Safari?

I know safari isn%26#39;t the correct term in India, you all know what I mean though!

Can anyone tell me, are there any opportunities to visit national parks etc. in the south of India? We are looking at the end of 2008, (over New Year if possible) we%26#39;d love to see a tiger in the wild!

Thanks in advance!

Safari?

Hello,

I am also interested by an Indian Safari and / OR tiger sighting. Did you find out more about this?

I am Planning 3 weeks in December 09 including north India and Rajastan. Not sure there is a need to go to Safari camp to get tiget sightings. Read some mixed reviews about Safaris in India. Lodges look great but the experience wasn%26#39;t as rich as in africa.

Thx

Alex

Safari?

I%26#39;ve posted several replies to tiger tours and other jungle safaris. Please use the Search box to find older posts, typing ';tiger'; will get you quite a bit of info.

I am just back from Kenya and yes, the Indian jungle experience is not the same as Africa. First of all the terrain in the South is tropical forest which makes sightings difficult (not vast open grassland). In Rajasthan the forest is dry deciduous with thickets and undergrowth, so that makes the tiger difficult to spot. Lastly, the density of animal population is not as high as Africa.

The word safari is very much used in India as well.

- Deepa

Thank you for the reply Deepa. I%26#39;ve already did some research on the forum using keyword Safari. I%26#39;ll try with Tiger.

Having expereinced Kenya, what would you advise for India? Is it wort investing several days in a CC Africa type of accomodation (more on a luxury side, 2-4 days) or just do a 1-2 night in an average or upscale place? I will be spending 3 weeks around Christemas (north India and Rajastan) and would like to see tigers. However not Dying to do a Safari. I think I%26#39;ll resrve that to when I go back to Africa (2010?)

It%26#39;s really difficult to get advice from people who exeprienced Africa AND India. So your opinion will definitly be helpful.

Thx

Alex

Looking for Safari?Go for Ranthambhore wild life sanctuary u will definately get to see tiger.U can try jeep safari there in ranthambhore which is very easy to book online ,try rajasthantourism@gov.in.

.Rgds.

Hi Apex

';I know safari isn%26#39;t the correct term in India, you all know what I mean though!';

To this I wud say that I went to a park called ';Woburn Safari park'; recently (70 miles north of london enroute Birmingham) and wat it really turned out to be was a bunch of huge enclosures connected with each other with large gates thru which cars can pass but animals in the adjacent cages can%26#39;t as the bottom of these gates were electrified...and it ended in 18 minutes flat...so no point camparing ';safaris';

As for comparing any two coutries, its no point again as the terrains are different, animals are different and the overall arrangements are different too (for example Africa has private game parks too and india doesn%26#39;t have any)...

As for seeing forests (call it safari or any other name :-) ), south india%26#39;s forests are a real treat to watch as compared to forests of central india (Madhya Pradesh)or western India (Rajasthan)...u wd be lucky to see a pug mark in forests of south india...though u wud be delighted with sights of other animals like dear and elephants

But if u r really into tigers (n other predators)...ur best bet is Ranthambore (for tigers)...Sariska (for leopards)...

Ur next best option will be parks of Madhya Pradesh (MP) (closer to south than Rajasthan)...Bandhavgarh and Kanha (for tigers) and Panna (for leopards), in that order..

If u choose MP over Rajasthan, u will hv another plus, the temples of Khajuraho are in MP

Cheers

Hi guys,

Thank you SO MUCH for such detailed info. So I guess I will Save the ';forest'; part of the Safari for another time, if South is better.

As for Ranthambore, how much time do you recommend I stay there (or around it?). Is it worth spending a few days (2-3) or just 1 night? Do you recommend staying in a Lodge inside or a hotel nearbby?

I have quite a few things to see in India (central and Rajastan) but will spend 2 (max 3) days if it is advisable to see tigers AND a way to unwind.

Thx

Alex

Spartac

For Ranthambore, spare atleast two days (and keep a third day as a backup, just in case u dont see a tiger in first two visits to the park)

Try doing to-fro journey in a night train (u will end up saving lot of precious time)...

Dear Spartac -

If you enjoy birdwatching, the Indian bird sanctuaries are very good, and the end of the year is the migratory season when we get a lot of exotic avian visitors.

The upscale jungle lodges and hotels in India are pretty good. At Ranthambore, for instance, I have experienced Dev Vilas and the Taj, both of which are very nice and comparable to the better lodges in Africa. In the CC Africa league, Ranthambore has the Oberoi Vanya Vilas, which I found sinfully luxurious (the tents have four poster beds, private gardens, and fancy bathtubs). If you%26#39;re after the tiger, then Ranthambore is a good choice. You can also visit Bharatpur bird sanctuary if you are driving from Agra to Jaipur to Ranthambore.

In South India, the Taj group has a good hotel in Thekkady, Kerala, close to the Periyar Sanctuary which is famous for its elephants (costs about $250 per night including taxes). In Karnataka, there is no five-star hotel at Nagarhole, but there are a couple of good resorts. I usually recommend Cicada or Jungle Lodges, but these are not in the same league as the Taj. If you go to Karnataka, then Ranganathitu is a good bird sanctuary to visit.

Unlike Africa, tourism in India is not primarily about wildlife. So even when you go to a wild life sanctuary, it is only part of a much larger trip that has many elements of cultural, historical and artistic interest. This results in a ';total experience'; that is very rich. It is actually quite surreal to see the fort in Ranthambore, and some beautiful stone structures inside the forest, and last time in Ranthambore, I was able to see a local festival where thousands of villagers gathered for a trek to the Ganesh temple. If you go to the jungles in the South, you could visit coffee and spice plantations, see Kathakali dance performances, experience ayurveda, backwater boat rides, and the coastal cuisine.

The tiger is elusive in the South - you have to be really lucky to see a tiger or a leopard, although they do exist. Elephants, gaur, monkeys, chital, wild dog, jackals, boars, mongoose and nilgai antelope are commonly sighted, and there is a wealth of bird life. In Nagarhole/Kabini, you can go on coracle rides in the river, these are small circular boats.

In the final analysis, I would say, if you have 4 weeks in India, do spend a couple of days at a sanctuary to add that extra something to your visit. It is not like Africa, the animals don%26#39;t just sit there waiting for you to drive up (although that happens too), but it is good all the same.

- Deepa

Guys, thank you SO MUCH for all this info.

Deepa,

I have 3 days in India and there are sooo many things to see in central Indial and Rajastan. But I guess I%26#39;ll try to fit in 2 days for the ';Safari';. I am really not into birds, mainly other animals.

I have planned not to go south, but spend all 3 weeks in a center (New Delhi to New Delhi). Would love itinerary suggetions. So far I saw a 2 week suggestion in Frommer%26#39;s, Maybe will add to that 2 days for the Safari and spread the rest through the suggested destinations to have a slower pace.

Alex

I don%26#39;t have an itinerary, but if you post yours, I can comment on it?