One of the leading national parks in Northern India, Ranthambore is famous for its tigers and it is the solitary place in India where these royal predators can be spotted in the jungle, even during the day. The park is home to a huge tiger population. Other wild animals that can be spotted in the park include the leopard, nilgai, dhole, wild boar, sambar, hyena, sloth bear and chital. Moreover, Ranthambore also has a vast range of plants, trees, reptiles and birds.
The park covers an area of Approximately 400 sq Km and if combined it with the area of sawai man singh sanctuary area,it is around 500 Sq km. Ranthambore is also reckoned as the famous heritage site because of the pictorial ruins that dot the wildlife park. Certainly, a visit to Ranthambore National Park is anindulgence for every wildlife and nature lover. The time spend on watching tigers roaming around, verdant greenery, anarray of other species of chirpy birds and animals is priceless and worth enough to be explored at least once in a life.
The nearest airport from rRanthambore is Jaipur, which is 145 km, which has daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Jodhpur.
The nearest railway station is SawaiMadhopur, which falls on Delhi-Mumbai railway route and is hardly 11Km from Ranthambore. SawaiMadhopur is well connected to all major cities of Rajasthan and India as well. Some of the major trains from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur stop here.
Regular bus service connects Ranthambore to SawaiMadhopur. SawaiMadhopur is well connected with all the major cities of Rajasthan. Rajasthan Roadways operates very comfortable deluxe buses from Jaipur to Ranthambore.
Bakaula is the thickly forested regions in Ranthambore National Park . It consists of dense forest, with many small pools and water holes in clearings in the vegetation. Because of the tremendous forest cover and availability of water, the Bakaula region in National Park Ranthambore has plenty of wildlife. Tigresses with young cubs are often seen near the water holes in Bakaula, since the thick forest provides cool hides for a tigress and her youngones.
The dense vegetation also retains moisture in the air and lowers the temperature of this area. Bakaula is one of the coolest regions of National Park Ranthambore, where many birds can be seen in the trees and small animals like squirrels and monkeys scuttle through the forest.
A must to visit locations if looking for Sloth Bears and are situated in the North-Western and Northern regions of the park.These areas have a lot of ant hills, which are a favourite of the beers. Although very rarely seen themselves, the pugmarks of the Indian striped Hyenas are often seen here. Their numbers are not very large in the park.
The fort stands grandly on top of a hill overlooking the entire park. The view of the surrounding get better and better as you go up but the view from the fort itself can only be described as stunning. It is advisable to take along a good pair of binoculars and if possible a camera with a very powerful lens when visiting the fort.
The spiraling Serpent, eagles, vultures and other birds can be seen at eye level.
Many animals can also be seen along the edges of all the water bodies. The fort itself also offers many interesting architectural and historical sights worth viewing and photographing. A trip to the fort is a must if you are a first time visitor to the park.
The valley consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills, is located close to the suburbs of the park. A jeep would be the ideal mode of transport when trying to visit this area. The valley holds a majority of the Panther population of the park. The panthers avoid venturing into the main jungle to avoid encounters with tigers, who are known to kill them. This area also has a decent population of beers.