cjstobbs

We are going to India in November and want to arrange a safari for approximately 3 nights. We hope to see tiger, but as that may not be the case, want to stay in a camp that will provide a good jungle feel; i.e. no hotels. We do not wish to pay over $200 US pp pp (all inclusive) and would like to pay less. We will flying into Delhi and will be in the North, so something probably in Bandhavgarh. Please help with suggestions.

vp_singh

You are absolutely right when you say that you wish to stay inside the park & not in a hotel. I can not comment on Bandhavgarh, as I have never been there. However, I know Corbett & it’s surrounding areas, including the erstwhile shooting blocks of Kalagarh, Maldhan, Garuppu & Kotdwar, as the palm of my hand. Nothing is more pleasurable or more rewarding than staying inside the jungle listening to the jungle folk, as you call it a day. My logic is as under:
a. Corbett contains a 100 species of trees including the Haldu, Dhak, Sal, Bargad, Rohini, Tendu, etc; 500 Species of Birds including the rare Ferruginous Pochard, Spot-Billed Eagle Owl, Tawny Fish Owl, Wood Snipe, Long Billed Plover, Black-Bellied Tern, Palla’s Fish Eagle, Pallied Harrier, Imperial Eagle, Red-Necked Falcon & over 60 species of animals the most famous being the Tiger, Elephant, Deer & numerous wild cats; Crocodile, Gharial, Mahseer, trout, Goonch etc.
b. Several rivers crisscross the area, Ramganga being a major river on which are situated the old forest rest houses, except for Sultan which falls in a dry area. It is this area & it’s proximity to water that attracts the many birds & animals that you will see. Though a sighting of a tiger is simply a matter of chance, but you may hear them in the jungle calling in search of a mate, as November is mating season for the big cats.
c. You will do the usual safari in jeep & elephant, but you can also sit quietly in the verandah of the FRH with a pair of field glasses or better still, night vision, and watch animals approaching the glades around the FRH, on a moon lit night. I have seen, in this manner, ratel (grave digger, they are always in pairs), porcupines, wild boars, jackals, civet cats & deer. One night it may be very quiet with only a night jar calling, on another it may just be chaos of animal calls…it is so very exciting!!
d. And…you shall be able to do it at half your mentioned budget!!!

loru100

We stayed at the Royal Tiger Resort in Bandhavgarh in January of 2004. Highly recommend this resort. It's a tented camp similar to those in Africa with indoor toilet and shower. The food was good and the staff were very friendly. We saw tigers every time we went out. Unless something has changed in the two years since we've been there, their resort is located right outside the entrance to the park, and after having walked/drove around the area, this is the only resort I would recommend. I can't comment on price as we had a private guide and paid one price for the whole tour.

cjstobbs

Loru100: Was the toilet a flush toilet? There is one other lodge I'm looking into, which is Junglemantra. They do not have tents but do have bamboo huts. The price difference between the two is $20.00 pp pn. Also, it appears we may be able to do some safari by elephant, altough I believe the charge is extra. If anyone has any other experiences in Bandhavgarh that wasn't at a hotel-like resort, I'd appreciate the information.

loru100

Yup...regular flush toilets. As a side note, if you do stay there, the bathrooms are all marble and very slippery. My husband took a nasty fall in the shower. If I recall, the safari by elephant is optional, but an additional charge. The resort took us out in jeeps and we only took the elephants for what they call the "tiger show", which isn't as cheesy as it sounds. In the morning the mahoots track the tigers by elephant and then radio back to the jeeps where the tigers are. Then they take groups of four from the jeeps to where the tigers are by elephant. You can spend hours/days searching and not see any tigers, so this is one way of improving your chances. As far as huts, there is a rat problem out there, so I'm not sure how good a hut would be. The tents have cement walls covered with canvas. Be happy to answer any other questions.

kbora

Hi, I refer to your post about the bath/toilet facilities at resorts at Bandhavgarh. I have checked this with my friend who stayed at Junglemantra and have been informed that the bathrooms were beautiful, food and service excellent. She tells me that the fact that it is British asian managed was probably why the hygiene standards were excellent. My friend also says that she remembers seeing the sign for Royal Tiger Resort but never met anyone from that resort during their park trips. I will check out with my Indian friends if they can find out about the Royal Tiger resort at Bandhavgarh. Will post a message here asap. Watch this space.. as they say!