Tiger Spotting in Ranthambore; Pink palaces in Jaipur

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Ranthambore National Park is located about 30 km outside of a small town called Sawai Madhopur. It covers 1334 sq km of open land, in which there are approximately 30 tigers who roam free alongside deer, monkeys, crocodiles, and over 300 species of birds. Also within the park are the 10th century Ranthambore Fort and several dilapidated mosques and temples.

Tiger spotting is the thing to do in Ranthambore. The park is divided into 5 zones and each jeep uses a lottery system to decide which zone they will explore; there are also options as to how big a jeep you want and whether an early morning safari or afternoon safari is preferred. Our first safari was in the afternoon in a big jeep with about 20 other people. Needless to say, it wasn't a very fruitful event so we decided to go for another safari the following morning. We chose a smaller jeep with only 4 other people and our driver picked one of the better zones. The scenery was stunning and we were lucky enough to spot a tiger - a 3-year-old male. He crossed the road in front of us and sauntered up the hill. He was only visible for a few minutes but it was thrilling to see a tiger in its natural habitat!

I enjoyed being in this tiny village - village life is so different from being in a big city. Every day, we would pass through the same streets and there was one particular area where a lot of children lived. Every time, the same four or five kids would come out and say hello and hang onto me until we reached the main street. On our last day, I thought it would be nice to give them some candy. As soon as I started giving out the candy, I was literally mobbed by children! They came running out of every corner! It was adorable - I was just sad that I didn't have enough for all of them.

I've also added pics from Jaipur in this blog entry. There isn't much to say about Jaipur - it's the capitol of Rajasthan and the most polluted and hectic city in the state. Jaipur is famous for its pink buildings, which were painted in 1876 as a symbol of hospitality for the visiting Prince of Wales. The city is packed with cars, rickshaws, camel carts, elephants, and other assorted animals fighting for space on the streets. Like any city in Rajasthan, Jaipur has incredibly beautiful palaces and forts. I think I've seen enough palaces during this trip to last for a while. 😊

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Photos

Tiger
It's slightly difficult to see but there is a tiger in this picture :)