraction of this place.

    Ranthambore National park is in the proximity of Sawai Madhopur village and to be more precise the village is the gate way of Ranthambore which is just 15 kms away. The National park is in the southeastern Rajasthan. Ranthambore was once the famous hunting grounds of the Rajas and Maharajas of Jaipur.

    Ranthambore national park is spread over 1334 sq dm and is along with the Mansingh Sanctuary and Kaila Devi Sanctuary. The National Park can also be considered as historical and heritage tourist site due to the ruins one can see all over the park. 

Best time to visit Ranthambore National Park: 
           The National park is open to visitors from 1st October to 30th June. The remaining time the park remains closed.

What to wear while visiting Ranthambore National Park?   
           As the National Park is in Rajasthan, which is the part of Thar Desert, the summers are extremely hot and winters are extremely cold. So one should be highly careful in selecting the cloth. The clothes during summer have to be very light and during winther thick enough to save from the chill breeze. Better carry a pair of loves and a muffler.

How to reach Ranthambore National Park? 
           The nearby Airports are at Jaipur and at Kota.      
           The nearby Railway stations are Delhi, Agra, Kota and Jaipur.
           Ranthambore National Park can be reached via road from Delhi via Dausa and from Jaipur via Tonk