Spread across an area of 392 sq. km., the Ranthambore National Park is the most famous national Park in the whole world, especially for sighting the Royal Bengal tigers in their natural habitat. What’s more, the world’s most photographed tigress, Machali,who recently turned twenty, lives here. The Ranthambore National Park is a world heritage site and is blessed with rich flora and fauna of rare species to serve as a paradise for wildlife photography to tourists. Two sanctuaries flank the Ranthambore National Park- the Kaila Devi sanctuary and the Mansingh Sanctuary.
How to Reach?
You can opt to drive down to Ranthambore from Delhi(Waytoindia.com , a tour operator recognized by ministry of Tourism , Government of India organizes tours for Ranthambore from Delhifor which you may visit http://www.waytoindia.com/ranthambore-from-delhi to get more details on Ranthambore from Delhi) .The distance of Ranthambore from Delhi is about 393.7 km via the NH11A.
As an alternative, you may fly to Sanganer airport in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan and then take the train from there to Sawai Madhopur railway station. Sanganer airport is well connected to all major cities like Delhi and Mumbai.The distance of Sawai Madhopur from Jaipur is 180 km and takes about two and a half hours. What strikes you as soon as you alight from the train that carries you to Sawai Madhopur, the railway station you must get down at to reach your destination is the graffiti. The Sawai Madhopur Railway station has been turned into a wildlife museum with beautiful wildlife graffiti and is the only railway station of its kind in the country. The Park is just 11 km from Sawai Madhopur railway station and you may book a gypsy or a jeep to the Park from the station.
Places to See in Ranthambore
The wildlife safarithat takes roughly three and a half hoursis the most famous thing to do at the Ranthambore National Park. Apart from tigers, you may get to see jackals, boars, hyenas, crocodiles, gazelles etc. too.
There are various options to choose from to go on the safari. You may choose amongst the Park’s safari vehicles like car, closed jeep or open jeep, each with a dedicated guide in it. No other vehicles are allowed inside the Park except the registered ones even for tourists from the luxury hotels. It is advisable to book seats in the vehicles in advance, as the rush might be too much and you may need to wait and waste time unnecessarily if you reach the Park directly without prior bookings.
Apart from the tiger safari, the must see place is the Ranthambore fort, which sing the glories of yore through its ruined but majestic edifice. It can be a perfect place to pack your lunch and go for a picnic.
Ranthambore National Park Safari Timings
The Ranthambore National Park has two major set timings of three hours each for the wildlife safari. One is the dawn safari which can be done from dawn till 10 am. The second one is between 2:30 p.m. till dusk.
Do make sure that you stay at least one night to enjoy the dawn safari as it can be the most exciting experience of your life.There are 10 zones in the Park. Zone 1-5 are the core zones and are the best ones to sight tigers.
Make sure you are carrying your own snacks and drinks when you are visiting the Park for the safari, since you will find no places to eat inside the Park.
The Ranthambore National ParkEntry Fee
The entry fee to the national Park starts at 8 pounds for an adult. Apart from this, you need to pay the vehicle charge as per the vehicle you chose as well as the guide charges as applicable.
Best Time to Visit Ranthambore National Park
The Ranthambore National Park is open from October to June. However it is best to visit the Park between December and April as the weather is the most pleasant during this time. Be sure to carry some extra wraps during the dawn safari in the winter months as the weather may prove to be surprisingly chilly.
