Ranthambhore National Park

Hi All,

Ranthambhore has been an exhausting hunt for the elusive Bengal tiger.

The safaris and hotel here were booked from the UK and have been comparatively expensive to the rest of our travels in India. We arrived at the train station and were met by our driver; climbing into his ‘gypsy’ 4wd jeep, a luxury compared to the rickshaws we’ve become accustomed to. We walked through the hotel garden and passed the swimming pool which was perfect after a hot mornings safari. Our room was huge and felt extravagant compared to the hostels we’ve been staying in. However, we ended up turning it into a clothes drying room. With no launderette nearby and the hotel wash service the price of a weeks worth of meals, we were left with no choice but to hand wash! Armed with a bucket, travel wash and some cord, we got it all clean and dry on a makeshift washing line.

We got an early night and were up at 5:30 to get into the jungle on the hunt for tigers. On our first morning, we got a split second glimpse of a tiger before it headed into the undergrowth. On our next, we saw: peacocks, spotted deer, Indian antelope, wild boar and a monitor lizard but unfortunately no tigers. The following day we went into a different zone of the national park which felt straight out of jungle book. We could see how Rudyard Kipling was inspired following a trip here. There were remnants of temples and forts that were surrounded by long tiger grass and dense forest. Vines created curtains hanging from huge trees. We passed a lake teeming with crocodiles and birds but unfortunately no sight of Shere Khan. As we drove out of the park someone shouted “Baloo baloo!” We looked to our left and could see a sloth bear running alongside the jeep between the trees. It darted across the road in front of us and jumped over a stream before running deeper into the forest. It all happened so fast that we only managed one very blurred bear shaped black blob in a photo!

During our evening safari that night we had heard the warning calls of langur monkeys indicating that a tiger was near but still nothing. As we were leaving, we heard a distant roar! Our driver swung the jeep round and bolted toward the noise. We got to the clearing just in time to watch, from a distance, as the tigress walked through the forest before heading into a stream to cool off. We did our best to get some pictures and managed a couple but neither will be hanging on the wall!

We felt that the park is way behind those in South Africa, Kenya and Yellowstone that we have visited previously. Particularly in terms of guide communication; relying on a WhatsApp group to share sightings long after they were spotted instead of using a radio! Our guides tried incredibly hard but the tigers proved too difficult to see for any length of time. We were unlucky but it was great to get a glimpse of the king of the jungle.

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Love R and D xxx

p.s. oldies click through using the arrows to see all the photos!