[AJ-got-BHP]

Want to go to the Land of Mowgli was the question I was asked by my brotherly friend CP. We had grown up together as kids and now it was time for our kids to catch up for some Jungle Fun !! The idea was good, but we had to get it materialized. Our plans of going for a vacation during the Durga Pujas in Kolkata had already gone for a toss as the rates everywhere were scorching high. So, we were planning a vacation immediately post Diwali. The first week of November had some Calendar Holidays and the kids would not have had to miss much school. A couple of days was fine and we too run our own businesses so sneaking out for a week's break was not an issue for us either.

Pench & Kanha National Parks it was going to be. The parks are usually closed till the 25th of October due to monsoons and the time was right for us to plan our vacation. Though we were never very passionate about wildlife to that extent; the trip was being planned keeping the kids in mind. It would be our first ever jungle experience ever and we were all very excited about it. We freezed on the idea within a week's time and got all our reservations done.

Pench is located in southern part of the Seoni District of Madhya Pradesh, in the heart of INDIA and the setting of the Jungle Book from Rudyard Kipling is from the Pench Tiger Reserve. The kids were super excited to know that they will be visiting the Land of Mowgli !!

The Itinerary :
01.11.2014 - Kolkata to Nagpur by a Night Flight and head to Pench
02.11.2014 - A relaxing day at Pench
03.11.2014 - Pench Early Morning Safari Touria Gate
04.11.2014 - Pench Early Morning Safari Touria Gate
05.11.2014 - Drive from Pench to Kanha National Park
06.11.2014 - Kanha with Morning Safari in Kisli Zone & Evening Safari in Mukki Zone
07.11.2014 - Kanha with Morning Safari in Kanha Zone
08.11.2014 - Kanha to Nagpur and Fly back to Kolkata

The Properties Booked :
Pench : A Villa in Tathastu Resort near Touria Gate
Kanha : The Mahasagar Suite at Chitvan Jungle Lodge inside the Kanha National Park

Note :
Both the properties offered us apartment kind of rooms with all meals inclusive and the best part was that we could stay together under one roof. Considering the fact that we were 2 Couples and 3 Kids under the age of 4 Years travelling, we wanted some free space for the kids to play around and it suited our requirements with 5 Star facilities.

The Photologue Begins

Day 1 : 01.11.2014 : Transit Day
Took the evening (6:00pm) flight out from Kolkata to Nagpur and took the 90Km drive to Pench from Nagpur

Day 2 : 02.11.2014 @ Pench : Part I : A Relaxing Day @ The Resort











Day 2 : 02.11.2014 @ Pench : Part II : A visit to the Pottery Village









Day 2 : 02.11.2014 @ Pench : Part III : Some Sightings on the way back and Some evening Fun






Daughter having some fun in the Villa's Plunge Pool :


Bar-B-Que Dinner arranged by the Resort in our Villa :

[AJ-got-BHP]

Day 3 : 03.11.2014 @ Pench : Part I : Experiencing our First Wildlife Jeep Safari
We all were excited to experience being in the jungle in the natural habitat of the wild uncaged animals. We woke up @ 4:00am got ready awaiting the Resort Safari Jeep (a Open Hood 4x4 Maruti Gypsy) to take us to the Touria Gate of the Pench National Park. We set sail @ 5:00am in the morning from our resort, from which the Touria Gate was just a 10 Minutes drive to queue up at the entrance awaiting our allotted guide from the forest department to accompany us and guide us through the Safari with the Naturalist cum Driver of our Resort Mr. Radhey. Posting the photos of of our experience, which shall do the rest of the talking :

Queued up outside the entrance to the Touria Gate of the Pench National Park :


Seeing the Sunrise in the Jungle :


Driving through the woods :


In the above picture, the tree that you see is called the Crocodile Tree as it's skin pattern on the bark resembles to that of a crocodile.

Sighting the mighty Bison :



The notorious Monkeys & the Langoors :





Witnessed the Pug Marks of the tiger :

There were 'calls' of the other animals which signaled that the Tiger was around. We waited at a few placed in expectation to see the tiger, but in vain.




A close up of the Ghost Tree :

This tree sheds the skin of it's bark and branches thrice a year. From White to Green to Pink and the cycle continues

The beautiful spotted deer :





Forgetting the name of this bird :


The Wild Spider and it's cobweb :


An interesting tree :

It's a kind of climber which kills the tree it climbs and it itself also withers off with it

The claw marks of the tiger on a tree :


The Ghost Tree Again :


A snap of the open lands amidst the jungle :


The Sambar Deer :


See the Bird in the camouflage :


Our Jeep and us at the end of the day's Safari :


Few points which one must keep in mind during the Jungle Safari :

• The jungle is spic and span with No Trash Thrown Around - There was an instance where the Naturalist noticed a biscuit wrapper thrown on the drive way and he just drove beside it, opened his door, picked up the trash and put it in the dustbin which he had in his Jeep
• You are not allowed to make noise, shout or yell while you are on the Safari - This was difficult for us indeed to maintain having 3 Kids under the age of 4 years on board; but the Kids were obedient enough to follow suit
• You are not allowed to get off your Safari Jeep under any circumstance
• You are not allowed to litter the forest or throw anything on the wild animals
• You are not allowed to smoke while you are on Safari
• You are not allowed to eat anything while you are on Safari - There are specific zones where the Naturalist and the Guide shall park the Gypsy where you can get off to stretch, take a leak and have your food which is usually arranged by the resort itself and is handed over to the Naturalist who escorts you into the jungle

Considering it was our first Jungle Safari, I would like to mention that it was indeed a wonderful experience for us and definitely for the kids as well; something we had never experienced before.

We were prepared to experience the wild and not just drive through the jungle in the quest of the Tiger. There is much more to it than that. The quest for sighting the Tiger makes you overlook or neglect the other natural beauty around you. My suggestion to everyone going for a Jungle Safari would be to go with an open mind and just enjoy the surroundings and the habitat of the wild animals.

Day 3 : 03.11.2014 @ Pench : Part II : An evening drive to the nearby Dam and back :



Off Roading Journey back from the woods to the Resort in the Gypsy 4x4; a thrilling experience :


The day comes to an end with beautiful memories of the experience that we had had and shall cherish forever.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Day 4 : 04.11.2014 @ Pench : Part I : The 1st Tiger Sighting
After the wonderful Safari the previous day, we were just hoping for a similar one today also. So same time same place and the same people but who knew that the day had so much to offer us. Even better than what we had experienced. I shall let the pictures do the talking :

Waiting on the Safari Jeep :


Seeing the sunrise in the forest :


Brushing through the woods :


The Ant Hill :


Some random shots :



A few minutes had gone past by as we had entered the park and guess what..... the naturalist exclaimed - "Hey ! Watch Out !". Sighted a Female Tiger walking on the driveway of the jungle right in front of us. We just could not believe our luck and simply calmly followed it. It escorted us for good 20 Minutes into the jungle before disappearing into the greens. Some select pictures :
















The moment it turned around to look at us right into the eyes, there was a sense of terror amongst all. But, the best part was we could admire the magnificence of this beautiful creation of God in it's natural habitat. An experience of a lifetime for sure !!

Moved on to sight some Wild Dogs :


We were briefed that these wild dogs are one of the most dangerous animals in the wild. They generally roam around in groups and when hungry can attack a living deer and start eating it while it is alive itself without killing it. Yucks !! Now that's wild !!

Out of the blue, the Spider above us :


The battalion of Langoors :




A tree from a rock, a very rare sight :


What an eventful morning it had been. Though the best part is yet to be experienced. We stopped in the protected zone of the Forest Department for our Breakfast before moving on again for the second and the concluding part of the Safari.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Day 4 : 04.11.2014 @ Pench : Part II : More Tiger Sightings
Moved on after a short break. The spirits were high and the gypsy was revving and raring to go. The concluding part of the Safari at Pench Tiger Reserve follows :

Beautiful forest grounds :


The freely roaming National Bird :


The Sambar Deer at a distance :


The herd of Peacocks & Peahens :


Cute & Beautiful :


The Wild Jackal :


The Magnificent Ghost Tree Again with it's skin shredded around :


A tree on a tree :


The Gypsy came to a hault. The naturalist opened his door. Looked down searching for something. There was pin drop silence all around. Something was in the coming. We were asked to look down to see the fresh pug marks of a Tiger. Yes !! A Tiger was surely around.


There it is !! Just crossed the road. This was our second sighting for the day :




As the tiger Disappeared into the woods, something crossed the mind of the naturalist and he speeded the gypsy into the woods to catch up with the Tiger. He put his brilliance and experience into play and took us to a point where he exactly knew the Tiger would come out again.


He was spot on with his estimation and made us have our third sighting of the day :













Assimilating the entire experience of our Jungle Safari @ Pench, we headed back to the Touria Gate and then to our Resort :


Back to our Villa in the Resort and resting :

The Resort has a number of such 3 bedroom villas with a drawing area, dining area, kitchen with butler service, a plunge pool, a hammock, a swing, a garden and a few cycles at your disposal to cycle around the property.

Banana Trees in our Resort :


Sugarcane growing at the resort :


A random shot :

[AJ-got-BHP]

A Brief Conclusion to the Pench Visit :
Our visit to the Pench National Park was indeed a breath taking experience. While we were planning our trip, numerous people told us that there is nothing to see at Pench and that we will be wasting our time, money and our vacation. However, we went ahead with the plan against all odds and proved them to be wrong. Not that we had anything to do in that, it's just that the wildlife @ Pench greeted us well

According to the Naturalists in Pench, the season in which we were travelling was good as the winters were just setting in. However, the kind of sightings we got is usually very rare in Pench. Somehow the sightings were phenomenal this season and we were lucky to be the blessed tourists.

A special mention about our phenomenal stay at the Tathastu Resort at Pench which was made more pleasurable thanks to the extremely friendly staff there. I have reviewed them on TripAdvisor. Link : http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserRe...ECK_RATES_CONT

With fond memories and some thousands of snaps in our cameras we packed our bags and loaded it on our rented Brand New Innova (without a number plate and had just run a 100Kms) to take us to the Kanha National Park.

The final snap before leaving The Tathastu Resort @ Pench :

In the snap above - (from left to right) - CP's wife Richa, my wife Eshita, myself, CP and Mr. Radhey (Naturalist @ Tathastu)
In the front row - The Notorious Three - My daughter Ishanvi, CP's daughter Saanvi and CP's son Samarth

A special vote of thanks to Senior BHPian 'nilanjanray' for giving me some very useful tips for our first time jungle experience. Thanks Buddy !!

[AJ-got-BHP]

Day 5 : Pench to Kanha
Remembered the song "All my bags are packed, am ready to go, the Taxi's waiting, outside the door"

We woke up in leisure today with no rush of going for the morning Safari again. Had a late breakfast and was set to take the drive from Pench to Kanha in the Innova.

Route : Pench - Balaghat - Kanha
Distance : 230 Kms
Time Taken : 4 Hours 30 Minutes (in Total)

Had heard and read a lot about the expanse of the Kanha National Park and we all were charged up to experience it's vastness. The drive was decent. 50% of the roads were in bad condition whereas the balance 50% was very good indeed. Loved the way the roads winded up at various stretches. The feeling was "I wish I could be on the wheel". Some snaps :

Monkey business :


Enroute Kanha :













Reached the Mukki Gate of Kanha National Park :



A scary sign board which we saw straight ahead :


The board you see in the picture above is aboard after crossing this barricade; this road goes to Bandhavgarh via the Fossil National Park, Ghughua where the Dead Tell the Tales. They say it's haunted; may be a visit in the future to check on it

At the Mukki Gate, our Car had to take certain permit as we were entering the protected area of the main Kanha Forest. From here we had to take a right turn into the narrow forest road. Some Pictures of the drive from the Mukki Gate to the Chitvan Jungle Lodge :







Finally reached the Chitvan Jungle Lodge @ Kanha :


Some Flora & Fauna @ the Resort :




A relaxed evening at the resort with some Tribal Dance :





The best part about reaching Kanha and the resort was that there was :

• No Mobile Connectivity - Only at specific designated places
• No Television in the Room - I just said 5 Star Property, but still
• No Internet Access

A total cut off from the outside world. Once we reached, we used the hotel landline (chargeable) to inform parents at home that we had reached and gave them the landline number of the resort with our respective Room Numbers so that they could call us whenever they wanted to. We also, informed them that for the next few days, our mobiles shall be out of reach until we leave Kanha.

Believe me we missed nothing. The place is so tranquil, silent and beautiful that one can hear one's own breathing and feel that there is someone else in the room.

It took us back to the days when the mobile did not exist at all and we had to be in touch with family in the same way as we did. A nostalgic feeling !!

[AJ-got-BHP]

Day 6 : 06.11.2014 @ Kanha : Part I : Morning Safari @ Kisli Zone
The Kanha National Park due to it's vastness is divided into 4 Parts. These 4 Parts are Basically the 4 Safari Zones which are known as :

• Kanha Zone
• Kisli Zone
• Mukki Zone
• Sarhi Zone

We had booked up for a Morning Safari in the Kisli Zone today for which we had to get up wake up by 4:00am and get the kids ready in order to leave by 5:30 and queue up to enter the Forest at 6:00am; that's when the gates open.

An Experience Worth a Mention :
Apparently, once I woke up in the morning, I felt that it was raining outside. Since, it was pretty cold in the morning, I did not wish to go out of our room and check. So, I called up the hotel reception to inquire whether the Morning Safari was going to happen or not since it was raining. He exclaimed - "Sir it's not raining !!" What he said and what I felt was so contradictory and I was confused as to who was still too drunk with a hangover; me or the receptionist

I made myself a cup of tea and went outside to check what the reality was. It was cold and it was breezy. There was no sign of rain though. But, the leaves were wet, the floor was wet, the grass was wet and I could still feel it's raining whereas it was not. Stopped to ponder over it for a bit while I enjoyed my cup of tea when I realized that the sound of the downpour was of the Dew Drops......not rain. It was so quite and tranquil there that I could hear the sound of the dew drops which was a totally different and a new experience for me; something which we collectively had never felt or experienced ever before. What a beginning to the day !!

A briefing on the Kisli Zone - my point of view :
For the Kisli Zone of the Kanha Forest Reserve, we had to enter through the Mukki Gate itself. The Kisli Zone is a very dense and partially hilly zone with tall bushes on either sides of the pathway making it very difficult to sight any wildlife. You can only sight the animals if they come out of those bushes on your driveway. However, the behind the scene (meaning the bushes) movements and noises keep you guessing and add to the thrilling experience of the Safari in the Forest. From my point of view it is a beautiful zone which gives you the serene opportunity to experience the forest itself at it's very best. It is a very mesmerizing drive and a 'must do zone' if you visit the Kanha National Park. Posting the Pics :













Notice the Forest Department Bunglow - He stopped here for a bit :


A random shot :


The moment we left the Bunglow to resume our safari, we saw this mighty Bison right beside our jeep at a distance of less than 5 Feets from our Jeep :






The Safari continues and the sun's rays breaks through the dense forest :




Spotting the deer - All from different families :








The winding roads :


Sighting a Wild Boar :




The Langoor with it's Baby :


The enormously big Ant Hill - Man they are engineers !! The Ant Hill is supposed to be food for the Wild Bear :


Incy Wincy Spider :


Some random Snaps :




The tamed elephant of the Forest Department :

These elephants are set free into the forest at night with a chain around their neck. This chain is long enough to dangle to make a mark on the dusty ground of the route taken by the elephant into the woods. The next morning the mahout follows the marks and brings the elephant back.

Saw this langoor sitting on the road near the exit to the Mukki Gate :


The Kisli Safari was indeed a very different experience. Though not much of wildlife to see, but an overwhelming experience of being in deep thick forest.

[AJ-got-BHP]

DAY 6 : 06.11.2014 @ Kanha : Part II : Evening Safari @ Mukki Zone :

After relaxing for a few hours we filled ourselves with some sumptuous lunch at the Resort and headed to the Mukki Gate of the Park for our Evening Safari :


We were told by the naturalist and the guide that the Mukki Zone of the forest was indeed very quiet since the past 2 days which was a cause of concern as it generally is much more active than any other zone in the Kanha Forest. We kept our fingers crossed !!

The afternoon sun breaks in :


A snap of the meadows :


Spotted the Barasingha which is also known as the Swap Deer. This deer breed is mainly found in the Indian Subcontinent with the major chunk being found in the Kanha National Park itself.


The beautiful Mukki Zone :




Finally a Pug Mark comes our way :


"Is there a Tiger around" was undoubtedly and obviously the first question that arose in our minds. Yes, No and Maybe !!

We saw this road inside the forest being closed. We are told that a lot of the buffer area has been incorporated into the core area because of which many roads have been closed permanently for tourists.


However, we were waiting here as the guide sensed something happening. We saw a herd of elephants of the Forest Department going into the area which had the barricade :


We waited, waited and waited in vain as there was continuous pin drop silence. We decided to move on. There was a Safari Jeep which was following us with a solo foreigner on board which now opted to wait there instead.

The gentleman was staying in the same resort where we had been put up. Had a discussion with him over dinner in the dining area and he briefed us about the Wounded Tiger which came out of the barricaded area minutes after we had departed. He was told that apparently there was a fight between two tigers regarding their territory in the jungle which resulted in the forest being quiet over the past few days. However, the tigers are supposed to find the elephants as endangered species and the sight of the elephants of the forest department ensured that the wounded tiger comes out of it's shell. The Tiger was injured with a few cuts on it's face and body.

We moved on as there was more action ahead of us. The Safari Jeeps started storming into the Jungle. Time was short as we were in the second half of our Safari already. There were Calls of the Deer and the Call of the Langoors as well. Another tiger is surely around :

The queue of the jeeps :


Took the less traveled path into the woods !!


And yes, it was totally worth it ..... saw a male tiger just cross before our eyes !! The happening was so sudden that it was too late to set the camera right; thus no photos.

However, my friend managed to take a video of the incidence and I shall post it sometime later if possible.

It was late and we were not supposed to be in the park for long. Rushed back to the exit gate (Mukki Gate) of the park or else the the guide and the naturalists would have fallen into trouble. The Forest Department rules & regulations are pretty strict in these matters.

On the way back :




Sunset in the Forest on the way back :








There was nothing much in the agenda for the rest of the evening so called it an early night.

[AJ-got-BHP]

DAY 7 : 07.11.2014 @ Kanha : Relaxing at the Chitvan Jungle Lodge the entire day

We had a Morning Safari scheduled for the Kanha Zone of the National Park but after having a thrilling experience on the previous day for the entire day with back to back two Jungle Jeep Safaris, all of us were completely exhausted and thus cancelled the Kanha Zone Safari. Even the kids demanded some good sleep to catch up with and we ourselves wanted to take it a bit easy now.

Posting some snaps of the Resort : (Apologize for some poor quality photographs which were taken from the mobile camera)







Their Organic Farm & Organic Plantation in the Background :


Our daughter helps out the resort gardener :


The pathway to the rooms :


Fresh Sugarcane for a chew :


Some random pictures of the Resort :

















The Three Musketeers :


A relaxing day indeed :

[AJ-got-BHP]

DAY 8 : 08.11.2014 : Kanha to Nagpur to Kolkata (Transit Day)

We had a 5:30pm flight from Nagpur to Kolkata for which we had to reach the Nagpur Airport by 4:00pm for sure. COnsidering we had 3 kids on board, we estimated the 300Kms drive to take us more than 6 Hours instead of 5 Hours including stops etc. To be on the safer side, post breakfast, we set sail at around 9:30am from the resort.

Route Taken : Kanha - Balaghat - Gondia - Sakoli - Bhandara - Nagpur

Some pictures captured on our route to Nagpur; the last of the lot :











A Happy Family :


Thanks to my brotherly friend 'CP' that this trip was planned well and executed better. A holiday well taken and spent with a lot of new experiences gathered with numerous special moments that shall be cherished for a lifetime.

Though I had never been into wildlife at all ever before, this trip has definitely drawn me towards it and next in my agenda would be a Drive from Kolkata to Bandhavgarh sometime in the mere future.

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Wow! What a log. I just saw it in glimpses. Need to go through it at my leisure.

That last snap says it all! A contended happy "road-tripping" family!

[himadrimondal]

Awesome travelogue, the frames so well organised happen to tell the whole story. The unknown bird is a Racket-tailed Drongo, a beautiful bird to observe. Sighting the tiger for the first time is an overwhelming experience. Loved the way you have framed the memories supported by some lovely writeup. You should also keep Corbett in your list of visits . Bandavgarh is a lovely place for tigers but the kind of landscape you saw in Pench and Kanha will be missing. This is surely an experience of a lifetime.

[Samba]

Lovely travelogue with some beautiful pics. You are indeed super lucky to have sighted the tigers thrice in a single day! There are many tourists who have visited these national parks many a times, but yet to spot a tiger! As Himadri da told, you must visit Corbette once. Even if you fail to spot a tiger at Corbette, am sure you will be blown away by the beauty of Dhikala!

[AJ-got-BHP]

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

Awesome travelogue, the frames so well organised happen to tell the whole story. The unknown bird is a Racket-tailed Drongo, a beautiful bird to observe. Sighting the tiger for the first time is an overwhelming experience. Loved the way you have framed the memories supported by some lovely writeup. You should also keep Corbett in your list of visits . Bandavgarh is a lovely place for tigers but the kind of landscape you saw in Pench and Kanha will be missing. This is surely an experience of a lifetime.

Thanks Himadri Da !! Glad to see praises from a Master of Wildlife like you who found my photologue to be of some quality and self explanatory narrating the experience considering the fact that I am still a novice when it comes to such wildlife experiences.

Thanks for making me recall the name of the bird, the "Racket-Tailed Drongo". Who else would have known that better than you

Have heard so much about the Jim Corbett National Park, but never was opportune enough to pay a visit. May be sometime in the future; will surely plan as suggested by you. However, I am really inquisitive to do a trip to the woods where I can take my ride along into the Jungle. As much as I know of, not many National Parks in India allow that. Bandhavgarh surely does not. Any suggestions ?

Originally Posted by Samba

Lovely travelogue with some beautiful pics. You are indeed super lucky to have sighted the tigers thrice in a single day! There are many tourists who have visited these national parks many a times, but yet to spot a tiger! As Himadri da told, you must visit Corbette once. Even if you fail to spot a tiger at Corbette, am sure you will be blown away by the beauty of Dhikala!

Three times lucky Samba !!

The idea is not to spot a tiger every time we head out to the woods. I simply relished and cherish the experience of being in the forest amongst the natural habitat of the wild animals and admire the beauty of the forest itself. That is something which a lot of people forget to do in the quest of sighting a tiger. I believe that spotting the Tiger is an icing on the cake.

Seems like the Dhikala Zone in the Jim Corbett National Park is definitely worth a visit as suggested by you. Thanks for pointing it out !!

[S2!!!]

Firstly, I enjoyed reading this thread. Well narrated

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

The idea is not to spot a tiger every time we head out to the woods. I simply relished and cherish the experience of being in the forest amongst the natural habitat of the wild animals and admire the beauty of the forest itself. That is something which a lot of people forget to do in the quest of sighting a tiger. I believe that spotting the Tiger is an icing on the cake.

Being amidst nature with absolute peace and tranquility, is something most city dwellers wish for. Lucky you, not only did you enjoy this state but also were able to spot the tiger (- thrice!) along with other wildlife...