Indian Wildlife Club Forum

Every tourist city in the world has its unique tale to tell, and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan is one such city that has numerous stories to tell to the world.

Apart from the royals of the bygone era,Jaisalmer is also home to unequal beauty and valor that keeps the city alive and attractive to the rest of the world. Located deep in the Thar desert, Jaisalmer is also known as the Golden City of India and as the gateway to the great Indian desert.

So if you are planning to visit Jaisalmer via flight, then you have to catch a Jodhpur airport to jaisalmer taxi which will cost like $50. So popular firms in Jodhpur or Jaisalmer who offer taxi from jodhpur to jaisalmer are Maharaja Cabs, Chetram, Voyages and Rajputana Cabs.

If you are in Jaisalmer, you just cannot miss visiting the Thar Desert for a camel safari tour of Jaisalmer. There are two different options for the desert safari. One is the jeep safari in jaisalmer which is for all those who don't want to ride on camel at sand dunes, which is awesome. For those who are interested in enjoying traditional way should ideally opt for the camel safari.

Camels are globally known as the ship of the desert, and they are the ones that take you through the rural desert life of Rajasthan on their backs.

The ideal place to start with the desert safari is from the Sam Sand Dunes, which is located around 45 km away from the city of Jaisalmer. Hop on to a camel which will take you through the crests and the troughs of the desert stretch that has scarce or no vegetation’s at all.The camel ride will cost you Rs 500 per person while the jeep safari will cost you Rs 1000 per person for a walk through the desert. The duration for the safari varies with camels and the jeeps. On the jeep, the safari is for one hour while on the camel, it is for two hours.

The sunset points of Sam

The sunset point at Sam Dunes is one of the star attractions of the desert safari in Jaisalmer. The camels and the sand dunes make for the perfect background for the sunset in the evening. It is aspectacle to behold, and if you want to capture your memories in your camera,that too looks just spectacular. Just like the sunset point in Sam, it is also well known as the sunrise point. If you stay back at the Sam sand dunes, you can catch both the sunset and the sunrise on the dunes for a great view of an event which is an everyday affair but can be a once in a lifetime memory for you.

If you stay put at one of the Sam sand dunes desert camps, you can also enjoy an evening program, after the sunset with bonfires and local folk dancers that perform the Kalbelia dance in the night in front of the Bonfire.

So you from Delhi? And want to enjoy the most popular road trip of Golden Triangle? The check out our tips on how to plan a road trip from New Delhi to Jaipur and Agra.

Hire a car - When you have an adventurous bent of mind, a well-planned road trip can accentuate the travel enthusiast in you.  However, planning a road trip always involves friends in groups so that you can enjoy the trip at its best. If you want to enjoy a good road trip, it is better always to hire a good condition car from the local travel agency. For instance, if you are traveling from Delhi, get in touch with the local tour operator and select a well-maintained SUV or a big sedan car like the Maruti Suzuki Dzire or the Toyota Etios. No matter where you plan to visit, whether it is Jaipur or Agra, it will only take you around 4 to 5 hours of drive from Delhi.

So for Agra we suggest our guests to either go for a Same day Agra tour in a car like Dzire or Innova. And of you are traveling via train then you should contact a local car rental Agra operator.

Pink City Jaipur - It will take you 5 hours to drive to Jaipur from New Delhi. The best time to start driving is in the morning so that you can reach the Pink City by lunch hours. Have an excellent Rajasthani cuisine meal and retire for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening, it is time to explore the city at its best. Go for a "group night tour" at various interesting tourist destinations like the Hawa Mahal, City Palace and the Jantar Mantar, which are all in close vicinity to each other.

When in Jaipur, you just cannot miss visiting the magnificent Amber Fort. Located atop a hill, it is one o fthe most popular tourist destinations in Jaipur. Enjoy a superior light and sound show at the Amber Fort in the evening and finally reach the Choki Dhani at dinner time to enjoy yet another sumptuous Rajasthani cuisine that is simply mouthwatering in taste.

The next day, enjoy a trip to the Jaigarh Fort and also to the famous Jal Mahal. If you are fond of cultural programs, in the evening, you can also head towards the Samode Haveli for a fun filled and exciting cultural program. And with this you have now explored complete Jaipur with a nice Jaipur sightseeing Package.

Day 3 in Agra - Your next leisure destination is Agra, which can be traveled straight from Jaipur. The first place that you can visit once you reach Agra is the Taj Mahal. It is imperative to say that Taj stands tallest among all the remaining tourist spots in Agra. It is the only love memorial in the world that fetches people from different parts of the globe simply for a glimpse of the impressive structure.

Once you have soaked in the purity and the beauty of the Taj Mahal, you can head towards the Agra Fort, which is around 60 km away from the Taj Mahal. There are also the Akbar’s Tomb and the Mehtab Bagh, and the Ram Bagh that is worth exploring. Stay overnight at one of the hotels and in the morning visit Fatehpur Sikri for studying an excellent example of Mughal Empire luxurious life.

Once all these places are covered, your road trip from Delhi to Jaipur and Agra comes to an end in just four days.

1. Sariska National Park, Alwar
2. Sita Mata Sanctuary, Pratapgarh
3. Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary , Bharatpur
4. Keladevi Wildlife Sanctuary, Karauli
5. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumbhalgarh
6. National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, Kota
7. Darrah Sanctuary, Kota
8. Mount Abu Sanctuary, Mount Abu

Corbett National Park was the first protected area to be declared as a Tiger Reserve. Named after the legendary hunter of man eating tigers Jim Corbett the region abounds with rich wilderness. The park is now a hub of tiger tourism and birding in India.

Situated at a height of six hundred MSL it is also known as the foothills of Himalayas. The towering mountains can be seen while on a game ride in the park. Divided into six zones namely:

Bijarani

Dhela
Jhirna
Dhikala
Sonanadi
Durga Devi  

The entry has to be booked in advance using the online facility or through a tour operator. All zones are equally good for a safari but I personally rate Dhikala and Bijarani as best. In Dhikala one can see plenty of birds apart from the tiger, wild elephant, sloth bear, gharial and marsh crocodile. For a game round Dhikala a stay in the complex is necessary. The booking is done in advance due to the heavy rush. Bijarani is good for tigers and other mammals found in the reserve.  

There are more than five hundred avian species to be sighted here. Many of these are altitude migrants while some arrive from far but local migrants and residents abound.

The region is having affinity with Indo-China hence one can see the goral as well on the mountain slopes. Hod deer is another species worth looking for. There are more than six hundred wild elephants which cover an extensive area.

The reserve is top rated by bird watchers in Northern India. The best season is of course in winters. For tigers summers is the best season but they are visible throughout the year. The destination has more than 200 tigers hence the impressive sightings. 

Joy rides on elephant back are also available which are conducted by the forest department in the zones. In the buffer region at Ramnagar one can hire privately managed elephants for ride in the forests adjacent to the Ramganga River. 

For safari in other zones stay at Ramnagar is the best as there are many hotels and guest houses. One can  avail any kind of accommodation depending upon one's budget.

Corbett is accessible from Delhi by road and a visit is often organized in a package tour. The itinerary often contains a visit to Bharatpur, Nainital and Corbett. While the first two are for bird watching the latter is for tiger tours apart from bird watching.

The destination is also accessible by train from Lucknow and New Delhi. Due to extreme cold one needs warm clothing and a cozy place to stay. If you are not in a package tour then hire a birding guide to hence the checklist.

Less known as tiger reserves since quiet late the park in India was made famous by the legendary Rudyard Kipling. It is said a British Officer (Lt.Moor) discovered Mowgli living among the wolves near the village of Sant Vavadi. The news got to Col.Sleeman and then to Kipling.

Using his imagination he carved playful but adventurous life of the child and his wild entourage of the Seoni Hills. The vivid spins of imagination and entailing story that emerged made the Jungle Book immortal. The escapades enthrall and enliven the minds of young and old. The Seoni Hills mostly under serve biotic stress harbor enchanting wildlife in small area untouched by the mauradaurs of the wild.


This is now known as Pench Tiger Reserve and National Park all over the world. Ensconced in Seoni and Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh in Central India the tiger-land is one of the choicest place to get to see the tiger in its natural home. A part of the  reserve is under Maharashtra Forests but most of the tourism is in the belt that lies in Madhya Pradesh.


The park is about eighty km from Nagpur Airport while the distance from Jabalpur Airport is about 200 km. The distance from Kanha National Park is about 150 km. The long drives to the reserve takes a turn at Khawasa Township on the border to the two states. From here it is a ten km drive to Turia Gate of the reserve.

Both the long drives to the tiger reserve cut across some of the finest reserve forests creating a picturesque spectacle. The road to Turia Gate offers a chance to see the Indian wolf for those lucky enough. The big cats are encountered everywhere in the dense canopy besides the other animals. The reserve is home to many other mammals and antelopes like the Nilgai, four horned  deer and Indian Gazelle.


Tourists on tiger safari preen their eyes and alert their sensory apparatus to get a sight of the sloth bear,leopard and the wild dog. The majestic gaur is striking in appearance due to its massive musculature and sheer grace. The coarse feeder thrives in the park thanks to excellent conservation efforts. Wild boar, spotted deer,sambar and langur are a common sight.       
Pench River intersects the reserve and is dammed at Totlah Doh. This has created a large reservoir now frequented by various species of water birds. Hence the reserve is a good place to see both the wetland and forest species in Central India. The river is a perpetual source of water and hence acts as the lifeline of the park.  

The ecosystem comprises of low lying mountains, dense mixed forests, grasslands, water bodies and rivers. These elements form an excellent habitat for the tigers and major mammals. Small nocturnal mammals can be seen on the night safari in the buffer zone of the park. Animals such as civets, mongoose, wolf, leopard, porcupine, pangolin, ratel and many more. The night safari is available throughout the year and can be booked on the MP Online Portal.

There are many resort hotels for accommodation in the buffer zone of the park near the Turia Village. The hotels at Pench National Park range from budget to star category offering accommodation at different tariff to suit the visitors.  

The main tourism zone of the park is open from  1st October to end of June while the night safari is available throughout the year.  Tourists visiting the park must carry warm clothed during the winter along with good set of binoculars and some bird books.

Since the gate entry is limited to set number of vehicles one should always book in advance before arrival.        

A four hour drive through picturesque Umaria Forests takes one to Bandhavgarh after landing at Jabalpur Airport. Albeit one comes across lot of denuded patches the remaining low lying hills with good forest cover create a pleasing picture. Once teeming with wilderness and forests the region has lost its sheen. Like every where else the reserve forests are slowly turning into green deserts. The wildlife is badly decimated thanks to indiscriminate poaching which still goes on sporadically. 

The long continues stretch takes an abrupt turn at Shahpura township. This place hosts the famous Ghagua Fossil National Park. The plant fossil date back to 60 million years whence the tectonic plates became active. Another fifty km of drive takes you to Umaria rail head. Close to Bandhavgarh National Park the forests appear some distance from here. A good thirty two kilometer drive takes you to the Tala Gate. This is a premium tourism zone in the land of the tiger. The tiger landscape stretches to about 1100 sq.km an area under the Project Tiger.    

Bandhavgarh is one of the most picturesque park in India. Small as compared to many it contains high density of tigers. It is also an excellent breeding ground for the big cats and other mammals. The stunning biodiversity encompasses all forms of wildlife from microbes to giant gaurs. The Indian bison as they are called had become locally extinct some years back due to disease prevalence.     

Translocation of gaurs from nearby Kanha National Park is a major success story. The park is home to other mammals like the sambar, leopard, barking deer, sloth bear, spotted deer, four horned deer, langur, rhesus macaque, wild boar, dhole and many small nocturnal ones.  

Excellent bird life prevails especially the forest species. Unfortunately bird watching is much neglected under the shadow of the majestic tiger. Reptiles, insects and many other forms of diverse life thrives in this magnificent ecosystem.

Bandhavgarh is home to some ancient relics of civilizations dating back to two thousand years. The fort complex is magnificent, a visit offers sight of Vishnu Idols in stone in zoomorphic forms. The large reservoirs, fort in ruins, Hindu temples and intervening forests and grasslands all create exotic ambiance. The low lying Bandhavgarh Mountain offers a view of the park. A panoramic grandeur which leaves the visitors spellbound. Midway up the ascent is Sesh Shaiyya esoteric and remote the pool is surrounded by ferns and grasses with springs. The dense canopy and the grove accord amazing serenity to the visitors. The reclining Vishnu is carved out of an igneous rock and is twenty feet long.   

Jungle roads enable the tourists to cover a large cross section of the forests. This is the tiger safari that lets you seen the beast in the wild. A drive yields much more deer, wild boar and langur the ubiquitous fauna of the reserve. Three species of antelope can be seen here namely Nilgai, Four horned Deer and the Indian Gazelle.

For the more attentive plethora of avian species mesmerizes with their startling colors. More than two hundred and fifty species inhabit this National Park many of which are migrant.

The park is open throughout now but during the monsoon only buffer zone safaris are available. Post monsoon all the three core zones are open for tourism. While photographers tolerate the intense heat of the summers, International visitors keep to the cooler months. Hence October to March are busy months here. Visitors should avoid festival days in order to gain a positive experience of the resort.            

During holiday periods the hotels in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are nearly full. All type of accommodations are available near the Tala Gate. The park permits are also booked fully hence one should reserve much in advance for the busy period. Early Booking is possible on Internet at MP Online Portal.   

About three day safari offers holistic experience of the wildlife heaven. Winter clothes are required as it gets very cold. In summers khakis will do. Carry binoculars, good cameras and bird books for better understanding of this magnificent ecosystem.