Wildlife & Tiger Safaris in India

The best national parks and tiger reserves for tiger safari in India are Bandhavgarh, Pench, Tadoba, Kanha, Jim Corbett, Ranthambhore and Panna National Park.

Though the tiger sightings are good from October till June, but they are definitely better from Feb-May and also from mid-Nov till mid-Feb. You might like to see a small video here from Sharad Kumar Vats here. 

You can see tigers in India at any of the popular tiger reserves like Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Kanha, Pench, Panna, Ranthambore, Corbett, etc. Tiger sightings are comparatively good at Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Corbett and Tadoba National Parks.

The top national parks & tiger reserves for tiger safari in India are Bandhavgarh, Pench, Corbett,  Kanha, Panna, Ranthambore, and Corbett National Park.

Bandhavgarh and Ranthambhore National Park are two of India’s premium Tiger reserves of India. It is a tough decision to make when deciding on which park to visit for Tiger safaris, and where are the best chances of good Tiger sightings. Ranthambore national park is 1300 sq km while Bandhavgarh is 1536 sq km in area. In Bandhavgarh, the number of vehicles going in for safaris is less compared to Ranthambore. On the other hand, Ranthambhore national park is easily accessed from New Delhi, Jaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra. So, if you doing the popular Golden Triangle cultural tour, fitting in the Tiger safari in Ranthambhore is easy. You can drive 3 hours from Jaipur, 5 hours from Agra, and 7-8 hours from Delhi. There is good train connectivity from New Delhi, Jaipur, and Bharatpur also. Safari permits are easily manageable compared to Bandhavgarh, as there are more zones in Ranthambore and more vehicles are permitted to go into the park for safaris.

Read more on our blog Bandhavgarh vs Ranthambore National Park.

80 percent of the tigers in the world reside in India. There were 1,411 tigers, according to an estimate from India, in 2006; 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, and 2,967 in 2018. Currently, it is assumed that India has more than 3200 tigers but that will sound more accurate after the official tiger count roll-out in a couple of months.

The national parks in India with maximum tiger population are Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand with 266 tigers, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka with 173 tigers, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, Karnataka with 164 tigers, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu with 162 tigers, and Kaziranga National Park, Assam with 135 tigers.

Though the park is open from the 1^st of October to the 30^th of June. The best time to visit Ranthambore National Park for the best tiger sighting experience is from 1^st October till 30^th June.

Read more on our Ranthambore Tiger Safari Travel Guide

Though the park is open from the 1^st of October to the 30^th of June. The best time to visit Bandhavgarh National Park for the best tiger sighting experience is from 1^st October till 30^th June.

Read more on our Bandhavgarh Tiger Safari Travel Guide

Though there can’t be a direct comparison between the two, both Indian and African wildlife attracts wildlife enthusiasts. While the total forest cover of India is 24.62% of the land, Africa has 22.7%. The total mammal count in India is 410 species while Africa has over 1100. India has 1300 bird species while Africa has around 2300. India has a total of 518 reptile species while Africa has 1648. Popular species exclusive to India are Royal Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Nilgiri Tahr, One-Horned Rhino, Slow Leopard, Black Buck, Red Panda, and Indian Bison. Species exclusive to Africa includes Ostrich, Cheetas, Zehra, African Lion etc.

Read more on our blog Safari in India vs Africa.

The National Parks of India use one of two types of safari vehicles. One is a Jeep, which can typically hold a maximum of six passengers, or a canter safari bus, which may hold between ten and twenty people. But each has perks of its own. A canter has a higher seat height than a Jeep. Therefore, it offers a superior angle and is a better vehicle for taking pictures of wildlife. On a safari, a Jeep is simpler to control than a canter. A Jeep is less noisy because of its petrol engine. Consequently, it is less upsetting to you as well as, more crucially, to the wildlife.

On the other hand, it is preferable to travel in a canter if there are more than six people in your group. Because there’s a chance you won’t get the second Jeep. Therefore, it would be wise for you to canter as a group. When a tiger is sighted, the height of a canter can be helpful. There are times when you can see farther into the bush from the canter than you can from the Jeep.

Read more on our blog jeep safari vs canter safari in India.

If you are visiting India on your first wildlife safari you must visit Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Kanha, and Ranthambore National Park & Tiger Reserve. Not only do these national parks goof in tiger sightings, but they are also a perfect blend of wildlife, nature, and landscape.

The best apparel to wear while on safari in any National Park or Tiger Reserve in India is loose-fitting, casual attire in muted earth tones. If you are visiting in or close to rainy reason in India, you must carry similar color raincoats and camera protection covers. Additionally, you might want to bring a sunhat and sunglasses otherwise. Basically, stay away from bright shades and constricting apparel.

Many people are dubious when they hear that wildlife safaris in India are carried in open jeeps, but safaris are very safe, and that there have been no incidences over the years to suggest otherwise. Additionally, a very safe distance is kept between your jeep and the wildlife.

Read our blog post on the rules to be followed during wildlife safaris in India.

The best safari in India depends what are you looking for. If you are looking to enjoy the best of Indian wildlife along with the beauty of national parks, you must visit the following parks – Corbett National Park & Tiger Reserve, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore and Kanha. Below are some of the best tiger safari in India.

The biggest national parks/safari parks in India are Hemis National Park with a total area of 4400 sq km, Desert National Park with an area of 3162 sq km, Gangotri National Park with area of 2390 sq km, Namdhapha National Park with area of 1985.2 sq km and Khangchendzonga National Park with an area of 1784 sq km.

Though Leopards are practically present in all the tiger reserves of India, but their sightings are not so good in the tiger reserves as Leopard is an inferior cat compared to a tiger. But still there are good chances of seeing them in Tadoba, Pench, Gir, Panna, Satpura and Bandhavgarh. Some of the best parks for leopard safari in India are Jawai Leopard Reserve in Pali, Rajasthan, Jhalana Leopard Safari Park in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajsamand, Rajasthan, h and Bandipur National Park, Karnataka.

Lions in India are only found at Sasson Gir National Park in Gujarat. There are currently around 600 lions in the Gir forest.

One should visit Jim Corbett National Park during the months of November till May. When the park’s most famous zones, Dhikala, Bijrani, Dhela, and Jhirna are open, and you can see Royal Bengal Tigers there.

The finest months to visit Kanha National Park are April and May, but for many people, this time of year is just too hot. From November through March, the weather is pleasant and the scenery is greener.