India Travel Tourism

India has many tourist attractions which make it a big hit with visitors, who come here from all over the world. Apart from natural beauty, beaches, hill stations, India is a home to several wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Periyar National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Ranthambore National Park, Sariska Tiger Reserve and Kumarakom National Park are famous names in the list. If you talk about wildlife tour in India, the land comes up with several wonderful options. One of them I visited which I would like to share with you.

I was taken aback when my boss offered me to come along with him to Ranthambore. With a group of four colleagues, I looked forward to an exciting trip. Ranthambore National Park is one of the most famous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Northern India. Located in the Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, it was the former hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur.

After a long tiring journey by Jodhpur Express, we reached Jaipur. Jaipur is around 132 km from Ranthambore. There we stayed over at a good hotel already booked for us. While enjoying our dinner at hotel we shared knowledge about this park and slept peacefully.

The next morning, we started our jeep safari to the Ranthambore National Park. This five-hour ride took us through the entire park and we had the best glimpses of the flora and fauna. As we reached the park we saw a board which said that the park was open from October, November till end January and then from April to mid and then from May to end of June. So we can say that the best time to visit the park is from 1st October to 30th June.

The early morning jeep ride was very chilly but as we covered ourselves with sweatshirt, gloves and muffler, we were enjoying being in dense forests. Graylag Goose, Padam Talao, Indian Hornbill, Great Crested Grebe, Snipes, Flamingos, Shrikes and Sparrows were some of the birds in our list we could see during our visit to park.

As we moved ahead, I was expecting to see a tiger. But we got to see some Nilgai, Chinkara, Jungle Cats, the Mole Rat, Indian Fox and Porcupines. We all were excited to see the animals freely roaming around. We also saw Mongoose, the five striped palm Squirrels and the Vampires. It was a real fun to see some water bodies like frog and toad in the jeep safari.

The next morning my boss decided to set out to spot tigers. Two of my colleagues relaxed in the hotel. I accompanied my boss and we left early morning. We reached the rock and found some tigress. Some other tourists were also excited to see the tigress and their excitement created an atmosphere of commotion.

The tour guide told us that we could not make noise so all the commotion settled and we waited to catch the best glimpses of tiger and finally we did it. I captured a few good shots there. While making our way back, we also saw some monkeys hanging from the branches. Finally, we moved towards our hotel.

I was glad to visit the best wildlife tourist spot, Ranthambore National Park.

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There is no dearth of real life adventures when it comes to India tourism. If you are not extreme thrill lover, you can try out jeep safari in India. This is one such activity that I love to go for, especially in the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India and the classic hilly terrains. While going through the Indian travel guide a few days back, I observed a number of such places. Whether you want a closer look at wildlife or the dense greens or even the less accessible hills, jeep safari tours are incomparable.

There are many places to see in India that are popular for their varied and unique topography. And to explore them, a jeep safari offers an unforgettable experience. Some of the popular destinations to cover with this mode are:

• The Thar Desert
• Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary & Sariska National Park
• Manali to Leh route
• Kinnaur, Spiti, Kumaon and Garhwal
• Jim Corbett National Park
• Bijrani Range Forest, Jhirna & Lohachaur

But to enjoy these exciting rides, it is advised to hire a trained guide, especially for the wildlife region and the hilly terrains. A guide not only helps you move on the safe route but also suggests about the important things to carry.

So whenever you plan out for a jeep safari tour in India, just go through the Indian tourism guide book. It will help you find out the unique aspects of India that you have read in the books or just seen on television. Once you opt for this mode of exploring tourist places in India, you will surely surrender your soul to incredible India tourism.

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The sight of a tiger in the Periyar National Park had already crowned our tour with golden memories. Cherishing these memories and to add some more to our record we drove to Kumarakom to let loose ourselves in natural beauty. Kumarakom is an enchanting destination of Kerala which is famous for its mesmerizing greenery, rolling hills, aromatic spice, coffee and tea gardens, rejuvenating Ayurvedic massage and the fascinating Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.

Kumarakom, a small village is a wonderful backwater destination which is a cluster of small islands on the Vembanad Lake. Our guide happily told us that he hails from Kumarakom. We were booked in a houseboat for our accommodation in this village. After refreshment I went to the terrace of our houseboat to capture the arresting views of coconut groves, emerald paddy fields and backwaters. While I was enjoying all this I noticed a small bird (black and grey in color) resting on the wooden chair on the terrace. With quiet steps I tried reaching her but the moment she felt my presence she flew away. Anyway it was such a good beginning in Kumarakom.

After getting ready all of us set out for a backwater cruise on a houseboat, a much-awaited experience. We sailed through the backwaters enjoying the captivating views of the surroundings. It was such a mesmerizing experience. We saw paddy fields, several species of birds, fishermen catching fishes and colorful flowers. It was an opportunity for us to stay close to nature.

While enjoying our breakfast on the houseboat our guide told us that the Vembanad Lake is among the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. It also acts as a balancing tank against floods. After enjoying the cruise we went to the village and interacted with the local people there to know their culture. They were warm-hearted and friendly. I noticed that the surrounding of the houses here were clean and full of greenery which is quite a rare sight in urban cities.

Our next destination was the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. It is a paradise for bird lovers where we were greeted by sweet melodies and views of the colorful birds. Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, the sanctuary is a home to a variety of bird species including the migratory ones. As we explored this gorgeous green sanctuary we saw parrots, flycatchers, wood beetle, teal, larks, owl, egret, heron, darter, Brahminy kite and waterfowl. We were completely overwhelmed with the sights of these wonderful birds. Later we even enjoyed a boat ride in the sanctuary which added more charm to our experience. I thought to myself what an enchanting destination Kumarakom is! The next destination on our itinerary was Alleppy, another wonder of Kerala.

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As a member of Environment Preservation Group I have to visit several destinations which are abundant in flora and fauna. The Environment Preservation Group is divided into several groups and each group has its own function. I am a part of the Monitoring group who takes report from the Survey group. Recently our team went to Kaziranga National Park which is located in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam. This is a World Heritage Site which cradles two-thirds of the world’s Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. And our project was based on tracking the exact number of Rhinos and causes of their decreasing number. So our team stayed here for many days. As I am in the monitoring team so I stayed here for one day because I had to take all the details which were gathered by our Survey Team.

I reached here from its nearest airport at Guwahati which is located about 200 km from this place. It was late night when I entered this land of natural panorama teeming with exotic collection of flora and fauna. The air was fresh, atmosphere was refreshing and the cacophony of wild animals captivated me soon after I entered this wild land.

I went to Bonoshree Tourist Lodge which is government maintained resort where I met my colleagues who briefed me about this place and progress of the project. While taking dinner at the rooftop I got a distant view of this park which was glistering due to moonlight. This panoramic view engrossed me completely and reminded me of my childhood days when I used to watch the Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book on television.

The foundation of this national park was laid by the Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. She was impressed by the exotic collections of flora, fauna and avifauna of this park in general and giant one horned rhinoceros in specific. She was fascinated with this place which insisted her to persuade her husband Lord Curzon the Viceroy of India to declare this park as a protected area. Finally on 1 June 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created encompassing an area of 232 sq. km.

Today this national park spreads over an area of approximately 430-sq-kms with its swamps and tall elephant grass scattered everywhere. The topographical elevation of this park varies from 131 feet to 262 feet which is circumscribed by the river Brahmaputra along with two other rivers. Kaziranga is one of the largest tracts of protected land in the sub-Himalayan belt and due to the presence of highly diverse and visible species it has been described as a ‘biodiversity hotspot’.

We opted for a Jeep Safari as we had to cover long distance. I spent many hours in the park observing the abundant wildlife which fascinated me the most. The riverine plains of Kaziranga are framed by 14-foot-tall elephant grass making it a rich habitat for many endangered animals such as Rhinos, swamp deer, Asian elephants, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic water buffalo, Deer, Bear, Python, and many more. When I was inspecting some of the marked jungle trails many species of birds passed overhead which included the endangered Greater Indian Hornbill.

Some of the other most famous bird species of this place are Junglele fowl, Bengal florican and water fowl, goose, serpent eagle, Pella’s fishing eagle and Grey headed fishing Eagle and a large number of pelicans, Black naked stork, Snake Bird.

As we are not bound by the safari time so we stayed till late noon in the national park. Usually morning and evening Kaziranga National Park safari time is 06:30 am and 14:30 pm. I stayed in the midst of this bountiful jungle for more than 6 hours. During my safari the close encounter with the wild animals in their natural habitat fascinated me the most. I saw many animals and birds but the sight of Mother Rhino with her children moving slowly to the river basin touched me a lot. The care showed by mother Rhino almost touched our whole team which forced us to watch their activities for a long time.

I with my teammate returned to the Jungle Lodge after collecting relevant data and information. During our lunch we discussed some important issues that came out after survey along with the bite and taste of traditional Assamese food.

After taking all the relevant data, files and documents from my colleagues I left this place and returned to Guwahati. It was truly an overwhelming experience for me which I will remember for long.

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Chirping of birds on rooftop always captivated my attention and often leads me to follow it hopping. Since my childhood days, birds the colorful flying creatures always remained close to my heart. For me birds are among the best creations of nature. They are small, colorful with melodious tune of expression.

In order to have the best glimpses of this mystic creature I visited the Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan. It is one of the world’s best wetland eco-systems that supports over 350 species of birds out of which every third one is a migrant. This rich collection of bird species makes this place a paradise for birds lover, research ground for Ornithologists and perfect place for birds photographers.

I booked a room in the Bharatpur Forest Lodge in order to enjoy this mystic place at its best. The lodge is located in the middle of the bird sanctuary which provides mystic views of the surroundings. Next morning after having my breakfast I took my camera and went deep into the woods.

No vehicles are allowed here so this place can be visited by the approved cycle-rickshaws that ply inside the park or by electric van. But for me the best way to explore is on foot following jungle trail. Amidst jungle the calmness of nature is shattered through bird’s cacophony. It is really tough to identify any particular bird’s sound among these.

I wandered here and there following one bird but soon it was out of my vision and I started following another. I enjoyed this colorful and lively hide and seek game with birds. Every time I tried to concentrate on a particular bird species, soon the consistency was broken by another colorful bird which flies overhead making a peculiar sound.

The Bharatpur National Park houses wide varieties of birds. Some of them are Pelicans, Spoonbills, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Larks, Buntings, Ibis, Cranes, Hawks, Eagles, Pipits, Hawks, Larks, Shanks, Grey Herons, Warblers and many more.

Amidst this National Park there is a pond which is among the main attractions because it is the center stage of bird activities. This was the most fascinating place I had ever visited in my life. Here one can see several bird species involved in different activities like playing, eating, singing and dancing. Until the day drew to a close I stayed back at the pond so that I could enjoy birds roosting. It is the time when birds return to their nests in evening and in groups they make loud noise. It is the perfect time to watch several species of birds at a time.

After enjoying my long cherished dream I returned to the forest lodge from where I checked out and left for Delhi. During my return journey I continuously scrolled images in my camera which I had captured during this enchanting trip.

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There are people who value their gardens more for being full of birds than of cherries. I am one among those. I love to give them fruits for their songs. Sometimes I consider them the inspiration of my poetry. I declared myself a bird lover when I saved one going to be killed by a cat. I was in 7th standard when this incident happened. Since then I am in love with these colourful and pretty creatures. Surprisingly, I got a chance to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan with my colleagues.

While driving to the National Park, Munna – my driver – told me that over 300 species of birds have made this sanctuary their home. August to November is the period for resident breeding birds while October to February is for migrant birds. Munna also told me that the sanctuary was created 250 years ago and is named after a Keoladeo temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) within its boundaries.

As I arrived my hotel, I found a guide book on Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary at the reception. I asked the manager if I could take that along with me in my room, to which he agreed happily. The guide book said that the entire reserved park was once a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Bharatpur. Stretching up to 29 sq km, this ‘Ornithologist’s Paradise‘ is the only man made wildlife sanctuary in India. Also known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur was declared a national park on 10 March 1982, and accepted as a World Heritage Site in December 1985. I spent the entire day in leisure savoring the authentic cuisine of Rajasthan .

Next morning, I headed towards the park with Munna. The very first attraction we came across were nesting indigenous water birds. Facilities for a bicycle or rickshaw are also available for the tourists inside the park, but Munna asked me to cover the forest trails on foot. It was a nice way to have a closer look at the attractions of the park. Unfortunately I could not spot any of the migratory birds like Cranes, Pelicans, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits etc. that were mentioned in Bharatpur Travel Guide. In the afternoon I spotted a few Geese, Ducks, Eagles and Hawks near the small waterway.

What made my day was a closer view of wildcats, Sambar, Chital, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Nilgai and wild boar in the dense greens. I captured them all in my camera. Munna insisted me to pay short visits to Bharatpur Govenment Museum, Bharatpur Palace and Lohagarh Fort but I, being very tired, scheduled other attractions for the next day. I returned back to the hotel with a question: If God loved birds and made trees for them, why the hell we designed cages for them?

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