India Guide
Madhya Pradesh
Van Vihar Zoological Park
Address: Next door to Museum of Man
Price: Rs200; Rs40 for camera, Rs300 for video; for transport around the park, a rickshaw is Rs150 plus Rs20 entrance fee for the driver, bicycle Rs10
Opening time: Daily: March– Sept 8am–5.30pm; Oct– Feb 6.30am–5.30pm
If you haven't made it to Madhya Pradesh's bona fide national parks, or if you have but missed the big cats, it's well worth visiting the Van Vihar Zoological Park. A trip round the five-square-kilometre sanctuary ties in nicely with a visit to the Museum of Man next door – keep the same rickshaw for the whole trip. The stars of the park are two regal white tigers, but there are also long-nosed gharial, leopards, Himalayan bears, Indian tigers and deer.
The best chance of sightings is from 4pm onwards, when the animals wait for their daily feed. You can get a longer and more peaceful look at the birds – there are 207 species, including the black ibis and the brainfever bird – by taking a boat from the jetty half a kilometre northeast of the park gate (9am to sunset; pedal boats Rs30/30min).