I like to think of myself as a city person, constantly needing crowds and chaos to fuel the creative spirit. But deep in my heart, I also know I’d readily give it all up and move to a forest – if not for the pesky realities of life, like having to make a living.
✦
My mid-path is a wild escape every couple of months to take in the twitter of birds and the hoots of monkeys. And, whenever I’m in India, I seek out the roar of the tiger.
For India is one of the best places to see the Royal Bengal Tiger in the wild. Always loners, claiming large territories, fierce and nurturing at the same time (never cross a new mother), tigers sit fittingly at the apex of the jungle ecosystem.
The thrill of seeing these magnificent big cats in the wild is unmatched; just a flash of orange and black stripes is enough to make my heart sing and tremble at once.
Tigers aside, India has dozens of other fabulous animal and bird species in its 106 official national parks – leopards, sloth bears, dhole (wild dogs), gaur (Indian bison), langur monkeys, nilgai (blue bull), sambar deer, and chital (spotted deer), to name just a few. Our jungles never disappoint.
Photos: Charukesi Ramadurai
Bandipur and Nagarhole are personal favorites, given that I once lived in Bengaluru, just five hours’ drive away. Part of the richly diverse Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, these former hunting grounds of the local maharajas now abound with mammals, including tigers, leopards and elephants.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, or simply Tadoba, in central India is another regular haunt, where tiger sightings are almost always assured (with the caveat that wildlife tourism is all about luck and timing).
And increasingly, as I shun the more crowded parks, I’m appreciating little gems like Satpura for my forest fix. Ringed by low brown hills and nourished by gurgling streams, the stunning landscape is enough reason to visit.
There are only two mainstream tiger territories I can’t stay away from: Kanha, where Rudyard Kipling set his timeless classic The Jungle Book, and where the impressive barasingha (swamp deer) has been brought back from the brink of extinction in a rare conservation success story; and Corbett, one of India’s oldest national parks, set in the foothills of the Himalayas in north India and named after hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett. Both these forests are the stuff of picture postcards, with lush thickets, life-giving lakes and streams, and sprawling meadows.
Photos: Charukesi Ramadurai
In the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga in the northeastern state of Assam, you’ll find two-thirds of all one-horned rhinos in the world. Abundant sightings of these primordial animals roaming through Kaziranga’s fertile forest are the result of one of Asia’s most impactful conservation projects. (Kaziranga is also officially a tiger reserve, but the terrain’s tall grass makes it tough to spot them, so set your expectations accordingly.)
Across the country, in the west, Gir National Park offers an up-close-and-personal encounter with the charismatic Asiatic lion.
Unlike other jungles in south and central India, Gir has dry deciduous forests and open grasslands, which make for relatively easy animal spotting.
As a bonus, the forest also has healthy numbers of leopards, striped hyenas, golden jackals and chinkara (Indian gazelle), along with around 300 bird species.
In the western ghats region of Kerala down south, the Periyar Tiger Reserve is a great place to observe the social and family dynamics of elephants. Get on a boat safari on the manmade Periyar Lake, where these (usually) gentle giants are seen drinking, bathing and frolicking. Then there are the wild boars, gaur, Nilgiri langur monkeys, sambar deer – and, if you’re very lucky, the lion-tailed macaque.
And finally, a dream destination for twitchers, a.k.a. birdwatchers.
At the first hint of the cool season, migratory birds arrive from all over the world at Keoladeo Ghana National Park, popularly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
Along with them arrive the hordes of birdwatchers (myself included), binoculars and cameras at the ready.
During these post-monsoon months, Bharatpur’s water bodies provide a safe breeding ground for more than 370 species of resident and migratory birds, including rare ones like the Siberian rubythroat, sarus cranes, demoiselle cranes, spoonbills and bar-headed geese. I also love Bharatpur for the way it allows for leisurely and mindful exploration on foot or by cycle-rickshaw, instead of careening through the dust on a safari jeep.
Photos: Charukesi Ramadurai
When to go
The winter months between November to March are the best time to visit the Indian forests. Summers (April to June) can be unbearably hot, but that’s also when many animals, including tigers, come out into the open in search of water. Also note that many national parks close during the monsoon months (late June to early October).
