In short, if you feel like trying to spot a tiger in wildlife, then this is the most accessible national park to go to. My itinerary was Delhi-Agra-Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (for birds)- Ranthambhore National Park in Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur then back to Delhi. If you want something off-beaten, or something close to nature, then don’t miss this place!

The highlight here is definitely tigers …. unfortunately we didn’t see anything else but this footprint. Well, many people stay here for days to increase their chances. And you know, you can’t control wildlife. But read on, maybe you’ll like this spectaculr park even without tigers!

Location

How To Get There?

I took a train from Bharatpur to Sawai Madhopur train station. And then we left to Jaipur via a taxi.

A Guide to Booking A Safari

Decision #1: How to Make Your Booking

Booking Time: Available from 90 Days in advance

Season: October to April

Ideally you can book online if you know your plan very well in advance, as availability is subject to change.

http://fmdss.forest.rajasthan.gov.in/ (Updated in 2016, Sep)

It looks like the current price is Rs.850 for everyone (regardless of foreigner or Indian, and regardless of which type of vehicle), plus a small fee of Rs.134 for Gypsy or Rs.19 for Cantor.

I went in early 2015, and there wasn’t any seat available online. So my options were….

• Book via the hotel  (Rs.2000 per head for 6-seater Gypsy)
• Try my luck at Safari Booking Office (Rickshaw is Rs.50-Rs.70 one way) “an hour” before safari starts

Decision #2:Vehicle Type

Should you choose Gypsy (6-seater) or Cantor (20-seater)? (Gypsy on the left, cantor on the right)

We chose gypsy, the seating arrangement is a driver+ guide in the front seats. 3 + 3 in the back seats. Even that felt a bit crowded already, can you imagine sitting in a cantor with 19 other people?

It will be something like this! Haha! This is cantor, it looks like a crowded Indian bus without a roof!

Decision #3:Morning or Afternoon Safari

Well, the morning safari starts at 6am, the afternoon starts at 2pm. I thought going in morning would increase higher chance of spotting a tiger …. but I didn’t. So I guess it is more important to arrange a visit that fits your itinerary the best. This is however some amazing pictures taken in early morning

Myth: The Zones

There are 10 zones, and people have different opinions about which ones have higher chances of spotting a tiger. But the thing is you can’t choose which zone.  People say Zone 3 has a nice lake view, well I was assigned to Zone 4, but then I also saw a lake. So I guess it’s better not to stress out on this, you know it is India…

My Opinion

I think it was a beautiful morning, even though I was disappointed not being able to spot a tiger. But I looked at these pictures. I think the experience of waking up so early, getting so nervous about ‘meeting’ a tiger, traveling through bushes and forest not knowing what would happen next. I think it was well worth the effort (and money!) We had to pay Rs.2000, and plus accommodation in Sawai Madhopur isn’t cheap (we stayed at Tiger Safari Resort, $30 for double bed, it was fine, its review score on Booking.com is about right) comparing to other parts of India. So it isn’t a ‘budget’ thing to do, if you are short on budget. But then it isn’t expensive either. And I’d love to come back here again and continue my safari dream 🙂