Tour Activities- Jeep Safari At Ranthambore
Of all the areas in north and central India which are still home to the Royal Bengal Tiger,Ranthambore National Park is the most conveniently located in terms of its proximity to other places of interest (3 hours from Jaipur, 6 hours from Agra) making it an ideal place to try your luck spotting India’s King of the Jungle.
Ranthambore National Park - India
Ranthambore is open from October 1st each year, typically closing on June 30th. While generally better sightings are to be had the later in the season you travel, it really is a matter of luck! Due to the Park's popularity and the large numbers of visitors to the Park in the winter season, entry to Ranthambore is strictly controlled and only a set number of jeeps may enter the Park each morning and evening. Safaris by shared jeep (with naturalist and a maximum of 5 passengers) start from your hotel, and all jeeps congregate at the gates prior to the Park opening (hours vary with the season).
Jeeps are allocated an area of the Park- called Zones- which they are allowed to visit and the safari will last around 2 hours. There are ten zones, and those numbered 1-5 are generally preferred due to a higher concentration of tigers. However with bookings now open 365 days prior to the dates of your safari, it can be difficult to get a booking in one of these core zones.
Drivers are in radio contact to enable the best chance of a sighting (particularly of tigers) being shared. The trails are bumpy and can be dusty, and it is really quite cold in the early hours of the morning in winter - come prepared with a jacket and hat.
The wildlife of Ranthambore is plentiful and very varied. Aside from tigers, there are sloth bears, leopards, nilgai, spotted and barking deer, langur and macaque monkeys, crocodiles and a vast array of bird species. Any visit to National Park in India is best experienced if you think of it as a beautiful place to be in nature with major wildlife sightings as a bonus. The dense forests of Ranthambore, as with most woodlands in India, mean that long distance views of large numbers of animals is never really a thing, and most of the time you can expect furtive glimpses of animals. But for those lucky enough to spot a tiger or two, the memory will live forever.
