Ranthambhore National Park

Ranthambhore National Park Review

Now incorporating several nearby sanctuaries in its borders, the spectacular Ranthambhore National Park encompasses 1,334 square km (515 square mi). The rugged Aravalli and Vindhya hills, highland boulder plateaus, and lakes and rivers provide homes for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ranthambhore is noted for its tiger and leopard population, although you still have only a 30% to 40% chance of seeing a large cat on any given expedition. The best time to see tigers is right before the monsoon, in summer, when the tigers emerge to drink from small water holes. (When it's dry and the water table is low, the tigers are forced out of hiding to quench their thirst.) What you will definitely see are numerous peacocks, sambar (large Asian deer), chital (spotted axis deer), chinkara (gazelle), wild pigs, jackals, crocodiles, and often sloth bears.

Sighting a wild tiger in Ranthambhore is an exciting experience: if you're lucky, open jeeps sometimes take you as close as 10 feet away from an animal. Before that, of course, you will hear the jungle sounds that warn of a tiger's presence. Monkeys and peacocks scream loudly and the deer in the area become agitated and nervous. Despite conservation efforts, the tiger population in Ranthambhore is small: there are less than 40 of the great amber-eyed cats in the reserve. Sighting a leopard is much more difficult, as these cats live on high, inaccessible slopes and are extremely shy.

The park is run by the Indian government, and the rules are inflexible: you can only enter the park in an official government jeep, and the jeeps keep strict hours, daily from 6:30 am to 9:30 am and 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Book a jeep two months in advance—there's heavy demand for them. (If you make bookings through your hotel, expect a service charge.) In the off-hours, you can explore the surrounding region; the 10th century Ranthambhore Fort, perched on a nearby hill, is one of Rajasthan's more spectacular military strongholds. You could also visit Dastkar, a craft-and-textile shop on the Ranthambhore Road, run by a nongovernmental organization.

Within the park is a government-run hotel called Jhoomar Baori (12 rooms, Rs. 650-Rs. 800) offers the chance to spend a night near the animals, but little else. A better option is to stay at one of the hotels along Ranthambhore Road. The neighboring town of Sawai Madhopur has numerous hotels, but most are extremely basic.