Ranthambore National Park

There are many interesting spots for you to see in Ranthambore National Park.The Ranthambore National Park is regarded as the most suitable place for wildlife photography in the world. Here you can capture the tiger in its various moods and moments. Besides the Ranthambore Park, there are places like the Ranthambore Fort (one of its kind in the entire state of Rajasthan), Jogi Mahal (the wonderful forest guesthouse) and the various species of flora and fauna, which are also worth a look.

We have given a list below, of some of the imoratant places at and around Ranthambore National Park.

Bakaula:

National Park Ranthambore is covered with thick forest over a large part of its area. One of the thickly forested regions is called the Bakaula region. Bakaula consists of dense forest, with many small pools and water holes in clearings in the vegetation. Because of the excellent forest cover and availability of water, the Bakaula region in National Park Ranthambore has an abundance of wildlife. Tigresses with young cubs are often seen near the water holes in Bakaula, since the dense forest provides cool hides for a tigress and her young.

Kachida Valley:

This valley, which consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills, is located close to the outskirts of the park. A jeep would be the ideal mode of transport when trying to visit this area. This area contains a majority of the Panther population of the park. The panthers avoid venturing into the main jungle to avoid conflicts with tigers, who are known to kill them. This area also has a good population of beers.

Lakarda and Anantpura:

These areas located in the North-Western and Northern regions of the park are ideal locations to visit if looking for Sloth Bears. These areas have a lot of ant hills, which are a favourite of the beers. Although very rarely seen themselves, the pugmarks of the Indian striped Hyenas are often seen here. Their numbers are not very large in the park.

Raj Bagh Ruins:

These ruins are located between the Padam Talao (lake) and the Raj Bagh Talao. These ancient stone structures like arches, palace outhouses, domes and steps give the area an aura that is not possible to find anywhere else in the world. Especially if you include the jungle surroundings and are one of the lucky few who come across one of the resident tigers. These ruins are what give the Ranthambore National Park such a unique mixture of a wildlife reserve and a reminder of the past, which together make it one of the most picturesque parks in the entire world.

Padam Talao:

This is the largest of the lakes present in the park. The famous and beautiful Jogi Mahal is located at the very edge of this lake. When in season, the water lilies that give the lake it's name, can be seen in plenty. In the early hours of the morning and just before sunset, animals can be seen in large numbers on the lake side. It is in the shallow waters of this lake that the famous "lake hunters" of Ranthambore operate, the most legendary of which was the tiger, Genghis. It is also along this lake's edges that the rare sighting of the chinkara is most probable.

Ranthambore Fort:

This fort stands majestically atop a hill overlooking the entire park. The walk up, one of the only places this mode of transport is possible, is a very refreshing and exciting one as even the big cats have been spotted up there! The view of the surrounding keeps getting better and better as you go up but the view from the fort itself can only be described as breathtaking. It is advisable to take along a good pair of binoculars and if possible a camera with a very powerful lens when visiting the fort.

Rajbagh Talao:

This is probably the most picturesque of the three lakes. This mostly due to the ruins that can be seen along it's edges. Yet, it owes some of it's beauty to the animals that seem to always flock to it's waters. It always has a large population of animals and birds feeding in it. The sambhar deer at Ranthambore have adapted to eating plants from the lake floor and nowhere is it more evident than at the Rajbagh Talao. Many birds, like egrets, can be seen riding on these deer while they feed. The areas around the Rajbagh Talao are also prime tiger spotting areas due to the kind of forest and it's accessibility to water sources.

Malik Talao:

This is the smallest of the three lakes in Ranthambore National Park. But, as they say, all the best things come in small packages. This definitely holds true for Malik Talao. It is an area full of concentrated action all the time. It always seems to have a healthy population of birds of all kinds. Also seen at the lake very clearly and from a reasonably close distance and handsome specimens of the Indian Marsh Crocodiles. It is quite common here to be able to watch a kingfisher on a hunt for small fish.

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