Tigers, Ranthambhore National Park

Few know the Indian subcontinent better than Rajan Jolly. Born and raised in India, Rajan has worked in the travel industry for over 20 years and managed our Naturetrek tours to the subcontinent for the past 17! His passion for logistics and complex itineraries, as well as his profound knowledge of the traveller’s requirements, is second-to-none. In this article, Rajan reveals some of the highlights and issues relating to a holiday in his native land.

Q. What is your favourite Indian national park, and why?
Kanha National Park in central India — it has an excellent record for Tiger sightings and a wonderful variety of other wildlife, as well as being scenically beautiful with its mix of meadows, hills and extensive forests.

Q. How is India’s Tiger population faring?
It’s on the rise, which is very encouraging. The increase in numbers is all due to the huge, consistent efforts of various conservation agencies and the Indian Forest Service.

Q. When is the best time to visit India?
From mid-October to May, after the summer monsoon. The weather is at its very best from October to December, so this is the ideal time for culture and sightseeing. However, for Tigers and all other wildlife, February to May is the best time — when the vegetation has died down a bit and the water sources are more limited, with Tigers and their prey concentrated around the waterholes and therefore easier to see. The temperatures can be high at this time of year (30-40°C), but the potential reward in terms of wildlife sightings is excellent!

Q. Many tour operators offer ‘wildlife’ tours to India. What makes Naturetrek tours a better option?
The research we do for our itineraries is second-to- none ... and our groups are accompanied by some of the very best naturalists in India, all of them hand-picked by me and trusted longstanding colleagues. Our award-winning ground team in India is also superb — their attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction is extraordinary; plus I visit India each year to check the logistics of our trips personally. Finally, because we have specialised in India’s wildlife for so long, and send more wildlife enthusiasts to India than any other company, we are always as up-to-date as we can be on wildlife sightings and logistics. Hand on heart, I believe we offer the best Indian wildlife experience around.

Q. What is your favourite wildlife lodge?
Reni Pani Jungle Lodge. It is an exquisitely designed conservation and wildlife focused lodge located close to the Satpura National Park and Tiger Reserve. It lacks for nothing!

Q. And your top two recommendations for those wanting a luxury experience?
I’d recommend our ‘Wild India ... In Style!’ and ‘Go Slow in Tiger Country’ holidays. These tours use hotels and lodges which have more spacious rooms (always with air-conditioning), a wider choice of dining options and a generally higher level of service and better facilities than on an average tour. They also have swimming pools.

Q. Is it essential to book early as Tiger Reserve permits are limited?
It really is vital to book early on a Tiger-watching holiday. A recent drastic reduction in the number of both jeeps and visitors permitted to enter India’s Tiger Reserves each day has meant that, in order for us to obtain a jeep and permit for you, the earlier you book the better chance you have of securing what you want! The number of beds available at the lodges servicing each of these parks now far exceeds the tiny number of visitors permitted to enter each day, but for Naturetrek clients a bed in a lodge on the outskirts of a reserve is of little value if one cannot enter the reserve! We therefore cannot emphasise strongly enough that early booking is essential ... particularly for the most popular reserves such as Tadoba, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Ranthambhore.

Q. What is your top recommendation for Tiger-watching & wildlife travel in India?
For Tiger sightings — number and consistency — I’d recommend a visit to Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra state. Our sightings last season were really impressive! In the adjoining state of Madhya Pradesh, also called the ‘Tiger state of India’, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench National Parks are very good for Tiger sightings (Kanha and Bandhavgarh sightings improved considerably last season). And we’ve always had consistently good sightings in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. If Tigers aren’t the main focus of your wildlife holiday, then Satpura National Park in Madhya Pradesh is excellent for such specialities as Leopard, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Dhole (Indian Wild Dog), Malabar Giant Squirrel and other mammals, as well as its birdlife. Similarly, Kaziranga National Park, in the north-eastern state of Assam, is an exceptional place for seeing Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Asian Elephant and wild Water Buffalo, and is also excellent for birds.

Q. I understand India’s Tiger Reserves can get busy. Are there quieter Tiger Reserves, relatively visitor-free?
Satpura is relatively quiet, as its Tigers are not so often seen (and the park therefore attracts relatively few visitors), since they are not as habituated as in Madhya Pradesh’s popular reserves. This is one of India’s most scenic Tiger Reserves and holds a wealth of interesting mammals and birds. Dudhwa is another national park and Tiger Reserve that is less frequently visited. It can be combined with Corbett National Park and Nepal.

Q. What is your personal Tiger-watching highlight?
My best sighting has to have been in Pench National Park, where I saw a family group comprising a male and female with their four 18-month-old cubs all strolling along! On that trip I had 32 Tiger sightings, of 16 individual Tigers. In addition, I was lucky enough to see 4 Leopards, 7 Jungle Cats and a single Sloth Bear while the local pack of Dhole (Indian Wild Dogs) was seen on two occasions. Commoner herbivores such as abundant Chital (Spotted Deer) and Sambar were supplemented by repeated encounters with impressive Gaur (the largest bovine in the world) and Barasingha (‘Khana’ Swamp Deer), one of the world’s rarest mammals and the original reason for establishing Kanha as a protected area.

Q. What’s your favourite Indian dish?
Garlic naan with butter chicken!