It was a Saturday morning, the cold winters of Delhi hadn’t yet receded subsequently, making it a chilly morning. The scare of the Covid-19 had sowed it’s roots to India, making the travelling bit a little more apprehensive than it usually was supposed to be.
So here we were, slightly behind schedule, very apprehensive of how things were going to turn out; the chill of the morning adding to our woes. It had been a long time since I visited the Hazrat Nizamuddin station and with the CAA protests happening all throughout Delhi, even the stature of the station exuded a kind of suffering and pain.
A quick background about this place for anyone who might not be aware this place, Ranthambore is a reserve forest patrolled by the Rajasthan Forest Department and with a forest coverage of nearly 1400 sq. kilometres, it is home to more than 70 tigers, making it one of India’s largest tiger reserves.
In terms of connectivity, it is nearly a 8 hour drive from Delhi and via the railway, the station of ‘Sawai Madhopur’ being the ingress to the city.
Day 1:
A road drive from Delhi was not the most convenient option for us as none of us were comfortable in such a long journey, which is why we opted to commute via the train. An on-schedule arrival at Sawai Madhopur meant that we checked into our hotel, the ‘Tree Of Life, Kipling’ at about 11:40 am. A cosy property, the resort is an beautiful getaway from the monotony and cacophony that is part and parcel of city life. What the menu lacked in terms of options and variety, it was more than compensated by the quality. A special note, the Murg Tikka and the Fish Tikka were absolutely lip-smacking. The cottages are allocated the names of various wild animals, in line with the theme of the city. ‘Elephant’ was the room allocated to us which consisted of a courtyard shower, reinforcing the connection of the guest with nature.
With no activities planned, the day ahead was sluggish and all of us indulged in some quality family bonding time. Often, just laying back and doing nothing is a therapeutic effect in itself.
Dinner was served in the central courtyard of the restaurant at about 8pm with the culture of Rajasthan on show at its exuberant best. Folk singers wove their magic while we ate, cuddled in the heat of the bonfire. The perfect end to an otherwise sluggish day.
Day 2:
With rejuvenated enthusiasm, we proceeded towards the activities that were aligned for us: a wildlife safari followed by a trip to the Ranthambore Fort. Being the weekend right before Holi, the Forest Reserve saw a lot of tourists visiting it which meant that bookings for the ‘Wildlife Safari’ via the online portal were sold out. However, on contacting your hotel, you can arrange for a safari (although you will have to pay a higher sum), which is what we did. Little did we know that the zone that we were allotted was Zone 10, the area of the forest that lays on the outskirts of the reserve. In my opinion, I feel that tourists should not be taken to this ‘Zone’ purely because it does not qualify to be jungle terrain. Being an enterprising Indian myself, I could understand why these so called ‘zones’ were in operation: a monetary profit.
So here a few things you should keep in mind about the forest reserve before you book yourself a wildlife safari.
Try getting a booking in Zones 1-6, if you get one outside these zones (especially during the Indian summer), your booking will definitely be rendered futile.
The actual price of the ticket as quoted by the Government of Rajasthan (in a canter) is about INR 650. So if the travel agent demands for more, there is a lot of scope to bargain.
If your sole purpose is to sight a tiger in its natural habitat, your best chance is during the morning: the tiger is a territorial animal and therefore is often spotted wandering through the jungle during the morning.
Disclaimer: Ranthambore is a tiger reserve with the animal free to roam around in the vast expanses of the jungle. Therefore, do not be disappointed if you are amongst the unlucky few that are not able to experience the thrills of a tiger sighting instead, immerse yourself in the raw beauty that the forest terrain has to offer.
We returned to our hotel at about 11 am, immensely disappointed by the experience and equipped with new knowledge about how to pick the zones (which I have already shared with you), we decided to give the tiger sighting another shot the subsequent day. My grandmother who lives in Kota along with my cousins, had decided to travel down to Ranthambore to meet us and during the wait for our guests, I read about the ‘Trinetra Ganesh Mandir’ which is situated at the helm of the Ranthambore Fort.
‘Trinetra’ translates to ‘three eyes’ and as folklore suggests, it is the only temple in the world where one can worship this deity, which is why the fort is swarming with families and newly weds on weekends.
Tip: I would recommend you to carry your own water bottles for the trek up the fort as the weather conditions can lead to dehydration. Also, be sure to take extra precaution of your cameras and mobile phones as enroute, the fort is teeming with monkeys and langurs.
Day 3:
Mornings in Ranthambore are beautiful: a cacophony of animal calls resonating through the forest. It is during this time that one can indulge in the true experience of a wildlife safari, and so we did. But this time, we were allotted Zone 3, and locals had referred to it as the ‘most beautiful’ part of the forest reserve in Ranthambore: and it sure did live up to all the hype. Vast lakes teeming with wildlife, sambar deers moving and grazing in packs, this area of the forest will make you appreciate nature and the harmony in which all these animals co-exist.
After returning from the safari at around 10:30 am, we had our breakfasts and checked out from the Tree Of Life-Kipling after a great stay at the hotel.
As per our itinerary, it was time for us to shift into the famous ‘Nahargarh Resort’ of Ranthambore. With its sheer expanse and architecture, one is transported back in time to the era of the Maharajas. The lush gardens and the central-courtyard based architecture with rooms overlooking it, contribute to enhancing the overall experience of the stay.
The hotel has a lot of activities scheduled across the day such as a tiger documentary screening, folk dance and music and so forth in the foyer area. To experience the grandeur of the resort, one must visit the place as pictures do not do justice to the property.
The only drawback to my experience at the resort was the lack of variety available on the bouffet. The menu lacked variety and also did not live up to the high standard that was set by the visual cues of the architectural form and landscaping in and around the resort.
Day 4:
Another morning meant another safari, this time we ventured out to Zone 1, and right off the bat, we witnessed a leopard chasing and pouncing upon a deer, which is when the fear of being exposed to the wild, set in. Gingerly, we proceeded to try and sight a tiger and there it lay, a 300 pound female, resting in the bushes. The muscle and sinew of the beast could be felt even when we were about 50 feet away: the perfect end to our trip to Ranthambore.
We boarded the train back to Delhi from Sawai Madhopur, lost in thoughts of the city.
Overview:
Having been to Ranthambore and having spent time there, I feel that 2-3 days is more than enough to explore the city. I would definitely recommend you to book the wildlife safari in advance so that it does not become a hassle later, but do keep in mind which season you are visiting the forest reserve and which zone you have been allotted. Also, do visit the handicraft shops or even the ‘Shilpgram’ which showcases some of the finest handworks in Rajasthani culture.
Hope this has been helpful to you and for any other queries, you can email me and I will try to answer your question with the best of my ability.
Email: dhawal.pagay@gmail.com
