Ride Into These 7 National Parks for an Amazing Jungle Safari
By: Sandhya Agrawal
Walking into a zoo while sitting on our father’s shoulder and asking them about the who’s who of animals during childhood was always the biggest fantasy of every child. But, unlike a zoo, a wildlife sanctuary doesn’t capture animals, so here Jungle Safaris are the way to watch your favourite animals drooling around the forest, from a threatened tiger to a furious rhino, we want to witness everything. So, we’ll tell you seven places in the country where you can catch the beauty of animals.
Jim Corbett National Park, situated in Uttarakhand is India’s first and oldest national wildlife sanctuary, and it is acclaimed as a heaven for the adventure seekers and wildlife junkies. While there are rare chances of actually spotting a tiger inside this park, you might see one that is not baited or tracked. Also, it is one of the few parks with wild elephants in northern India. And we must say that a jeep safari is worth a try inside this park.
- Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is your best bet if you want to do some ‘tiger spotting’. Here, a trip to Kanha National Prak, located at Mandla is a go-go. In this gigantic location, the woods are massive, but thanks to the park’s colossal core area, protected by a wide buffer zone, you can go deep into them. The royal Bengal tiger, leopard, Barasingha and the Indian wild dog have a large population. In a horse-shoe-shaped valley spread over 940 sq km, you can see elephant safaris in this park.
- Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal
As the Sunderbans are part of the largest delta in the world, created by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, they are densely covered by mangrove forests. It has one of the country’s largest Bengal tiger reserves, as well as an array of birds, reptiles and invertebrate animals, such as the salt-water crocodile! And what’s more, not in jeeps, but in canoes, you’ll sign up for their safaris.
- Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
The highlight of Bandhavgarh National Park is that it has the highest population of tigers in the world, so it is not difficult to spot a tiger in this place. The nearby Tala village, which has a great choice of accommodation, suiting all budgets, is another tourist attraction while visiting the park. Here, you have the luxury of enjoying your elephant safari.
- Kaziranga National Park, Assam
Located in Assam, this park lies between Nepal and Bangladesh, the northeast of the narrow neck of land, and has a landscape of pristine forest, tall elephant grass, marshes and shallow pools. You can see two-third of the world’s Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros’ population here, and a World heritage site. Elephants, wild buffaloes, monitor lizards, and water birds are also rich in it. Your choices include a private jeep tour or an elephant trip.
- Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat
The wildlife sanctuary of Gir is home to the last wild Asian lions left on earth. But there is zero chance of seeing a tiger here because it doesn’t have tigers. The second most common predator found in these forests, aside from lions, is the leopard. The park offers many fantastic drives, in jeeps, through scenic areas.
- Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Visit this 1,334 sq km park in Rajasthan if you want to see the tiger in its most majestic avatar. Here, even during the daytime, you will spot the tigers when they are busy preying. As a result of the pictorial ruins that dot the wildlife park, it is also counted as a famous heritage site.
