Just as Indian cities, towns, or beautiful hamlets have their own flavors and identities, the Jungle and woods of the country have distinct tastes and equally haunting secret trails. One such national park that has its own color, has its own loud presence that resonates across the whole state is Ranthambhore National Park. Nestled in the Sawai Madhopur district of the regal state of Rajasthan, this national park is well known for its massive tiger population. It is also home to many other mammals and exotic bird species, but tourists across the world flock to this forest mainly because of catching the glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tigers which has made this national park so popular.

Situated 160 km away from the capital city of Rajasthan Jaipur, Ranthambhore national park has something or the other in store for all kinds of travelers. If you are two minds, or three, do not cram your head into planning the perfect Ranthambhore itinerary but leave it in the hands of Frontiers Beyond to plan your perfect getaway to the wilderness. Depending on your time, interest, and budget, tours can be customized to suit every traveler’s requirement.

The forest grounds once upon a time used to be the hunting haven for both the Rajput and British.  A trip to the beautiful woods could never be considered complete without hunting expeditions to Ranthambhore with coveted badges and titles- Tigers. At that time, it was a matter of huge pride to go on a kill and valiantly stand against the body of a slayed beast to showcase the bravado. Now definitely, it was a huge loss that no one was ready to acknowledge. Within the period 1929 to 1939, a total of 1074 tigers were killed.

Queen Elizabeth II of England and HRH Duke Prince Philip of Edinburgh visited the Ranthambhore forest grounds on a royal hunt in the year 1961. Fortunately for the tigers, the Wildlife Protection Act was enforced in 1972 which brought a rude halt to the whims of the royals, and hunting in various projects and reserve forest areas was banned. And eventually, Ranthambhore won the status of a national park in 1980.

So the great news is, the tiger sighting seasons are coming up- October to April is the paradisical moment when the grand beast decides to walk over the crisp dry leaves that are beautifully set up over the dry forest bed like a carpet. So, safari timings are usually in the early mornings, we really feel that tourists need to stuff in as much as warm clothes as the morning airs of the forest can be rib-chillingly cold. And for some amazing bird sighting stories, do not forget to carry your pair of binoculars.

Interesting Trivia: Ranthambhore National Park was the abode of the Tigress Queen Machli. Machli got its name from the fish shaped mark that was found on one side of its face. Despite of so many famous tigers walking the floors of Ranthambhore, the mother tigress has been a star attraction as it was highly responsible for bringing up the tiger population of the forested land. There was one point of time when census was carried out only to find that half the population of the species, when traced back was found to have a lineage with Machli.

She was also called the Lady of the Lakes or the Crocodile Killer. She had got entwined in a fierce battle with a 14 feet long crocodile and finally emerged victorious despite of the injuries she suffered. Her interesting life story made her feature in many documentaries and there have been tourists who have come to the national park mainly to catch a glimpse of the beauty. She has been a photographer’s dream and has always lived up to the expectations of jungle lovers. She has posed and given ample photo opportunities to all the nature lovers and gave them reasons to never ever forget Ranthambhore.

In fact, Ranthambhore has been a photographer’s dream destination since the tiger population has very often decided to show their density with frequent sightings. Tourists have been lucky to have witnessed not only tigers but even other deadly predators like leopards, menacing hyenas, the beautiful Nilgais, Chitals, sambar deers, foxes, Chinkara, flying bats, cold-blooded deadly crocodiles and many more. And some of the lucky few have even captured kills in their lens and experienced a bone-rattling chase that kept onlookers absolutely hooked and awestruck.

The national park does not exactly host hotels and resorts right inside the national park mainly to ensure animal privacy and to prevent any kind of encroachment in the forested area which is the home of the animals. You can rest assured that we have a range of hotels and resort ideas curated for different kinds of travel plans and different traveler groups. If you wish to experience luxury, Frontiers Beyond is there, if you wish privacy we can let you know that you shall not be disappointed. If budget, family experience is something you are looking at or it is the merriment of traveling in a group is what you look forward to, you can count on our team to leave no stones unturned to ensure you have a fulfilling safari experience.

Ranthambhore best safari packages are booked by keeping a sharp eye on the government website. A little bit of research will help you understand that you can register online and crack the best deals. But if all this is not your cup of tea then just close your eyes and rely on us.

Open gipsy which are 6 seaters, or the 20-seater open canters that move around various zones of the forest-anything can be your best bet. The forest is divided into 10 zones, with 1 to 5 core areas where tiger sighting chances are good.  And 6 to 10 are the surrounding buffer zones of the tiger safaris.

So, during booking, a zone is usually allotted to any travel party depending on availability. And usually, this zone allotment is something over which as traveler you will have very little control. To improve your chances of getting a core area allotted, book as early as possible. Private full-day safaris are some of the costliest deals to crack as your chances of moving around for long increases with no zone restrictions and increasing your chances of tiger sightings. But there have been many unfortunate cases where despite of shelling a considerable amount of time and money, the tigers have remained deceptive allowing little or no glimpse at all.

So, you can rely on us when it comes to cracking the best deal in any specific month, time of the day and seasons.

Forests like Ranthambhore have their own trail stories. An experienced guide will always direct you towards natural indicators, when you can soon expect tigers to make their grand appearances. Movement of animals, spotting the basic instincts of deer or the arboreal like the chimps and monkeys are something they will indicate during the trip. The soft rustle of the leaves, or the brisk cantering away of the grazing clan just before the feral beast makes its appearance are something you have to be very mindful about. The very well-versed forest keepers will always ask you to keep your eyes open and ears cocked up to never miss an opportunity of sighting the majestic creature. These whole series of activities, build up to the tension and anxiety with which an ardent forest lover looks forward to see nature in its raw best.

Sighting the Arrowhead or Machli, is no less than the excitement of skipping your beat for checking out the most coveted creature you have been looking forward to. They have such a beautiful presence which more so get intensified during the first rays of the sun during dawn hours. To see them romp so casually when they are so content after their day’s kill or see them craftily sneak up behind an innocent deer to just make that life threatening leap is indeed an exquisite experience.

There are three most beautiful lakes in the national park which look absolutely gorgeous in their glittering sheen. Raj Bagh, Padam Talao, and Maniktalao are three beautiful lakes of this region. The Padam Talao being the biggest of them all and is a beautiful sight to behold. For all bird lovers, the lake regions are of absolute unparallel beauty and even the birds think the same way. More than 35000 species of birds exist in this national park and they cast their reflection across these beautiful lakes and take their colorful flights. Heron, Darte, Egret, Crescent Serpent Eagle, Shrike and many more will absolutely enthrall you.

If you also fancy some amount of fishing, then get hold of your equipment and head towards the southwestern fringes of the Ranthambhore National Park.- the Mansarovar Dam. This is a world in itself and the massive boundary around the water body keeps this area secluded and protected. The rocky terrain and grassland combination is perfect for hiking trails around the Vindhya Mountain ranges. You can also come across some interesting fauna like sloth bears, wild boar, antelopes, and many more.

For some amazing alligator sightings, the National Chambal gharial sanctuary is one of the best places in the vicinity of Ranthambhore. An hour’s journey from Ranthambhore, on the banks of Chambal river in the Palighat village. It is an incredible place for crocodile safari and for spotting amphibians and other aquatic species in their natural habitat.

Apart from these, Ranthambhore is home to the Ranthambhore Fort, Ganesh temple, and a beautiful animal museum to dive into. The forest region has many thrilling stories to share, and you can trust us as we bring our expertise and information just like a local to ensure your experience is stunning and awe-inspiring. As the season approaches, do not miss your chance to check out the beautiful forests and book with us for an unforgettable extravaganza.

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