India is a vast country and each region has distinctive landscapes, food and culture. There’s no denying that a visit batters all your senses, and whilst its temples, culture and food are truly fascinating, its wildlife found in the National Parks is beyond spectacular. The variety of flora and fauna matches anywhere in Africa – the home of safari.
I visited both Kaziranga National Park and Ranthambhore National Park in search of the Greater One Horned Rhino as well as the Bengal Tiger.
Our first stop was Diphlu Lodge. On the border of Kaziranga National Park, it is surrounded by the lush vegetation synonymous with this part of India. Almost as far East as one can travel in the country, there is a wonderful blend of different Asian cultures here, which is not only replicated in the landscape, but in its cuisine as well. With trips into each zone of Kaziranga National Park, I was privy to many sightings of the Greater One Horned Rhino which is found here and only a handful of other National Parks in this part of the world. Containing attributes of both the black and white rhino found in Africa, the Greater One Horned Rhino is an armoured tank that attracts most visitors here. However aside from the rhinos, Asian elephants, water buffalo and the extremely rare hoolock gibbon were all added to my never-ending list of wildlife spotted.
It wasn’t all game drives though. One morning, I enjoyed a boat cruise along the Brahmaputra River which brought about a sighting of a Ganges River Dolphin, a beautiful animal that is critically endangered with less than three-hundred in this ecosystem.
When one thinks of India though, it is the tiger that springs to mind and although I was lucky enough to see two in Kaziranga, it was Ranthambhore where my exceptional tiger sightings occurred.
Ranthambhore National Park is heralded as one of the best places to see tigers in India. With a healthy population of these big cats, if you spend a good amount of time here, you will be rewarded. With the nature reclaiming the crumbling fortresses of a bygone era, this National Park is one of the most unique and photogenic in the world.
After a stay of almost a week here, I averaged a tiger per game drive, but it wasn’t just the quantity of sightings, it was the quality. Often hours were spent with these majestic of cats with only a few other vehicles. Having a great guide is key to any safari!
But aside from tigers, sloth bears, leopards and a plethora of other mammalian, reptilian and bird life were all seen during my week in Ranthambhore.
There’s no denying, the rules around safaris in India are slightly different from what you often find across sub-Saharan Africa, but this does not detract from an absolutely enthralling experience. For any wildlife lover, India is a must!
For a chance of encountering a rhino on an Indian safari, get in touch.
