[csentil]

Originally Posted by manubhai

In Kanha at the resort we were staying, we met a bunch of 50+ men - 6 of them friends who drove non-stop to Kanha from Pune just 'for fun'. Simple men, not much really into 'wildlife' but enjoyed driving off to various places all over India.
Day of their arriival - their 1st ever safari - evening- Leopard walking down the road !
Next morning - 2nd safari - Female tiger along with 3 cubs !!!

Thats it - job done - they all had lunch, packed up & checked out - driving non-stop back to Pune.
We were left with our lunch still stuck in our throats...

Ive been on a few safaris in different places in India over 10-12 years - never once have I spotted a Leopard till date.

Such is the way the dice rolls GD Sahab

Great write up and pics. Have seen enough of Bandavgarh on TV to make me want to go there.

By the way, was that a dead deer with a fawn?

Also, you want to see leopards? Go to Kabini. Stay atleast two days and take the safaris. There is a great chance that you will see a leopard there! somehow that place seems to be teeming with leopards! Or I am just plain lucky. I've seen leopards the last three times I have been there.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by manubhai

Ive been on a few safaris in different places in India over 10-12 years - never once have I spotted a Leopard till date.

Wonderful travelogue accompanied with fantastic photos.

Fully endorse your statement and I am in search of the elusive cat for which I have roamed the jungles across Bandipur, Nagarhole, Bhadra & Ranthambore without luck. Am not even taking a look at the money spent so far.

Will be again trying my luck tomorrow in Bandhavgarh as we are all set to drive down. Wish Me Luck Mate

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by manubhai

Shashanka, we had our best sighting of Munna on the 10th safari - this was our last & final safari - if not for this sighting, we too would have certainly felt a bit disappointed. I understand your envy completely.
There's a friend who's done 17 straight morning & evening safaris till she saw a tiger - at Bandhavgarh

Sure sighting a tiger is the ultimate, but the sights, sounds, smells on a safari of a forest as stunning as Kanha is truly a fascinating experience.

You have been to the supposedly very beautiful Corbett & the swampy Sunderbans - i envy that experience of your's ;-)

Hello Manubhai,
Firstly I want to apologise - I meant "Munna" when referring to the tiger but for some odd reason there was that typo error and i apologise once again.

You are quite right, and for us too, every visit to the Kumaon-Garhwal region of Uttaranchal is an uplifting experience. We make it a point to visit Jim Corbett's estate at Kaladunghi which, today, is a museum dedicated to this extraordinary hunter (of maneaters mostly) and conservationist/naturalist. For me and for many of my schoolmates and contemporaries who grew up on a steady diet of his books, these visits are more in the nature of a pilgrimage !
It may sound silly - some of my more urbane friends certainly think so - but the names of the places (Mukteswar, Rudraprayag, Champawat etc.) that we have visited over the years bring on an evocative nostalgia that is pure therapy for the soul !

The Sunderbans on the other hand is very different experience. Firstly you can't drive through the Sunderbans, or at least the tiger habitat areas, which are essentially mangrove forested islands, criss-crossed by tidal rivulets and creeks. The only access is via motor launches (after you have driven up to Kolkata) which take you on a tour through these islands and if you are fortunate - we were not ! - you can catch a glimpse of his Royal Highness on the banks as you navigate through. We spent one night on the boat at a "safe" anchorage. I use the word safe since tiger attacks on unwary locals in their tiny boats is not uncommon. The locals (and they are the only ones who are officially allowed access to the habitats) use the creeks and rivulets for their fishing and honey-gathering activities and occasionally fall prey to the tiger. This meeting of two worlds (man and carnivore) is unavoidable since the authorities do not want to interfere too much in age-old local ways of life.
And since we were making this trip with our daughter & son-in-law and his family (parents, brother, grandparents - all Americans making their first trip to India !) we were understandably reluctant to end up as His Highness' dinner !

I hope I can write a proper travelogue (with photographs, of which we have a fair number) like you and so many other BHPians have done. I am still trying to master the technique of handling the digital photographs - uploading and transferring them on to the Team-BHP web-site. My generation (I'm 62), or at least I definitely, am still coming to grips with this form of image handling !

With best regards,
Shashanka

[Night_Hawk]

Originally Posted by Night_Hawk

I have made arrangements for Hyderabad - Kanha trip in the last week of April'2014.
I will be staying 3N at Baghira Log Huts. Planned for 5 Safaris.. hoping to see "Munna"

Originally Posted by manubhai

Glad you liked the write-up NH & even better if its useful in any way for you.

Since you are going in high summer - good chances of sightings. Baghira
Log Hut is very well located, good choice.
Good luck & looking forward to your report on the Team.

Had a very pleasant drive to Kanha and a comfortable stay at Baghira Log Huts. Your updates on the route were of immense help.

During five safaris, we sighted five Tigers in four of the trips .
"Munna" was elusive, we missed him by a whisker in one of the morning safaris; but could capture on camera his huge Pug-mark.

Great experience . Report and pictures will follow.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Night_Hawk

Had a very pleasant drive to Kanha and a comfortable stay at Baghira Log Huts. Your updates on the route were of immense help.

During five safaris, we sighted five Tigers in four of the trips .
"Munna" was elusive, we missed him by a whisker in one of the morning safaris; but could capture on camera his huge Pug-mark.

Great experience . Report and pictures will follow.

Were most of the tiger sightings in Kanha zone?

How is the power situation in Baghira now? Last time I was there, power cuts used to happen in the night. It was horribly hot in early June. Once when I went out at 1 AM outside the cottage, a leopard came visiting. So had to go back inside and sweat it out

[Night_Hawk]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Were most of the tiger sightings in Kanha zone?

How is the power situation in Baghira now? Last time I was there, power cuts used to happen in the night. It was horribly hot in early June. Once when I went out at 1 AM outside the cottage, a leopard came visiting. So had to go back inside and sweat it out

For us all the tiger sightings were in Kanha Zone.

We didn't face any power cuts during our stay at Baghira.
We saw herds of wild boars, bisons, spotted deer and once a Jackal visited the Baghira meadows. Its was worth staying at this Property.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by manubhai

Thanks Onkar170. You sure are blessed to have lived in forest surroundings - we city dwellers long for such a lifestyle... but try to make the best whenever possible.

1.Yes, the section between Nagpur- Seoni was reported to be very bad according to older reports on team-bhp, but the road is pretty good now - seemed to have been done up fairly recently.

2. No idea about Jabalpur - Rewa section but Nagpur-Seoni-Lakhnadon roads are mostly good. From Lakhnadon to Jabalpur - 50-60kms of this stretch is bad.

Hi

Planning to drive from Bangalore to Jabalpur/Bandhavgarh/Kanha in mid October. Will have our 3 year old daughter in tow, so wanted to check about the condition of roads.

Also, would they allow a 3 year old to go on a safari?

thanks

[manubhai]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Hi

Planning to drive from Bangalore to Jabalpur/Bandhavgarh/Kanha in mid October. Will have our 3 year old daughter in tow, so wanted to check about the condition of roads.

Also, would they allow a 3 year old to go on a safari?

thanks

Hi, road condition i have already mentioned in my post. No issues about taking your 3 year old along - is allowed- book safari tickets online – http://www.mponline.gov.in/Portal/Se...foresthome.htm
Cheers.

[manubhai]

Originally Posted by Night_Hawk

Had a very pleasant drive to Kanha and a comfortable stay at Baghira Log Huts. Your updates on the route were of immense help.

During five safaris, we sighted five Tigers in four of the trips .
"Munna" was elusive, we missed him by a whisker in one of the morning safaris; but could capture on camera his huge Pug-mark.

Great experience . Report and pictures will follow.

Good one Night Hawk, sighting 5 of them tigers is super. Looking forward to your report...