My wildlife journey started from Delhi with a simple plan to explore some of India’s best national parks through nature safaris. My desire was to explore various kinds of forests, landscapes, animals, and safari environments rather than sticking to a single park. My visit to wildlife parks was in the sequence of Jim Corbett, Pench, Ranthambore, Tadoba, and Gir. At each place, I got a distinct experience of wildlife.
The tour was not merely a ride on a safari vehicle but also included many other things like travelling on roads, staying in hotels, eating local food, getting up early, discussing with the guide, and waiting for wildlife to be sighted. Some days were tiring, but some gave me wonderful experiences of sightings. This is how my trip started from Delhi and returned home after visiting five different wildlife destinations.
Planning My Wildlife Trip From Delhi
I started planning the trip from Delhi by checking the best travel options for every national park. The parks are in different parts of India, so I used different travel options. Trains were useful for some destinations, while flights followed by road journeys saved time for others.
For Jim Corbett, I took the Ranikhet Express from Old Delhi Railway Station to Ramnagar. The train journey took about six hours. From Ramnagar, I took a cab to the resort. For the other destinations, my route continued through northern, central, and western India.
I arranged cabs in advance for transfers between airports, railway stations, parks, and resorts. This made the journey easier because I did not need to search for local transport after reaching each destination. Some road journeys took several hours.
The surroundings also changed during the road journeys. Near towns, I saw shops, traffic, houses, and regular daily activity. Near the forests, there were more open fields, village roads, trees, and small settlements.
From Delhi, I travelled by train to Ramnagar for Corbett. For Pench, I used Nagpur Airport followed by a road transfer to the national park. After exploring Pench, I travelled towards Sawai Madhopur by train and road for my Ranthambore safari.
Later, I returned to Nagpur and travelled again by road towards Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. After Tadoba, I continued my journey towards Gujarat, flying to Rajkot and travelling by road to Sasan Gir before finally returning to Delhi.
My Stay Near Jim Corbett
After reaching Ramnagar Railway Station, I travelled by cab to my resort. The drive took around 45 minutes. I used this time to rest after the train journey and watch the surroundings.
I stayed at Corbett Leela Vilas near Dhikuli village, Ramnagar. The check-in was smooth. After completing the formalities, I went to my room, freshened up, and looked around the property.
The resort had a swimming pool, green lawns, independent cottages, and dining facilities facing natural greenery. After travelling from Delhi, I spent some quiet time at the resort before the safari.
For lunch, I had dal tadka, mixed vegetables, tandoori rotis, and steamed rice. I kept the meal simple because the safari required an early start. After lunch, I rested and checked the safari details.
Jim Corbett is India’s first national park and is part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve. It has Sal forests, grasslands, and areas around the Ramganga River. The area supports many types of wildlife.
My safari was planned for the Dhikala Zone, one of Corbett’s best-known safari areas. Entry was through Dhangadi Gate. Before leaving, I prepared my camera, water bottle, light jacket, and other essentials.
My First Safari At Dhikala
I arrived at the Dhangadi Gate at 6:00 AM. The climate was cool and foggy. After meeting my guide and driver, I got into the canter. My guide told me about some basic safari rules and advised me to look out for pug marks, sounds, and movements of animals.
The first phase of the safari covered the Sal forest. I kept my eyes moving through the trees, and the guide kept his eyes on the tracks on both sides. At one place, he saw fresh pug marks on the sand track.
Then we moved further on into the open land. Around the Ramganga River, I found many spotted deer, wild elephants around the river banks, and also a mugger crocodile resting in the sun. Langurs were easily noticed among the trees, and many birds were visible. The guide taught me the importance of concentration when on a safari tour.
He used to check tracks, sounds of alarms, and animal behavior rather than just staring ahead. We waited silently near the waterhole, and the alarms sounded loudly. Suddenly, a Royal Bengal Tiger emerged from the high grass, passed through the fireline, and vanished into the Sal forest.
I went back to the hotel and ate my breakfast after the safari. The early morning made me feel hungry, so breakfast was enjoyable. I rested and thought about the animals I saw during the rest.
Exploring Pench From Khursapar Gate
My next major stop was Pench National Park. After reaching the area through Nagpur airport, I travelled to Tuli Tiger Corridor and completed the check-in process.
I had lunch at the resort before preparing for the safari. I ate paneer lababdar, dal makhani, and chapati. After some rest, I left for Khursapar Gate. Before travelling, I had already completed booking a safari in Pench, which made it easier to organise my resort stay and reach Turia Gate on time.
Pench is located around the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border. On the Madhya Pradesh side, important safari gates include Khursapar, Karmajhiri, and Jamtara. The park is known for teak forests and rolling terrain.
Pench is also connected with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. This made the destination interesting for me, although my main focus was observing real wildlife.
My safari started at 3:30 PM. The guide and driver were experienced and regularly communicated with other safari drivers. The forest changed between dense vegetation and open areas as we moved through it.
The guide noticed sharp langur alarm calls near a rocky area. The driver slowed the gypsy, and everyone became quiet. We eventually saw a pack of Indian Wild Dogs, also called dholes, moving through the teak forest near a dried stream bed.
Later, after a patient search, a sub-adult leopard briefly appeared on a branch of a mahua tree before disappearing into the foliage.
After the safari, I returned to the resort. I had dinner at 9:00 PM and ate light chicken curry with rice. I prepared my things for the next morning and went to sleep.
A Safari Day In Ranthambore
Ranthambore offered a different setting. Located in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, the national park has 10 safari zones. Zones 1 to 5 are generally considered core zones.
After reaching Ranthambore through a connecting train and road travel from central India, I checked into The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort near the park entry. The check-in was welcoming and included traditional Rajasthani hospitality. I had dal baati churma and stuffed parathas for lunch before resting.
My safari was scheduled in Zone 3 at 6:30 AM. The weather was crisp and sunny. Before entering the park, the guide and driver explained the safari details.
The dry deciduous forest looked different from Corbett and Pench. The park also had historical structures. Ranthambore Fort, old ruins, Padam Talao, and Rajbagh Lake are important features of the area.
Near Padam Talao, I saw sambar deer, marsh crocodiles, and water birds such as painted storks.
The guide then noticed something near the ruins. The driver stopped the gypsy, and everyone looked carefully towards the same area. After several minutes of waiting, a tigress came out from behind the old stone ruins. She walked near the water's edge of Padam Talao, looked towards our gypsy, and then moved into the dry bushes.
After returning to the resort, I had dinner and relaxed near the bonfire area. The day had been long, so I prepared for the next morning and went to bed.
My Tadoba Tiger Safari Experience
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve was another major stop on my journey. It is in Maharashtra and is one of the state’s oldest and largest tiger reserves. It is also well known for its tiger population.
I reached Nagpur airport and took a cab to the reserve. I travelled to Svasara Jungle Lodge outside Moharli Gate. After check-in, I had lunch and rested.
My safari was planned through Moharli Gate, one of the reserve’s main entry points. The safari started at 6:00 AM.
The forest had many bamboo and teak areas. As the gypsy moved deeper into the reserve, I watched the ground, trees, and vegetation for signs of wildlife.
Near Tadoba Lake, the habitat changed. Water sources are important for animals, so we spent time observing the area. The guide noticed fresh pugmarks, broken bamboo stalks, and agitated sambar calls. He asked the driver to change direction.
We followed the route and then stopped. Everyone waited quietly for about 15 minutes, then we saw a small glimpse of a tiger. This did not give us enough time to observe and photograph him.
After returning to the resort, I had dinner at 8:30 PM. I also prepared my clothes and belongings for the next day because the journey was moving towards its final destination.
Meeting Asiatic Lions In Gir
My final major destination was Gir National Park in Gujarat. I travelled towards Sasan Gir by flight to Rajkot and then by cab. I checked into The Fern Gir Forest Resort.
After check-in, I had a Gujarati thali with dhokla, kadhi, rotli, and shaak. I then rested before preparing for the Gir Jungle Trail.
Gir is different from the other parks because it is the only place where Asiatic lions live naturally in the wild. The habitat includes dry deciduous forests, thorn forests, and acacia trees.
My safari was scheduled for 3:00 PM. The weather was warm and dry. The guide explained how we would search for animals.
The guide watched the road and vegetation carefully. He noticed fresh tracks and heard local trackers communicating from a distance. The driver slowed down and then stopped the gypsy.
We waited quietly. A pride with a lioness and two sub-adult lions was resting under a large acacia tree close to our track. One lion gave a deep roar that could be heard across the area. Seeing Asiatic lions in the wild was a special part of the journey.
Apart from lions, I saw spotted deer, wild boars, and large cinereous vultures.
What Each Park Offered Me
After visiting all five destinations, I realised that each park offered a different type of wildlife experience.
Jim Corbett stood out for its Sal forests, grasslands, Ramganga River, elephants, and variety of wildlife. The Dhikala area was also an important part of the experience.
Pench offered teak forests, open areas, rolling terrain, and different wildlife. Its connection with The Jungle Book added an interesting background to the visit.
Ranthambore combined wildlife with history. The fort, ruins, lakes, and forest were part of the same safari experience.
Tadoba had a strong focus on tiger habitat. Its bamboo and teak forests and areas around Tadoba Lake created good opportunities for wildlife observation.
Gir was the most different destination because of its Asiatic lions. Travellers who specifically want to see Asiatic lions in their natural habitat can consider Gir.
Instead of choosing a park only because it is famous, I would first decide what type of wildlife experience I want in the future. This makes the planning more practical.
My Return Journey To Delhi
I woke up at 7:00 AM and ate my breakfast in the resort on the last morning in Gir. Poha, toast, and fresh fruit juice were some items that comprised my breakfast. After breakfast, I checked out from the resort and left at 9:00 AM by cab towards the airport in Rajkot.
The whole road journey took around 2.5 hours. During the road journey, I remembered all those aspects of the journey that included morning safaris, waiting for animals, discussions with guides, meals in the resort, and road journeys. I arrived at the Rajkot airport and caught my 2:00 PM flight to Delhi.
These five parks gave me five different experiences. Corbett had its forests, grasslands, elephants, and Ramganga scenery. Pench had teak forests and diverse wildlife. Ranthambore had tiger conservation and historical sites. Tadoba had its tiger conservation and dense forest. Gir provided me with the experience of seeing Asiatic lions in their natural habitat.
For wildlife trips, the choice of the destination is entirely dependent upon the interest of the person planning the trip. If someone wishes to see tigers, then he may visit Corbett, Pench, Ranthambore, or Tadoba. The Asiatic lions can be seen at Gir.
It is crucial that the safari, accommodation, transportation, and timing be planned beforehand. This will ensure that the trip is well organized and that travelers have a more enjoyable experience while viewing the wildlife.