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Family Wildlife Adventures Website

Northern India

UTTAR PRADESH & RAJASTHAN

These neighbouring northern states are the most popular for visitors. They contain the so-called  Golden Triangle, formed by Jaipur, the Pink city, Delhi with its Lutyens-designed colonial centre and ancient monuments, and Agra, gateway to the fantastic Taj Mahal. One may also visit the beautifully preserved Mogul town of Fatehpur Sikri and many other important cultural sites.

Ranthambore National Park

The forests of Ranthambore National Park were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game for sport was responsible for their conservation, and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger. The Park sprawls over an estimated area of 400 sq kms. Steep crags embrace a network of lakes and rivers, and atop one of these hills is the impressive Ranthambore Fort, built in the 10th century. The terrain fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bush land. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with dhok, being the most prominent tree. The lakes in the area attract the tiger population which are often spotted at the water’s edge. Old crumbling walls, ruined pavilions, wells, and other ancient structures stand witness to the region's glorious past. The forest is peppered with battlements and other remnants of Ranthambore Fort - tigers frequent these ruins, too. The tigers are spotted often during the day, busy in their normal pursuits - especially stalking or hunting and taking care of their young. With the strict measures that have been taken for their conservation, they seem quite accustomed to human activity and are not disturbed by it. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora, including 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles (including the marsh crocodile) & amphibians and 30 mammals.

Bikaner

The fortified city of Bikaner is encircled by imposing battlements and stands on a slight eminence. Its roads undulate through colourful bazaars and the predominant hue of the buildings is the strong reddish pink of local sandstone. Junagarh Fort was built by Raja Rai Singh, an outstanding general of Mughal Emperor Akbar. It is encircled by a moat and contains palaces made of red sandstone and marble with kiosks and balconies embellishing the structure at intervals. Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke is dedicated to Karni Mata, a mystic. Legend goes that she foretold the victory of success of Rao Bika and the prophecy came true. Today thousands of rats are revered here owing to the belief that the souls of her devotees are housed in the rats, and consequently they must be protected and well fed. The camel breeding farm in Bikaner is perhaps the only one of its kind in Asia and is managed by the Central Government. Bikaner's Camel Corps was a famous fighting force and still maintains its importance. This is one of the world’s main centres for scientific camel research and breeding.

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary - In the past, Gajner, 32 kms from Bikaner, used to be the royal hunting grounds of the Maharaja of Bikaner. This small sanctuary includes a lake that teems with wintering waterbirds and wildfowl, while the surrounding forest and scrub desert afford protection for chinkara, nilgai, wild boar and blackbuck. Large numbers of chestnut-bellied sandgrouse visit the sanctuary to take advantage of the valuable water source in this arid region. Visitors travel in open-topped jeeps to provide an interesting introduction to the fauna of the Rajasthan desert.

Jaisalmer

Over the years the remote desert location of Jaisalmer kept it almost untouched by outsiders. The city is a mix of fascinating culture and harsh climatic conditions, together amounting to a memorable experience. As the sun sets the sandstone buildings emit a lustrous glow that gives Jaisalmer its sobriquet, the 'Golden City'. Today, the city is a lively hub from where one can trek across beautiful stretches of sand, go on camel safaris deep into the desert, or paradoxically, enjoy visiting the nearby lakes and reservoirs. Attractions include Jaisalmer Fort, a splendid sight in the afternoon sun standing high over the city with its 99 bastions,. One of the largest and the most elaborate houses in Jaisalmer is Patwon ki Haveli, which is five storeys high and extensively carved.

Desert National Park, Jaisalmer - The Thar Desert’s variety of landscapes, including sand dunes, craggy rocks, pavements and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes amount to a unique ecosystem with rich fauna.The Sudashri forest post is one of the best places to observe wildlife here and visitors make safari trips either on camel carriages or by foot. Mammals include blackbuck, chinkara, wolf, Indian fox, desert fox, hare and desert cat. Flights of sandgrouse begin arriving at waterholes from sunrise onwards and again at dusk, when flock after flock converge to these precious water sources. Chestnut-bellied and painted are the two commonest types of breeding sandgrouse, but other species such as spotted and black-bellied may occur during winter. Other residents include grey francolin, blue-tailed and green bee-eaters, drongo and Indian roller, but perhaps the most important avian resident is the severely endangered great Indian bustard. A huge, stately bird, it requires large undisturbed areas in which to breed, and with the ever-expanding human population the bustard’s range has steadily contracted. This is a species that cannot easily coexist with man and it is only in large unspoilt places such as the Thar Desert that it can still be found. The sight of a bustard flock picking its way through a weedy field, or flying in chevron formation across the desert, will be one of the most indelible images of a visit to Thar.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park

A compact UNESCO World Heritage Site, Keoladeo is situated south of the town of Bharatpur and is often referred to by that name. A former shooting reserve, it is now an important wildfowl and nature park, harbouring rarities such as the Siberian crane and eagle owl, as well as langur, python and freshwater turtle.

The Bhag

This former home compound of one of the Rajput ruling families of Bharatpur is now a lovely heritage boutique hotel with highly individual rooms and excellent curries.

 Siana

Siana is a small hamlet situated in south west Rajasthan, south of Jodhpur and bordering the great Thar desert. The terrain is a unique mixture of granite hills bordered by sand dunes and agricultural lands. This part of Rajasthan offers a rare and fascinating insight into an intact traditional way of life: it is also the best location in India for leopard sightings, and boasts other species such as caracal and blackbuck.

Siana Garden

A few bungalows and rooms within the gardens of the residence of the local “squire” comprise the accommodation, while authentic regional meals are taken with the family. Nearby, the hills contain many leopard, often seen early in the morning on jeep drives. Sir David Attenborough stayed here to capture footage of leopard for the BBC’s Life of Mammals television series – truly a testament to its global importance.

MADHYA PRADESH

At the heart of India, the state contains tribal groups little touched by modernity, many grand palaces, much of India’s remaining natural forest and some very important tiger reserves.

Bandhavgarh National Park

Set in the Vindhyan range and on the eastern flank of the Satpura hills, Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the best places in India to see and enjoy wildlife. The Reserve is named after the highest hill Bandhavgarh (807 m.) in the centre of the reserve. A chain of smaller hills, 32 in all, surrounds this hill, forming a number of valleys and spurs. The park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and was once famous for its white tigers, now sadly absent. The terrain is broken, with rocky hill ranges, running roughly east-west, interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys.

The rivers Johilla and Son flowing on the eastern side, the river Umrar passing through the western fringes and the Bandhavgarh hill, visible from as far as 30 km away, are some of the landmarks of the reserve.

Much of the park is covered in sal forest, replaced by mixed forests in the higher elevations of the hills. There are extensive stands of bamboo, which last flowered in 1984-85, and grasslands. Generally the forests have less undergrowth here, thus offering better sightings of wildlife, notably mammals, including daylight sightings of tigers in the grassy 'maidans'. More than 25 tigers are estimated to inhabit the park.

Kanha National Park

Kanha, the setting for The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, is noted for the last remaining population of the hard-ground race of the swamp deer, known as the barasingha. Once there were only 66 of these in the national park, but careful conservation and management raised their population to over 400. Kanha is very rich in wildlife including healthy numbers of tiger, often seen during the day. There are also herds of spotted deer as well as the timorous barking deer. It was in Kanha National Park that the eminent zoologist George Schaller studied the relationship between predators and prey, resulting in the book ‘Deer and The Tiger’. Kanha has two main rivers: Halon in the east and Banjar in the west, and the grassy 'maidans' (often old village sites), dotted with clumps of forest harbouring large numbers of herbivores. The hills offer support to sizeable plateaus (locally called dadars) characterized by extensive grasslands and scant trees and much favoured by gaur (Indian bison) and four-horned antelope.

Pench National Park

Pench is part of the Project Tiger network of special reserves and one of the most accessible tiger reserves in the country, at just 90 kilometres north of Nagpur. The Reserve is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hill range with its undulating terrain. Most of the park is covered by small hills, steeply sloping on the sides. Descriptions of its natural beauty and richness of flora and fauna have appeared in numerous wildlife books dating back to the 17th century. Books written in the 19th and early 20th century by famous naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth explicitly present the detailed panorama of nature’s abundance in this precious forest tract.

Satpura National Park

Established in 1981, Satpura National Park covers an area of 524 sq km of unique central Indian highland ecosystem in Madhya Pradesh. The terrain is extremely rugged and consists of sandstone peaks, narrow gorges, ravines and dense forests, with altitude ranging from 300 to 1352 metres. Satpura is very rich in biodiversity, with tiger, leopard, sambar, chital, bhedki, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, bison (gaur), wild boar, wild dog, sloth bear, blackbuck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer, Indian Giant squirrel and much more. The variety of birdlife is tremendous. With scenery including the vast Tawa reservoir reflecting densely forested hills rising in a series of forested plateaus, meadows and precipitous slopes rising to 4000 feet, this is perhaps the most spectacular of any tiger reserve in central India. Virtually free of tourists, one has the privilege of exploring this matchless wilderness in ways unknown in other tiger reserves – on foot (Satpura is unique amongst tiger reserves in permitting this type of walking), by canoe, on unrestricted elephant rides, and through long silent vigils in carefully sited hides.