India Guide
Rajasthan
Ranthambore National Park
Website: www.rajasthantourism.gov.in
Price: Park entrance Rs200; video cameras of Rs200; tours Rs460 in a Canter, Rs566 in a Jeep, both including entrance fee.
Opening time: Park closed July– Sept
No Indian nature reserve can guarantee a tiger sighting, but at RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK the odds are probably better than anywhere else. This has less to do with the size of the population, which is perilously small due to poaching, than because the tigers themselves are famously unperturbed by humans, hunting in broad daylight and rarely shying from cameras or Jeep-loads of tourists. Combine the big cats' bravado with the park's proximity to the Delhi– Agra– Jaipur "Golden Triangle", and you'll understand why Ranthambore attracts so many visitors.
Ranthambore has been controlled by the Rajputs for most of its existence, and was set aside by the rulers of Jaipur for royal hunting jaunts. Soon after Independence the area was declared a sanctuary, becoming a fully fledged national park under Project Tiger in 1972. It currently holds around 28 adult tigers and ten cubs, plus healthy populations of chital, nilgai, jackals, leopards, jungle cats and a wide array of birds.
In comparison to the tranquil tiger sanctuaries in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, the crowds can be off-putting, to say the least – the park can get ridiculously busy throughout the cool winter months, especially around holiday periods. April to June are a lot quieter, but obviously very hot. The best time to visit is during the dry season (Oct– March), when the lack of water entices the larger animals out to the lakeside. During and immediately after the monsoons, they are more likely to remain in the forest.
Vehicular access to the park is strictly controlled. Three-hour Safaris run daily every morning and afternoon, with around seventeen six-seater Jeeps (also known as "Gypsys") and twenty Canters (open-top, 20-seat buses) allowed in per session. If you don't reserve a seat online in advance, or through your hotel or a local tour operator, you'll have to battle the crowds at the chaotic Tourist Reception Centre (5–6.30am & noon–1pm) at the RTDC HotelVinayak, about 7km along Ranthambore Road.
Read more ▼
- Practical Information ▼
- Sight(s) ▼