It's dusk in an old jungle. The ancient lakes glitter in the last light of the evening as peacocks scream and herons squawk. The night looms large as the timeworn fort overlooks this storied wilderness. Across the lakes, a herd of Sambhar bellow and stamp the ground in fright. A troupe of langurs on a nearby tree scamper to the highest ground. A huge form arises from the thick and darkening reeds and into the last light, the orange of its body shining ever so merrily. A tiger emerges from the shadow making the legend and story come alive. No other animal has this kind of peerless impact on the spectator. Our national animal is indeed a transcendental creature.
What to expect?
This 6-safari tour takes you into the atmospheric and ancient Ranthambhore national park nestled in between two rivers and the ancient Aravallis and Vindhyas. With 1334 sq. km of prime tiger habitat comprising of India's largest Anogeissus pendula (Dhok) forest, deep ravines and rocky outcrops, huge lakes and countless streams, Ranthambhore's tiger is as royal as royal gets. With a setting reminiscent of the maharajas who once ruled over this land, the many relics and tombs from the days gone by makes Ranthambhore an ethereal and mysterious place. The Royal Bengal Tiger takes centrestage here, for its majesty, grace and charisma flows freely across the land. The Tiger reigns supreme in the ancient land of Ranthambhore, for it is deeply embodied in the wind, rain, earth and tree of Ranthambhore.
Ranthambhore is an equally fabulous place to sight the Tiger's smaller and more elusive cousins, for the Leopard that lives on the many crags and crevices that abound in this national park, the extremely pretty Caracal that lurks like a phantom in this riveting smorgasbord of paths and meadows, the clever Jungle Cat or the small yet powerful Rusty-spotted Cat. Sighting one of these cats is an experience that many senior wildlifers cherish forever. Ranthambhore also boasts of a healthy population of the Caracal, that most unique of felines!
A bevy of ungulates including the Nilgai, Sambhar and the Chital make this one of India's liveliest and most titillating wildernesses. Throw in an unexpected jaunt of a Sloth Bear and you are in for a wonderful experience! The charisma of this storied national park will be overwhelming.