Ranthambore | Tiger Reserve | Rajasthan

ranthambore national park

Go to Reviews

Go to Quick Reference

One of the best forests in the world for tiger sightings, Ranthambore National Park is by far one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in India. Spread over an area of nearly 400 square kilometers, Ranthambore is by far one of the most famous and one of the highly visited wildlife sanctuaries in India. The sparsely wooded terrain of Ranthambore makes it easy to spot tigers or some of the other birds and animals that include nearly 30 species of mammals, 12 species of reptiles including crocodiles and almost 270 species of birds.

The only way to visit the sanctuary is by the jeeps and canters (open trucks) monitored by the forest department. As you leave on a safari, the first halt after passing the main entry gate is at Ranthambore Fort. Situated just inside an outer edge of the forest, Ranthambore Fort is a fascinating structure with a look and feel of a haunted palace. The old edifice of Ranthambore Fort, built in 944, appears to be standing on the verge of dilapidation. Monkeys, peacocks and other birds and small animals roaming freely in and around the fort give it a mystical aura. After a brief halt at the fort, the convoy moves inside the jungle from a large gate, near which the friendly birds, Indian Tree Pies, greet you and surprise you by coming so close as to sit on your stretched out arms.

Ranthambore forest is full of very old and large trees with intriguing shapes on them that add to the mysterious feel of the place. Here, amongst several other birds, you can spot owls sitting in the tree holes. As you move further, you frequently see flocks of chital, or the spotted deer, sambar deer and nilgai, the blue bulls. If you are lucky you may also spot wild boars, hyenas and sloth bears. You will have to be extremely lucky to spot a leopard.

As you arrive at Padam Talao, the largest lake in the forest, the view gets attractive. The king’s hunting palace named Jogi Mahal standing beyond the lake instantly catches your eye. There is a massive banyan tree near the lake, which is quite an attraction, as it is the second largest banyan tree in India. Flocks of mammals grazing and drinking water and crocodiles basking in sun at the shore of the lake are common sights here.

Tigers, the major attraction of Ranthambore, can be spotted anywhere inside the forest. It is a matter of luck where you spot them and how long can you see them. But more or less in one to three safaris, you are good to see at least one. Though the sites of spotting a tiger making a kill or a mother tiger playing with cubs are rare, they are not totally unheard off. The tigers here are used to visitors and do not rush away into the thickets at the sight of vehicles full of tourists.

Every year, a lot of tourists from all over the world come to Ranthambore to see tigers, the species that has a good chance of becoming extremely rare in near future. One of the major destinations of Project Tiger, Ranthambore is truly a joy for the lovers of wildlife as well as a common tourist who wishes to feel the thrill of spotting an untamed tiger roaming in the open.

Back to article

Quick Reference

Ranthambore National Park is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in India. The major attraction of Ranthambore is that it is a great forest to spot Tigers. Every year a lot of tourists all over the world come to Ranthambore to see and enjoy the thrill of untamed tigers roaming in open. The only way to visit the sanctuary is by the jeeps and canters that are monitored by the forest department. The first spot after entering the main gate is the Ranthambore fort. Tigers have been spotted inside this fort a lot of times. Ones inside the forest, you can see Chital, Deer, Nilgai and Blue Bells quite easily. There are chances that you may spot wild boars, hyenas, sloth bears and leopard. As you arrive at the largest lake in the forest, Padam Talao, the view gets attractive. The King’s Hunting palace, Jogi Mahal, beyond the lake is eye catching. There is a massive banyan tree near the lake, which is the second largest banyan tree in India. Grazing mammals and crocodiles basking in sun are common sights here.

Destination Grade:	A (What is this?)
Rating:	9/10
5 Star Hotels:	Sher bagh,Taj sawai madhopur
Luxury Hotels:	Vanya Vilas,Amn Ikhas
Airport:	Jaipur at 180 km
Railway Station:	11 km away from Sawai Madhopur railway station
Nearest Major City(s):	Sawai Madhopur
How to reach:	A good network of buses connects it with Sawai Madhopur within the state of Rajasthan.
Major Tourist Attraction:	Forests,Tigers,Safari rides,Ranthmbore Fort,Padam Talao
Speciality(Famous for):	Large tiger population

Back to article

Rating:

51.0

97 votes

1 2 3 4 5

Total Reviews : 13
Name * Title * Review * All * fields are mandatory.

Reviews by users : (13)

Back to article

Great and Exciting Ranthambore - by Baldev Rana Dated : 2011-04-04

I visited the Ranthambore National Park last month and I have mixed feeling to express about our trip (read mine and my son’s).

We went on two drives to the Park because it is not at all easy to spot a tiger just in a go. I must say both the drives were totally different. In the first drive, I felt like our jeep was racing on a hundred miles an hour over bumpy roads and we had sudden stops when we spotted some animals, so that they must not run away hearing the sound of our raving engine.

Secretly in my heart I was expecting to see a tiger, live in its wild habitat, but I did not know whether I would be lucky enough or not. My guide pointed out a fresh tiger foot prints. It was so fresh that he said it must be less than twenty minutes when a tiger must have passed this region. I was over excited and my son was very eager to see a tiger.

Our second drive was simply superb. The jeep was now being driven in a moderate pace, we were being filled in with the info about the Park, told about the animals and just as we turned on a corner we saw a tiger sleeping in the middle of the road. He got up and started walking towards our jeep and we reversed for more than a kilometer with the tiger still coming towards us, what a treat to watch the wild beast!!

People must go to Ranthambore and take a break from their busy lives, look at the way nature has made things and how the tiger follows its trail throughout. It was fun to experience it all.

Wild Safari At Ranthambore - by Harish Nimbdevkar Dated : 2011-04-04

We (me and my wife) visited the tiger reserve twice. We once went by canter and once by a jeep. We were to explore Zone three [when in canter]. It is supposed to be good for tiger viewing, but we were not so lucky and could not spot any tiger that day. We went to the zone one the next morning and I had high hopes but the chances of seeing tigers in zone one are supposedly really slim. But hats off to our jeep driver Mr Balbir Singh and the guide, they were experts and searched every nook and corner of zone so that we could spot a tiger and blimey we really did! We saw a beautiful tiger, the tiger was camouflaged with the tall yellow grass and hence I could not photograph it but nevertheless, we saw him walking majestically through the grass and he looked in our direction also!

The drivers and guides of the Ranthambore National Park are really great; they are enthusiastic, cheerful and hardworking. They are keen on making tourists see a tiger. A lot of them speak good English as well which comes in handy for all those who cannot speak and understand Hindi.

We saw animals like deer, sloth bears, beautiful birds, wild boars etc. the wild boars look really fierce. It was a great viewing experience!
It is better to book the canters or the jeeps in advance, confirm the bookings with a reliable person or then co ordinate the safari with your hotel staff. I would recommend that one must stay at a good hotel, because the hotel staff are well versed with the park authorities and can plan a good safari for you.

Ranthambore National Park gave us thrilling memories.

A Visit to the Ranthambore National Park - by Vishwas Patil Dated : 2011-04-04

I was on my excursion to the Ranthambore National Park in the month of March last year. It was a well planned trip and I had made all the bookings beforehand so as not to face any problems regarding lodging and all. I was staying at the Oberoi hotel, I advice everyone to lodge in the best hotels because these people have a great connection to plan a good tiger safari for you. Do not risk booking things online with the park, because you cannot guarantee their service.

I had my booking in a 6 passenger jeep; all the fellow passengers were really nice to me. As we left to explore the park, we started chatting excitedly about what we might get to see. Really like any other tourist we were very keen on seeing a tiger.

The park is divided into 6 zones and mark my words every zone has a tiger, may be more than one. Accidently, in the zone 5 that day, the authorities had found a dead tiger, with two cubs. So, they closed it for the public in order to protect the cubs. The safari was then lead to the zone 6 which was really far away. The zone 6 had a lot of thick green cover, meaning it would be really hard to spot a tiger.

When we were slowly exploring the 6th zone we first saw a sloth bear. The sight of the first wild animal was really interesting. To our amazement we also saw fresh tiger tracks and heard alarming monkey calls. But due to the dense cover we just couldn’t see the tiger. Please avoid the 6th zone and the zone 1 was also bad. We had a bad luck while others saw a tiger in the 3rd zone.

However we saw animals like deer, wild boars, sloth bear (rare), some gazelle, mongoose, a monitor lizard, crocodiles and a variety of nice birds. There are also leopards, caracal, and jungle cats. It was fun.

The Exciting Jungle Safari At Ranthambore - by Ganesh Tripathi Dated : 2011-04-04

I was lucky enough to visit the Ranthambore National Park in the favorable season of March last year. Like any other wildlife enthusiast I wanted to see a Royal Bengal tiger roaming in the wild. And I bet thousands of visitors from around the world throng this park for the very same reason.

Someone told me that during April the tigers get lazy due to the increased heat and come towards the water sources to drink water. I was really annoyed after hearing this information for I had come all along my way to see the tigers. Like that also, I was not interested in seeing a lazy tiger!

The park is closed during the summers, don’t know the reason though! When going in to the Ranthambore National Park make sure you wear lots of sunblock and a wide brimmed hat. There are only two types of vehicles that escort you into the forest- six passenger jeeps and twenty passenger open buses. It is better to make a booking in a private jeep in advance and if you unlucky and need to share, make sure not to sit in the middle.

I had hired a guide and he was reassuring me from time to time that I would get to see a tiger for sure. He told me that they understood where a tiger was treading with the help of the alert bird and monkey calls.

Out of the 6 zones of the park, we could see real wildlife in the 6th zone. I saw a sloth bear (rare), some gazelle, mongoose, a monitor lizard, crocodiles and a variety of nice birds. There are also leopards, caracal, and jungle cats, but they are very rare to spot. We did see leopard tracks, but they apparently live near the top of the hills out of tiger country. Even after a lot of roaming and following the calls we could not spot a tiger. I just had to feel satisfied seeing his footprints. But all in all my day at Ranthambore National Park was exciting.

Untouched Ranthambore - by Neeraj Sickchi Dated : 2011-04-01

There are 2 methods based on which guides track tigers. One is by following the tracks in the dust or by the alarm calls of the animals. The deers and birds raise alarms. If you don’t hear alarms, then it is possible that you won’t spot a tiger.

The zones of the jungle where the deer population is more, is the place where the probability of sighting a tiger is more. Once a guide sights a tiger, he contacts the other guides on the GPS and all the guides, along with their clients come to see the tiger.

The best time to spot a tiger is in the early mornings. You may also spot a tiger in the evening at around 5 pm, but again, the probability of sighting a tiger in the morning is more.

You have to make sure that you tip your guides well, because it is on the basis of these tips that the guide will give you service.

Ranthambore national park is an experience in itself. As we all know, the tiger population in India and all over the world is becoming very less, to the extent that the tiger is nearing extinction. Thus, we should make an effort to visit Ranthambore and watch the tiger in its natural habitat.

I wish you all the best in your tiger search in Ranthambore national park, because spotting a tiger has become as matter of luck.

Natural Ranthambore - by Aparna Gandhi Dated : 2011-04-01

The Ranthambore national park is closed during the monsoon season. It is cold in the morning during the winters, so don’t forget to wear a sweater or wind cheater during the winters. I am suggesting this because all the vehicles which take us into the forest are open top vehicles.

If you are visiting Ranthambore national park during the summers, make sure you apply a lot of sunscreen lotion and wear a wide brim hat.

The food served in the inexpensive hotels is not elaborate, but the high end resorts, offer a variety of food range from fist to chicken and fruits to deserts.

Sightseeing in the Ranthambore national park is the only option, once you are in Ranthambore. You will have to book your safari in advance and you will be given a choice between canters and gypsies. Usually, your hotel’s management team takes care of your safari reservation.

The jungle tour takes 3-4 hours in the whole day. You will have to visit the jungle in the morning as well as in the evening. The jungle is divided into a number of zones and only a particular amount of vehicles are permitted in one zone at one time.

Zone 3 and 4 are the best zones and zone 5 is the worst zone. It’s a matter of luck, as to which zone will get allotted to you by the forest officials.

Shopping in Ranthambore is not that great, except for some Rajasthani articles.

Ranthambore, a Tiger Country - by Naina Rathi Dated : 2011-04-01

Ranthambore national park is the best place to sight the Bengal tiger. The Bengal tiger can be sighted here, so people from all over the world flock here to see it.

The Ranthambore national park is not the best national park in India to sight tigers, but all the same, it is good. You would want to visit the national park during the summers, because the leaves are off the trees in this season. Thus tigers can be sighted more easily during summers.

The best time to visit Ranthambore is February and March and April and May. This is the summer season, so tigers are lazy during the day, but they also come down to the water ponds, more frequently and thus can be sighted.

Ranthambore is situated in Sawai madhopur in Rajasthan. It is said that there are officially 30 tigers in the park, which increases the possibility of sighting tigers.

The Ranthambore forest is just a 10 minutes drive from the railway station and there are some good resorts in the town. Moreover, there are hotels and resorts for all the strata in society. The town can be over crowded during the peak season.

There is nothing except for the Ranthambore national park, in Ranthambore. I couldn’t even find a decent place to eat in Ranthambore.

All the hotels and resorts cater to their own clients and the packagers of the hotels and resorts, include even the meals.

A Jungle Safari At Ranthambore - by Mithilesh Kumar Dated : 2011-03-29

Untouched Ranthambore - by Ravi Deshpande Dated : 2011-03-19

Natural Ranthambore - by Jayash Parikh Dated : 2011-03-19

Ranthambore, a Tiger Country - by Yogesh Parab Dated : 2011-03-19

Wild and Exciting Ranthambore National Park - by Darasingh Khurana Dated : 2011-03-09

It is most likely that you shall spot a tiger in a safari or two of the Ranthambore National Park. Known to be the best forest for tiger sightings, the Ranthambore National Park is a real treat for wildlife lovers from all over the world.

You can get into the Park only in a jeep or canters that are monitored by the Forest Department. Ranthambore National Park is one of the most highly visited wildlife sanctuaries in India. It stretches 400 kilometers in terms of area and it is included in India’s Project Tiger to save the rare cat.

I took a jungle safari to this wonderful national park and was fortunate enough to spot a tiger making its way deep into the forest. I went mad with excitement because I had heard tales of disappointment of not being to see a tiger from my friends. The animal is a beautiful monster, huge and ferocious. But the tigers of Ranthambore National Park do not rush out of sight after seeing a bunch of prying tourist eyes.

There is also a fort inside the park. I guess the royals of Rajasthan built forts wherever they could. It is called the Ranthambore Fort. It looks a like a haunted house and you start getting different vibes until you notice animals like monkeys and peacocks having fun around and inside the fort.

The largest lake in the park is the Padam Talao and just beyond the lake is the Jogi Mahal, the hunting palace of the king. It is an attractive view. Animals I spotted at the park were nilgai, sambar deer and lots of birds whose names I do not know. My guide told me if lucky you can spot leopards, bears and wild boars. I was only enough to spot a tiger. I also saw crocodiles near the lake.

For those who love wildlife and specially tigers must come here and try their luck. It is a wild and exciting place.

Thrilling City Ranthambore - by Apurva Pathak Dated : 2011-01-24

The Ranthambore National Park, one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in India is yet another destination where you feel blessed to be in Rajasthan. More than one thing to boast, Ranthambore National Park is the best place to sight tigers, birds and other animals oweing to its not so dense terrain. Jeeps and canters of the forest department are the only way to visit the Park.

Heart full of excitement, when you enter the Park, the first halt is the Ranthambore Fort. It looks just like one haunted place, creepy and huge. Monkeys, birds and peacocks run happily around the Fort as if playing hide and seek. After a brief stop at the Fort as you move towards the jungle, a dense cover of dry deciduous trees and the wild forest air make your heart leap with eagerness.

Spotting tigers at Ranthambore does not really need luck, they can be seen strolling the forest even during daytime. Other animals like leopard, wild boars, hyena, sloth bear and chital can also be seen as you pave way into the forest. A variety of birds, reptiles and trees can also be seen here. Near the huge lake Padam Talao lies India’s second largest banyan tree and a beautiful red sanstone, Jogi Mahal, believed to be a hunting place of kings. Animal and wildlife lovers are assured a treat, a visit to Ranthambore is exciting and joyous.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.