I booked a room at one of the Rajasthan Luxury Hotels so I could take a tour of the internationally known ‘Ranthambore National Park’ and the ‘Ranthambore Tiger Reserve’. They both are rated among the finest wildlife Sanctuaries and Tiger reserves in all of India.
The park is located among the most amazing surroundings which constitutes the Aravalis and the Vindhya ranges in eastern Rajasthan. It’s known for the rich and varied fauna and flora. Over 400 square kilometers, the park spreads out long rocky ridges and undulating and rugged terrain. The hills open to valleys with lakes and pools. There are two rivers, the Banas and the Chambal flow in the North and the South part of the park respectively. Six of the lakes are artificial, the Mansarovar, the Gilai Sagar, The Raj Bagh, The Malik and the Padam Talao. There beauty only adds to the Ranthambore National Park. Green lush vegetation alongside plenty of water aids in making this an ideal place for survival and growth of all the varied wildlife. Perfect conditions for the tigers and their prey. I found the greatest attraction to be the world-famous Royal Bengal Tigers. Once endangered due to this being the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur, it’s now a sanctuary for the very same tigers.
The Park supports a wide variety of wildlife besides the Bengals. Like birds, mammals and reptiles. But, what’s most important is the Tiger. The park promises to offer the best opportunities for tourists to track a tiger in its own natural habitat. So this park is naturally the favorite for wildlife photographers. Even though the park is relatively small, it has a rich diversity of fauna and flora which include over some 30 mammal species, some 270 bird species, some dozen reptile species and about 350 species of plants including 50 aquatic plants. I will most definitely not be bored exploring this wonderful park.
