How many are actually aware that Maharashtra has one of the marvellous and lesser known tiger reserve – Tadoba, which is three hours away from Nagpur.

Having always seen a tiger caged in a zoo, I was really keen on catching a glimpse of this elusive beast in his natural surrounding. Was I lucky? Lets find out…

I landed in Nagpur - the city of oranges for an office assignment (had to write a hotel review, which was fun too), I completed my work within two days, so I can leave as soon as possible for Tadoba, which is three hours away from Nagpur airport.

I was accompanied by the owner of Tiger Trails, a colonial style forest lodge where I was going to stay. And the interesting part was the lodge is situated in a small thick-forested valley, right in the center of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger reserve.

So at night you find animals crossing the fenced area or maybe drinking water from one the waterholes close by.

Fascinating Facts

The reserve holds around 50 Bengal tigers. Along with tigers other frequently spotted wildlife are Leopards, Sloth Bears, Gaur,Wild Dogs, Indian Mugger, Sambar, and many species of Indian deer. The best part is Tadoba reserve is open throughout the year, while the others – Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore - remains closed during the monsoon. So isn’t it a good bet to come here instead.

The way to Tadoba is a picturesque drive through the sunflower fields, which are spread on both sides.
On reaching the place late in the evening, one can feel the silence hanging around the place; birds chirping and animals calling, it close to wilderness!!! That’s what I like, close to god’s creation and time and space come to an absolute halt. We made a bonfire and the owner offered me Mahua (a drink made out of Mahua flower) The flower from Mahua trees are fermented and brewed. It also has nutritional values, as the villagers use it to get proteins. A pure potent drink surely got me buzzing, and to top it the owner started to tell me really interesting, a bit scary stories. He told me about an incident where the tigress once entered the courtyard in search of water, sloth bears high on Mahua giggling and laughing, sounded like human beings, jackals tapping on the glass window once.

Well, these incidents certainly sent a chill down my spine as the animal calls intensified. A night in the jungle can be a totally different experience, as darkness engulfs you in no time. It’s an eerie feeling, like someone is watching you from those dense bushes, waiting to pounce. That night, though I had to be up by 5 am, I couldn't sleep, out of nervousness, excitement and anticipation. The journey was about to begin.

Jungle safari at Tadoba:

The park opens at 6 am as we took off in an open jeep, belonging to Tiger Trails, in search of a tiger. I was hoping I get lucky the first time. First in sight were sambars, chitals, peacocks, peahens, barking deer, who criss-crossed our paths several times during the safari.

Tiger Trials gets access to almost all areas of the reserve, so unlike other tiger reserves where one can only move around in certain areas, at Tadoba, you can make your own path. Spread over 623 sq.km of high hills and lush valleys, the reserve is under dense teak and bamboo forests, and through it flows the Tadoba and Andhari rivers.

There are 11 large lakes here. We were also accompanied by the forest guide, though there were of little use. In a jungle safari one needs to follow the alarm calls, which are made by various birds and animals when they spot the mighty creature.
That’s what we did, went from one water hole to another following the calls, waited for several minutes at one spot, but no luck. Closest I came was when the tiger was hiding behind a dense bush, his head easily camouflaged, which makes it difficult to spot (but that’s what the Tiger Trails’ owner told me). As soon as he sensed the presence of human beings he moved away.

After five hours of wandering around we gave up. The park closes at 10 am and opens again in the afternoon at 3 pm till 6 pm.

With disappointment written all over my face, I reached the lodge and was a tad unhappy with the outcome. But I truly cherished this adventurous and enthralling time I had at this place.

To see the tariff of Tiger Trails, visit Accommodation cost

How To Reach:

Nearest Town: Chandrapur - 45 kms (28 miles)
Railway Station: Chandrapur - 45 kms (28 miles)
Airport: Nagpur 205 km ( 127.4 miles) via Chandrapur

By Road:

Entry into the park is from Moharli (Khatoda gate) and Chimur. State transport buses are available from Chandrapur. Taxi's/ Jeeps are also available at Nagpur and Chandrapur.

Resources:

Tadoba

Hotel in Tadoba Forest

Image Source:

Tadoba Wildlife reserve

Tiger Safari