Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh is very popular for tiger safaris and birding. The park is home to many Central Indian Mammals, reptiles and birds. On a safari one can see tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog or dhole, sambar deer, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar and langurs. Nilagi is seen at Bathan while wolf and hyena are often seen outside the park.

It is possible to see small mammals that are shy and nocturnal on night safaris outside the park confines. Birding is done alongside tiger trekking, and bird watching can be conducted outside the park in buffer zone.

Tiger is usually met with during the jeep safaris but if not than one can see the big cat on elephant back. This is known as tiger show and tourists are taken on elephant back to the spot where the animal has been cordoned off by elephant. The ride is short, from jeep to the tiger, but offers view of the animal from close.

The park has a wildlife interpretation center for more information on the biodiversity that prevails. The safaris are conducted in the morning and evening. One has to pay a vehicle and guide fees, A camera fee is also charged in case of professional equipment. A guide from the forest department accompanies the tourists on jeep safaris - this is compulsory.

For tourism, the park has been divided into four zones. These are:

Tala Zone
Magdhi Zone
Khitauli Zone
Panpatha Zone.

Of these, Tala Gate constitutes the premium zone and hence the gate fee is higher here

This little paradise is home to more than 250 species of which many are winter migrants to Central India. The best place to see the forest birds, the tiger reserve is much visited by professional birders.

The park has dense forest canopies and marshy grasslands. Hence a good place to enjoy bird watching here. The major attractions are Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Black Naped Monarch, White Rumped Shama, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Iora, Gold Mantled Chloropisis, Jerdon's Leaf Bird, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Red Throated Flycatcher, Painted Francolin, Grey Francolin, Grey Hornbill, Alexandrine Parakeet, Golden Oriole, Black Hooded Oriole. White Eyed Buzzard, Bonelli's Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Spangled Drongo, Racket Tailed Drongo, White Bellied Drongo, Plum Headed Parakeet, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Long Billed Vulture, White Backed Vulture, Red Headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Pallas Fish Eagle, Grey Headed Fish Eagle and plenty of other species.

It is essential to stay overnight for tiger safaris in the park. There are few rest houses at Tala Gate in Bandhavgarh but they are reserved for officials and VIPs. All services for park safaris are available from Tala Village - jeeps, taxis, transportation, boarding and lodging.

The safari accommodation can be booked online as many resorts have their sites. There are package tours available which include safaris, accommodation and food. This package is known as Jungle Plan. There are no home stays and day centers available. But there are many budget hotels for a short stay. At Tala a number of joints offer breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The tourism infrastructure is well developed for tiger tours. There are many hotels and wildlife resorts at Bandhavgarh for luxury accommodation. The prices range from budget to 3 star and even 5 star hotels. Most of the hotels are well equipped for safaris and birding with experienced nature guide at their disposal. The luxury resorts have wildlife interpretation centers which are good for understanding the park ecosystem and diversity.

During the holiday season and weekends the park is full of visitors hence booking has to be done in advance. It is better to visit during the lean period as number of visitors become less and one can bargain. A large number of hotels in Bandhavgarh offer affordable prices for a stay during off season.

The number of tourists is high during the winter months, hence those on budget should visit the reserve in summer months. The wildlife sightings increase during the summers for number of reasons. This is the best time to avail discounts from luxury accommodations in the wildlife refuge.