Corbett National Park.
Sharell Cook
A couple of days ago, I went on my second jungle safari in India. The first one was at Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in the Wayanad district of Kerala. This one was at the opposite end of India -- at Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
I didn't expect to see a tiger at either place, but I still came away feeling like the whole jungle safari experience is often overrated -- at least for foreign tourists who have to pay much higher entrance fees than Indians.
Sure, the scenery was beautiful but the only wild animals I saw were deer and monkeys. Maybe if I'd gone on the safaris during in April-May (the hottest time of the year when the animals come out in search of water), it would've been different. Or maybe a smaller national park, such as Bandhavgarh, might have afforded more animal sightings. Regardless, I didn't find the safari experience very exotic or worth the inflated cost.
What do you think?
I completely agree.. I went to Bandipur, Mudumalai national parks in Karnataka/Tamil Nadu, and both were a big disappointment in terms of the fauna you get to see.
A jungle safari needs to be planned, only then will you succeed in seeing one of the Big Five. Impromptu safaris rarely produce results.
I do not agree with the comments made by AB Apana . Planning is needed only for specific interest groups like birders etc .
For the general tourist the only rule to remember is that the warmer the weather , the better are the chances of seeing wildlife .
Never visit the parks just after the monsoons – the foliage will be thick , and the easy availability of water every where , makes animal sightings difficult .
It does help to hire someone with good local knowledge , if you are tiger centric .
I have never heard of the first jungle u visited. Corbett is gr8 but u need to visit in the summers to get a tiger view.
The best one for tiger is Bandhavgarh, the most populated tiger forest in India. I gurantee !!! You will get a glimpse of the tigers and a variety of other animals. Best time to visit is October-March. There are lots of gr8 hotels here.
Other gr8 jungles in India are Kanha National Park, Kaziranga Wildlife Santuary, Gir Wildlife Santuary (Lions Safari), Ranthambore etc.
Just visit any of these parks and u will not loose ur money for certain.
Hi Soumav, I agree with your recommendations about those parks.
Here are some more good ones:
http://goindia.about.com/od/wildlife/tp/indiawildlife.htm
We been to a few parks the best one is Bandhavgah.We have seen many Tigers there every time we visted the park Yes we think it is fairly expensive but if you see Tigers it is well worth it
Thanks so much for the feedback and tip!
Jungle safari in India is quite exciting if you plan well as what to see where? Bandhavgarh & Kanha are best places for tigers and other big games.
The best thing about Indian jungles are the element of surprise and whence you experience that you will come repeatedly.
Dense forest canopy obstructs view and animals hide easily. A holistic appraisal is the best way to understand these ecosystems. Mega fauna chase is often disappointing. Add birding and tree watching and see how you enjoy.
Wait..Let me get this straight. You judge a jungle safari by how much big game you get to see?
Clearly you are not a genuine nature enthusiast. The jungle safaris are truly fulfilling only for those that can find joy and beauty in every aspect of it’s pristine wonder.
I have visited more than 10 national parks in India alone, and granted, I’ve only seen tigers on 5-6 occasions in Ranthambor and Corbett, but there is so much more than just big game in all of these places. Avifauna is just as enjoyable. If you plan on taking more nature trips, try to enjoy birdwatching. Birds are everywhere, and even if you miss out on the tigers and elephants, there will always be the eagle owl or serpent eagle you didn’t see because you didn’t bother to look.
If all you wanted to do was see exotic animals, that’s what the zoo is for.
Dear Sharell,
I really disagree with your post and especially about your list of top 5 National Parks in India. I think you have not visited any of the National Parks of exotic Northeast India. Kaziranga National Park, Assam, is missing in your list supposedly that should be number 1 in your top 5 list. Corbett is great too; however, in terms of animal density Kaziranga is number one. It’s a World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species. Compared to other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility. Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water.
Kaziranga has world class resorts like Wild Grass and Iora. The Elephant Safari in the dawn something you never got any of the National Parks of India. I have been to several National Parks around the world. But the kind of animals I saw in Kaziranga, simply incomparable to others. Even you can see animals from highways. Rhinos, wild elephants, boars, buffaloes, and hundreds of deer roam together in elephant grass…you feel like an African Safari. Best time to visit is November to March.
Website: http://www.kaziranga-national-park.com/
Another important National Park missing in your list is the Girr National Park known for only surviving Asiatic Lions.
Regards
Kaustav, Washington DC
Hi Kaustav, I appreciate your detailed reply. I agree, I do need to cover those parks. I want to do an article focusing on the animals. The top five list focuses mainly on the most frequently visited parks. Thanks for the prompting and your input. An overhaul will be coming up soon!
Have just visited Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore and couldn’t be more satisified with our sightings of wildlife including the illusive tiger. Would love to come back again if only for the interest of the drive through the parks and the excitement when a tiger sighting is possible. Look after your parks India