Blogs from Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Mission Ranthambore - Day 1 Our plan was to reach Jaipur by early morning flight from Bengaluru (6 AM) and rush to Sawai Madhopur directly, to attend the Afternoon jeep safari at Ranthambore National Park, same day. Reporting time for safari was 2 PM, very tight schedule. Any delay in between would jeopardize our program. There were repeated news of early morning flight delays during immediately preceding days due to fog and technical issues. It was a risk but re-arrangement of our booking would have been costlier. Both (Myself and my wife) of us could not sleep the previous night in excitement. Keeping our fingers crossed we reached the Bengaluru Airport departure gate. Flight departed in time. A sigh of relief. Fortunately flight landed at Jaipur on time also (around 8.45 AM). First encounter with early ... read more

We stayed at the Ranthamborne Regency an old but comfortable hotel for our safaris to try and see tigers. It was all inclusive so meals were relaxing. Our first venture was out in the cold of the morning in a jeep and it took us to one section of the National park. Lots of 4WD driving up steep hills but alas no tigers. We saw some pretty parrots, blue bull antelopes (nilgai) and sambar deer. Our afternoon trip proved more fruitful but it took a while. We drove around for some time on a different route and saw lots of birds, antelopes and deer. The drive was bumpy again and the driver hit a rock very hard which ultimately resulted in a flat tyre. We got out of the jeep while it was changed and then ... read more

The twenty first day was the day of the tiger safari. We started at 6.30 and were able to watch the sun rise from the back of an open jeep as we sped through the old town in rathambore and into the national park. Unfortunately being in India I had assumed that it would be warm but without the sun and going the speed that we were it was anything but warm! Still, to be out in the jungle in India searching for tigers it was worth being a bit cold. The national park itself was amazing, from rocky mountains to grassy plains to jungle punctuated with river beds and thick vegetation. The first wildlife we came across were a pair of spotted deer, they set the precedent for the animals of the park being completely ... read more

India, Incredible India This is one adventure I have been looking forward to for a long, long time. My three flights from Las Vegas to Delhi will be punishing, as I journey halfway around the globe in the coming hours (22 actual flight hours to be exact), but to finally step down onto Indian soil will make it all worthwhile. Bring on the curry and tandoori! LOL Still being standard time, it’s yet ANOTHER zero-dark-thirty start to the day to connect with my 7:30am flight – I need much later departing flights for a change, this stumbling around in predawn darkness gets old fast. My favorite “little blue bus” airport shuttle arrived promptly at 5am and we were off to McCarran – as always an efficient check in process; speedy transit thru security thanks to my ... read more

After spending 2 nights in a tented camp, we returned for one night in Jaipur before heading to Rathambore National Park. It was a 5 hour, sometimes bumpy ride but still never boring. I continue to be fascinated by the sights in the small villages we pass through and the rural life we observe in the countryside. At one point a large group of women were coming down the road in the brightly colored saris, singing. Our trip leader (Singh) stopped the bus and we all got out. They were thrilled to have their pictures taken and invited us to dance with then in the side of the road. They were heading for a celebration of the wedding of one of the women's sister-in-law. Throughout the day, Singh had told us to have low expectations of ... read more