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Tigers and Then Some


Atravelynn

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Leopard

We saw one scoot up a tree, chased by a tiger in the Kisli section of Kanha! Very exciting for us and I am sure for the leopard. The tiger just seemed annoyed. Based on the comments of other naturalists, seeing this was a once a decade opportunity.

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Jungle Cat

One brief sighting in tall grass in Kisli of this elusive cat that closely resembles our domestic friends.

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Gaur (Indian bison)

All my gaur sightings were in the Kisli section of Kanha. Bandhavgarh has them but they were in an inaccessible area while I was there. The largest herds I saw were about a dozen and lone bison or pairs of them were common. I found it challenging to get appealing pictures of these bovines, though I did find their white stockings attractive. Gaur are the largest of the bovine species, which was not as evident with the cows and calves. But the large black bulls were enormous along the side of the road.

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Sloth bear

Only pug marks, in all 3 parks I visited--Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Corbett. Another guy saw a sloth bear while I was in Bandhavgarh, though.

 

Peacocks

I was surprised that these birds were everywhere, seen numerous times on every outing in every park. Displaying peacocks were less common—about 3 times in Kisli and once in Corbett.

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Chital (Spotted Deer)

Even more of a presence than the peacocks. It was the first wild animal I saw on the trip. Biggest herds were in Corbett. Their spotted coats were especially lovely in dappled light under the trees.

 

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Sambur Deer

Seen almost every drive in small numbers, but somewhat shy and they like to hide in the forest. These are India’s largest deer and their antlers are impressive, though I noticed some asymmetrical racks.

 

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Hard Ground Barasinga (Deer)

These are a Kanha special. It is a sanctuary for them. I saw some at least every other outing in both Kisli and Mukki. The bachelor herds with all those massive antlers were striking. We even saw the remains of one in Mukki, which fell prey to the wild dogs. I asked if there was a better or worse season for seeing Barasinga and the answer was no.

 

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Chousingha (4 Horned Antelope)

In the Mukki section of Kanha is an area called Bishaupura Meadows that looks like African savanna. The very elusive Chousingha lives here. On our transfer between Kisli and Mukki, we spotted one female and even managed a photo that does reveal 4 horns. From the hushed tones of both congratulations to me and of recounting this sighting to others, I knew this was very lucky.

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Wild Boar

 

Almost every drive at least one could be seen darting through the tall grass or into the thicket. The best place for me to see relaxed wild boars was the open fields in Dhikala in Corbett during the early mornings. I watched three of them on separate occasions near the side of the road digging furiously for roots and insects. They were so absorbed in their rooting that they lost any apprehension of vehicles.

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Muntjac (Barking Deer)

Seen every 2-3 drives, but more so in Corbett. They seemed less shy in Corbett

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Hog Deer

Such an unattractive name for such a sweet little deer. These are in Corbett, not Kanha or Bandhavgarh, and prefer tall grass, which can pose a challenge for viewing and photography. They graze with the chital and can be hard to pick out. You have to look for a lack of spots and a lighter coat. Mornings were the best time to find them from my experience.

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Rhesus Monkeys

These are all over the roadsides and at the monuments and those venues afforded me better views and photo ops than the parks. Rhesus are almost never seen in Kanha and I saw none there.

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(There are 3 monkeys)

 

Langur or Blackfaced Monkeys

Their abundance, luxurious fur, and relaxed demeanor around vehicles—even with babies in tow—make them a photogenic subject. I thought they looked like the vervets’ more attractive cousin.

 

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Wonderful photos and review. Thanks for posting them. I love to look back through them again and again.

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Game Warden

Love that last image: reminds me of the song I sung to my kids when they were younger, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed..."

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Agree with Matt, that last photo is exceptional.

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Brian's Art for Animals

amazing!

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kittykat23uk

OH MY GOD Lynn you had exceptional luck with your sightings! I've been to india 3 timnes and never seen as many tigers as you. :blink:

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Thanks for the comments. My luck rubbed off on the Men in Blue and they won for my visit. ;)

 

I thought my luck had run out in Bandhavgarh. For 5 consecutive drives plus one tiger show--no tigers. An hour and a half into the last drive, we finally saw 3 siblings and had a total of 6 sightings of 5 tigers (one by elephant) in 2 and a half hours.

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Wonderful report, wonderful trip!

 

You were lucky that the large groups you occasionally countered were not rowdy. One of the things we found most distressing at Bandhavgarh 2007 was the sheer noise and motion at sightings near the entrance. After one or two of these horrific circus acts, we told our guide and driver to take us as far from the other vehicles as possible, yes even if it meant missing tiger sightings. In the end, it resulted in us having some wonderful sightings without anyone else present, which was incredible. I don't recall how many sightings but we felt very satisfied with numbers, durations, closeness/ view.

 

Same in Ranthambore, when I went the previous year in 2006 on that wildlife festival. Those huge vehicles they use that seat sooo many people, and lined up in a long line, so much bloody chatter, I wanted to scream at them all to shut up!

 

I would never go back to Ranthambore simply because of the enforced routing. I have no problem with vehicles being allocated one of the various loops and having to stick with it. The problem was that the loops are quite long and the driver MUST do the entire loop, checking in at various points, and is fined massively (and even suspended/ banned/ has the vehicle impounded) if he is late to finish the loop. The trouble is that one can not easily finish the loop in time if one stops for very long at more than a couple of places, so we were constantly being hurried on even when we did find a sighting on our own that we wished to stop and enjoy. Just an awful system for both driver/ guides and for visitors. Perhaps they have changed this, I don't know?

 

You were awfully lucky to see the leopard, how amazing.

 

And loving all your dog and jackal sightings and the various deer/ antelope ones too.

 

All great!

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Thanks Kavey. We didn't have any sightings near the entrance at Bandhavgarh. But one time a vehicle did hit the lever that served as a gate, which immobilized it so nobody could go anywhere. That was a ridiculous 10 minute delay.

 

The Rathambhore loop insanity reminds me of much of our days in the workforce. There were strict rules in Bandhavgarh about sticking to the loop, but it was enough time to make it through with stops.

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Hoopoe, my favorite

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Birds

A complete bird list for Kanaha/Bandhavgarh and for Corbett appears at the end. Corbett has the most birds interesting birds, including the Kalij Pheasant, of which I had two sightings and even a photo.  gallery_108_462_45289.jpg

 

A stretch of trees along a creek near the road in Biranji has to be one of the most productive birding stretches anywhere. In about 2 hours we saw around 40 in that one small area, half of the species I saw in all of Corbett.

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Eurasian Thicknee

 

 

One interesting and frequently seen bird in Kanha and Bandhavgarh was the Rufous Treepie, aka the Tiger Bird. The name comes from its orange and black colors and because it has been known to promote good oral hygiene in tigers by picking the meat out of the their teeth. I made a mental note in case I lost both of my dental flosses.

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Pair are Tiger Birds

 

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Indian Rollers

All the naturalists were excellent with the birds.

 

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Little Egret

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Spotted Owlets

 

 

 

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Brown Fish Owl

 

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Common but shy Red Jungle Fowl

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At Bandhavgarh, we were told we had to stick to a certain area for the first hour or so in the morning, and then we were permitted to head into different areas, away from the crowd. Large areas of the reserve were off-limits, which is a good thing as it gives the tigers somewhere they can escape to when the attention of visitors gets too much!

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Your Bandhavgarh experience was what mine was Kavey.

 

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Gharials

 

Crocs

Corbett has two kinds of crocodiles: Gharial with the long noses, and the more common looking Muggers or Marsh Crocodiles.

 

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Mugger

 

Most were seen at crocodile lookout points driving between Dhikala and Biranji, shown here.

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At times they were fairly near to each other for comparison. Even when submerged, the water was shallow and clear enough for a photo to turn out.

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Lizards, Snakes, Turtles

I saw monitor lizards in Corbett and Bandhavgarh that resulted in one photo. Corbett Naturalist Harise’s tremendous spotting skills were showcased with his sighting of the gray monitor in the shadows of brown/gray mud, peeking out of its shaded hole. Harise managed to spy this guy as we were moving at a fast paced clip on flat road.

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We had two sightings of rat snakes in Kanha with one producing some photos. Right after leaving the designated breakfast spot in Kisli Naturalist Rajan and I heard a rustle in the dead leaves at the base of a tree. Rajan’s sharp eyes quickly picked out the yellowish snake and we watched it slither around under the leaves for 15 minutes, rarely exposing itself. This was just one example of the attention given to all species that happened our way and not just those that were orange and black striped.

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Top photo, head is bottom right. Bottom photo, head is at bottom left

 

A gorgeous python was sunning itself near the road in Corbett for prolonged close-up views.

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One Turquoise Turtle in Corbett, expertly spotted by the driver, sat in the middle of the road until it was good and ready to cross.

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Only my final accommodation in Corbett had any of those little lizards that adhere to the walls like ornaments.

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Taj Mahal and Agra

 

To make the most of limited time in India, that overnight train, Gondwana Express, which arrives in Agra just after 4:00 am is great. It allows ample time to get to the Taj Mahal right when it opens, at 6:10 am (that was opening time in April) for nice morning light.

 

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From the train Wild World India rep Guarav and I were driven to Mansingh Palace, a hotel about 15 minutes away from the Taj Mahal. We had about an hour to freshen up. Then we departed from the hotel at 6:00 am in our vehicle to where the auto-rickshaws took over. (A more festive or romantic option for couples visiting “The Temple of Love,” instead of the auto-rickshaw, might be one of the many horse or camel drawn vehicles) Then we walked the last 10 minutes, warding off hawkers, from the point where no more vehicles are allowed to the entrance gate. Vehicles are limited to reduce the effects of air pollution on the Taj.

 

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The list of no-no’s for a Taj Mahal visit is a lengthy one. No lipstick, no markers, no nail files, no liquids other than water, no gum, no chocolates, no cigarettes, no lighters, no matches, no tripods, no monopods. The security was fairly thorough and I saw one woman forced to relinquish her lighter. She could have been sent to end of the entrance line as further punishment.

 

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If getting a photo with no people in it was the goal, you’d want to be in line well before 6:10 am (opening times may change with seasons) and then move at a very fast pace through the Great Gate to the reflecting pool. It still might be tough to get no bodies in the photo. The light at 6:30 am was very soft for good photos. About an hour later it was nice too and produced sharper reflections in the pool. (Again, from a single reference point of April 9.)

 

Not only was the Taj guide arranged by Wild World India extremely knowledgeable about the building’s history, he knew the best vantage points for photos. I handed over one of my cameras to him and let him snap away. With the guide taking pictures, it also meant numerous photos with me in the foreground, including that Princess Diana-on-the-bench shot. The guide took more keeper photos than I did.

 

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I had a nice outfit packed for my Taj visit, but I could tell by how my knees were feeling that the sandals that went with the outfit were a bad idea because they did not support my orthotics. I anticipated a lot of walking on unforgiving cement and marble so I needed my tennis shoes & orthotics combo. And the tennis shoes, worn with my Wigwam socks, would have looked really dorky with my intended outfit. As a result, I was feeling a bit dowdy in the presence of the exquisite splendor of the Taj, wearing my easy-to-pack baggy tie-at-the waist pants, an old yellow blouse, and sneakers with Wigwams, not to mention the bulky gear wrapped around my midsection in the form of fanny packs/bum bags.

 

Then midway through our visit a group of Indian gentlemen came to the rescue to subdue my dowdiness. They each requested a photo of themselves standing next to me in the foreground with the Taj in the background. How very flattering! I must admit the cynic in me pondered if this could be a setup. But with both Guarav and my Taj guide overseeing, I felt confident that I could relax, smile, and enjoy the photo shoot. Still, I kept a tight grip on both fanny pack and the larger camera pack and hoped their lenses did not focus too closely on my fingers clutching my bags. (My passport, credit cards, and larger bills were in a money belt on the inside of the dowdy outfit.) After that little uplifting session I embraced my Wigwams and bum bag look as perfect attire for an outing to the Taj!

 

One more comment on footwear—if you enter the Taj, you must either go barefoot or wear paper covers over your shoes. The covers were provided in a little Taj-bag that my guide brought with us.

 

I spent about 90 minutes at this world wonder that really lived up to that status in my view, and I understand how anyone could spend all day. There is even an opportunity for a night time visit during the full moon I was told, but no photography during that visit.

 

Back to the very conveniently located Mansingh Palace for breakfast and then on to the Agra Fort, where Taj builder Shah Jahan had been imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb. (And you thought your family was dysfunctional!) The fort provided nice views of the Taj Mahal in the distance for me, just as it had for imprisoned Shah Jahan, though photos were tough through the haze that was present the day I went.

 

Again back to the hotel for a brief rest, and then a departure for Delhi at 10:30 am with driver/exceptional birder CB, plus Guarav, and Wild World India owner, Vikram, all accompanying me in the car.

 

I felt the span from 4:10 am to 10:30 am was a brilliant use of my time to leisurely enjoy these magnificent monuments at a perfect time of day for good light, fewer people, and less heat. From the overnight train, to the vehicle driven by CB who picked us up at the train station, to the prearranged auto-rickshaw, to the expert and easily understandable local guide, to the conveniently located hotel with the day room, to the marble craftsmen we met at a workshop next to the hotel, it all worked perfectly. Though not a World Wonder in the same league as the Taj Mahal, this well coordinated plan certainly deserves honorable mention!

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Delhi Sightseeing and Agra

 

The earlier you depart the better for minimal crowds, less heat, and better light for photos. I left the Ahuja Residency ( a fine place to stay in Delhi with meals available and high speed Internet access) at 8:15 a.m. First stop was just down the street—Humayun’s Tomb, a World Heritage Site and the forerunner of the Taj Mahal. If optimal photo conditions are important, an even earlier start would be advised (at least in late March), so as not to be shooting into the sun. Hardly anyone was around at this early hour.

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Next we visited Qutab Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world and also a World Heritage Site. The famous Red Fort was closed on Mondays, but we admired it from the street. We stopped by the solemn national monument, the India Gate with the names of over 80,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Made some quick stops at the Parliament Buildings and then on to Old Delhi before noon. Later in the day maneuvering around Old Delhi in a vehicle can be nearly impossible. Every scene was a worthy photo in Old Delhi, but I did not feel comfortable snapping pictures of the people going about their daily business there. I had those same feelings about much of my travel around India.

 

For lunch I enjoyed Malai Kofta--cottage cheese dumplings deep fried and cooked in creamy cashew sauce, served with rice; a salad, chipati bread; and chocolate fudge cake for dessert at The Panchshila Rendezvous. My city tour guide said the restaurant was a favorite of his in Delhi and I was pleased to see he ordered the same thing as I did, without knowing my selection. A brief check of their website after arriving home shows I could even have added something Tex Mex!

 

All those activities of internationally famous sites and I still had plenty of time before the Gondwana Express departed at 1525 for Jabalpur. A Wild World India employee, who hopped into the vehicle enroute to the train station, was very helpful in carrying my bags up a huge flight of stairs, down the platform, and straight to my compartment, making sure I was settled aboard the correct train. I could not have managed the confusion of the Indian rail station--with only some signs in English and thick computer printouts of schedules thumb tacked to bulletin boards--on my own, despite having taken trains and subways, unassisted, all over the world and regularly negotiating the bustling maze of Chicago’s Union Station, even during the chaotic Thanksgiving holiday. I was feeling rather silly about that inability until I discussed it with several other travelers I met who shared their confusion at the railway stations.

 

Taking the Train

Since I like train travel and realize trains are an integral part of Indian transportation--even part of the culture-- and the schedules worked well to save me both time and money, I took a couple of trains. Plus I had seen that curiosity of an Indian tourist adventure movie, The Darjeeling Limited.

 

Both of my train trips were in the first class compartment, which was air conditioned and had fans. On the overnight 16-hour Delhi-Jabalpur trip, I shared a 4-bunk compartment with a congenial Australian couple who live in Singapore. We met up again briefly in Kanha.

 

On the 1710 to 0415 overnight train to Agra, I was joined by Wild World India associate, Guarav, who navigated the signs and platforms and got us on the right train, and then kindly took the top bunk, leaving me the more comfortable lower bunk. Across from us was a businessman who passed the time in deep slumber and remained undisturbed despite the conversation between Guarav and myself.

 

An attendant provides clean linens and a pillow on the overnight trains and even makes up the bunk. I found a half of Bonine prevented motion sickness and there was indeed ample motion as we bumped along the tracks. I fell asleep to the motion while reading my Jim Corbett stories and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Tahir Shah, and then slept soundly and comfortably throughout the night on both trains.

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This photo of my train compartment is almost as big as the actual compartment

 

On the first train trip I carried only a bunch of bananas for my supper, since I had eaten a huge lunch. On the second trip to Agra with Guarav, a bunch of bananas supplemented a boxed meal prepared by the lodge where we had just checked out. As the train slowed to a halt for our Agra stop, Guarav and I were standing with our luggage in the vestibule, ready to disembark when suddenly I remembered the bunch of bananas that I had left in our compartment. Guarav went back to retrieve them but the door was now locked from the inside. Apparently the businessman had awakened and bolted the door when we left. We joked that he must be devouring our bananas behind locked doors!

 

Two train trips were just right for my 3-week itinerary. But without the assistance provided by Wild World India I’d still be on the platform with my train ticket and bananas wondering where to board.

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Indian Safari Vs. African Safari

 

These comparisons are based on one recent trip to India and numerous trips to Africa.

 

I had heard and read that my expectations for India should be held clearly in check after going on Africa safaris. I had been warned about cheering sections when a tiger was spotted, people tumbling out of vehicles, and general pandemonium. I was cautioned to be prepared to be “horrified.”

 

Far from horrified, I was impressed and enchanted. What helped, I believe, was going at a non-peak time (not Christmas/New Years and after Holi), allowing Wild World India to negotiate all the paperwork and secure all permits for the parks, paying extra for a private vehicle, and having outstanding naturalists that had been selected by Wild World India. But the people I encountered who did not have quite the exclusive arrangement that I did also seemed to be very happy and some of them were wildlife enthusiasts who travel the world.

 

What also helped me and will help everyone else is within the past year or so Bandhavgarh (which was the source of some of the worst stories) changed the rules to limit the number of vehicles and where they may go.

 

The tiger sightings did generate a gathering in all three parks I visited, with much maneuvering of vehicles, plus some standing atop the Gypsy. But all the vehicles stayed on the road, or shoulder, so there was no surrounding the tiger and it was not possible to pursue the tiger off-road. Everyone remained in/on the vehicle, and I heard no shouts.

 

Other than tigers, I was alone for almost all other sightings--and the list of other sightings above is extensive. With most vehicles on a tiger mission, having other animals or birds to myself was not hard. When non-tiger sightings were shared, usually it was just another vehicle or two at most.

 

I was surprised at how many of the same species of birds, or very similar species, were present in both locations.

 

From the sheer standpoint of visual impact, not much from any country or continent compares with the tiger!

 

Some differences between African and Indian safaris included:

 

Those little Gypsy vehicles in India were great and more maneuverable than Land Rovers or Cruisers.

 

The forested terrain makes sightings tougher than the openness of the African savanna, although there are meadows in the Indian parks.

 

Listening for alarm calls and observing animal behaviors to spot predators was more prevalent in India. Waiting in areas that seemed promising based on alarm calls took up a greater percentage of our outings in India than Africa and more times than not, the wait did not produce a predator. The type of habitat in Indian parks meant we had to work harder and have more patience for our sightings than in most parts of Africa.

 

Even though my list of mammals and birds was extensive, there is not the variety or abundance of the typical African safari destination.

 

That queue at the park gates in India in advance of starting times does not occur anywhere I have been in Africa. However at the larger African lodges, the jumble of vehicles departing in the mornings or afternoons may number the same, but just lack the organization of an official queue.

 

There is a definite emphasis on seeing the single species of the tiger in India, whereas in Africa the emphasis is diffused among a greater number of predators. In both places, I found the naturalists were responsive to expanding the fauna emphasis to all creatures great and small.

 

In Africa I usually have not encountered local tourists at the places I have visited, most are international. In India it was nice to visit with Indian tourists. I found the Forest Rest Houses in Corbett offered the best opportunity for interaction. At Dhikala Forest Rest House the cafeteria-type setup for meals and an assigned seat by the host meant I had meals with numerous people and all were Indians.

 

In Bandhavgarh (though not in Kanha or Corbett) vehicles are assigned to a specific track, which is not the case in Africa. Not only must they remain on that track or route, but they need to maintain a designated distance between vehicles (except for tiger sightings or I suppose leopard or sloth bear). That means you cannot linger to your heart’s content at non-tiger sightings. I found that after a tiger had been spotted, then it seemed that the rules were relaxed for maintaining the designated place in line. The result of these rules is that rarely do you encounter another vehicle during the outing, unless there is a tiger sighting that can draw in up to 10 or 11 vehicles from your track.

 

The ability to view predators from an elephant is unique to India (and other Asian destinations), although I saw a hyena from a camel once in Africa and there are places such as Abu’s and Amalinda where it is possible to ride an African elephant. Longer elephant safaris that last a good part of the day, or even several days are possible in Corbett, though I didn’t partake. I was pleased to learn that mother tigers with cubs are not approached by elephant.

 

At the parks and lodgings I stayed at in India, I did not have the remote, secluded tented camp experiences that I have enjoyed in Africa. But I think it is possible for a price.

 

Speaking of price, India was not as expensive as Africa.

 

Food at the lodges in India was primarily Indian, with a rare appearance of continental cuisine, whereas in Africa food tended to be continental, with a few choices of African dishes. Most of the Indian dishes were not excessively spicy.

 

When taking a packed lunch, that wobbly sausage that often is found in the African lunch boxes was nowhere to be found in the Indian packed lunches, which were predominantly vegetarian.

 

Both offered rewarding and exhilarating nature and wildlife and the fact that I am so privileged as to be able to even offer comparisons between these two locations is something I do not take for granted.

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Kahna and Cricket

 

 

Kisli is generally more crowded with more lodges and vehicles than Mukki. Animal density also tends to be higher.

 

Renowned naturalist Rajendra (Rajan) Jhariya and driver Seren picked me up from the train in Jabalpur. Our first afternoon out, we waited for 90 minutes in an area where Rajan, along with 15 other vehicles, believed a tiger could appear, and it did. My first tiger sighting was an 18 month old cub at a distance under a tree. Then the cub’s father appeared from the opposite direction. The regal and relaxed demeanor of this dominant male reminded of Jim Corbett’s description of the tiger as “a large hearted gentleman with endless courage.”

 

As the light faded, the male tiger walked past two male peacocks, undisturbed by his presence. Tigers and peacocks--that is the stuff of Rudyard Kipling tales! My awe for this park continued throughout my 6 days here.

 

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In addition to providing excellent guiding, Rajan kindly invited me into his home a few times to use his Internet, which I appreciated. Plus he took some great pictures with the camera I let him use. I’d recommend that practice of sharing an extra camera with your naturalist, if they are in agreement. His tremendous enthusiasm never waned, even when our outing in the park meant he missed most of India’s at bat in the India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup Semi-finals.

 

With a start time of 2:30 pm, the match lasted until about 11:00 pm, including a 45-minute break. So at least Rajan and the other naturalists/drivers got to see the last part of the game.

 

At Tuli Tiger Lodge, they set up a TV in the spa for staff and any guests interested in watching the India-Pakistan semi-final. I asked the bar tender what drink goes with a cricket semi-final and he produced a Vodka Gimlet. The Gimlet and I cheered with about a dozen staff members for wickets #1 and #2 by Pakistan, but I didn’t understand what I was cheering for until wicket #3. A British fan of the sport stopped by briefly and gave me some pointers, along with his disapproval of the new “hip” version of cricket, where matches do not last five days and uniforms are not entirely white. We never got to what he thought of the vuvuzelas.

 

I took a break from the spa/sports bar for my evening meal in the restaurant. I had just sampled my soup when I heard what sounded like shots near the perimeter of our lodge. Normally I would be concerned, but under these circumstances I surmised it was merely the result of wicket #4 and resumed my meal. Shortly thereafter the waiter confirmed my speculations with enthusiasm.

 

After dinner, I was able to watch the thrilling conclusion, where the Indians (aka Men in Blue) bowled very well and won. Celebrations of the final score India 260/9; Pakistan 231/10, were still going on as I headed off to bed.

 

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Spa where we watched Cricket

 

Besides a spa that converted to a sports bar for the Cricket World Cup, Tuli Tiger had lovely grounds with a large pond next to the restaurant. Rooms were in groups of 4, two at balcony level and 2 at garden level. My garden level room, which was part of the Termite Mound group of 4 was spacious and very attractive. The Termite Mound block would be ideal for a family with young kids who might want to play in the small playground right across from it.

 

There was some good bird activity and it was about 12 minutes from the Kisli park gate, now called the Katia gate.

 

Meals were buffet style with several choices of Indian dishes and once in a while a pasta entrée . The manager offered to have the chef prepare a dish to order if I wished, but there was no need with the excellent choices offered.

 

Though I dined alone, I had plenty of dinner conversation, so much that I had to be careful my chapatis did not get cold while I was visiting. All the waiters and the resident naturalist stopped by the table to chat briefly about sightings or the park. I was treated like a celebrity—or perhaps a member of the royal family. And once they found out about my attendance at the semi-final match with my Gimlet, then we had the wide world of cricket to discuss as well. On that topic I mostly just listened and nodded.

 

Of the places I stayed, Tuli Tiger was the fanciest, and I was just in the lodge part. They also had a tented camp section that the manager told me was the 2nd best tented camp in India. I walked around that area and it was more secluded and elegant. Tuli Tiger, like all the places I stayed, suited me very well and I’d recommend it.

Edited by Atravelynn
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