Ranthambore

Ranthambore National Park is situated in the Sawai Madhopur district of North Indian State of Rajasthan. This park is contiguous with the Sawai Madhopur town and Misradhara gate, the entrance of the park which is about 12 km from the heart of the town. Ranthambore is the only Tiger Reserve next to the twin city of Madhopur (Old City & Man Town). Sawai Madhopur is a small rural town with a scanty population of around 100,000. This town serves as a market for the rural hinterland. Sawai Madhopur is also famous for its winter guavas, red chilis and mustard.

Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park is probably the best place to see the wild tiger on the prowl. It is the only dry deciduous tiger habitat in the world. This national park is the part of much larger Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, a Project tiger reserve, lies in the Sawai Madhopur district of eastern Rajasthan. It is the only forest reserve in the entire Arravali where Royal Bengal still exist. The free flowing Chambal river forms the natural boundary of the park on the east, and on the eastern shore of Chambal lies the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Besides tigers, the other wild cats that inhabitant the region are Leopards, Caracals, Jungle cats, Rusty Spotted cats. Fishing Cats and Leopard cats have also been reported but their sightings are yet to be verified. The populace of ungulates include Sambhar, Spotted deer (Chital), Blue bull (Nilgai), Chinkara (Indian gazelle) and Wild boar. Other large mammals that can be seen in Ranthambore tiger reserve are the Sloth bear, Indian fox, Jackal, the extremely occasional Wolf, very few Indian wild dogs (Dhole), Small Indian Civet, Palm civet, Common Indian and Ruddy mongoose and Striped Hyena.

Ranthambore Fort
The majestic fort stands atop a hill overlooking the National Park. This citadel stretches over an extensive area of 4 kilometers. Trekking on the rocky terrain to reach the fort is full of adventure and excitement. The view of the surrounding keeps getting better and better as you go up. However, the view of forest from the fort itself is amazing.

Bakaula
Bakaula comprises of dense forest, with many small pools and water holes clearings in the vegetation. The excellent forest cover and availability of water has made this spot favorite haunt for the tigers of the park. Visitors can have rare sighting of the denizens of jungles in the wilderness.

Kachida Valley
Located on the outskirts of the park, this valley consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills. The area provides perfect sighting spot for the panthers of the National Park. Kachida valley also has a good population of wild bears.

Padam Talao
Padam Talao is the largest lake in the Ranthambore National Park. The name of the lake is derived from the lotus flowers that bloom in its stagnant water. The Padam Talao is a favorite spot of the animals of Ranthambore. Tigers, leopards, deers, monkeys and peacocks can be seen drinking water at edges of the lake.

Air
The nearest airport is located in Jaipur. Jaipur is interconnected with the other major destinations of India by the various domestic airlines.

Rail
Ranthambore lies on the Delhi Mumbai main railway route and links Jaipur and other main destinations of India. Some important train connections are 4005 Express, Avadh Express and Dehradun Express. The trains are regularly scheduled and provide quick transportation to Ranthambore from the distant corners of India.

Road
Well-maintained network of state and national highways make the journey by road quite exciting. You can reach Ranthambore by the regular bus services. For the local transport, you can make use of the un-metered taxis and auto-rickshaws and Tongas as well.