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For a long pending item on the list of stuff to share with BHPians, finally the Shub Muhurut dawned. I had two nice travels in 2018 and wanted to put it up. One was Hampi & the other Tadoba. I left it to Google to prioritise what I will do first. Started the upload to the drive in parallel. Tadoba finished first. So here's our Tadoba experience for you!

Spoiler Alert: Its 90 % tiger pics... Those who are not interested in pics pics pics can see a short clip in the later post
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/assem...ml#post4802201

July 2018:
Cousin: Let's go on a trip somewhere!
Me: Yeah. but where
C: Pata nai.
M: Let's discuss with a shortlist

Raksha Bandhan 2018
C: We are all going to Tadoba
M: All??
C: Me, 2 sisters, 2 kids, our mom & dad
M: Oh, Family Trip! great. Enjoy
C: Not coming?
M: Nah. No Holidays, too long to plan right now
C: Its a weekend trip. We have booked the resort & safari
My Dad: Can we join?
C: Sure. we will ask the guy to book one more safari and room
D: Ok
M: Cool you guys have fun

Oct End 2018

M: I really want to go to Tadoba.
Wifey: Why now?
M: We won't do it for a long time otherwise. And it has the highest density of tigers. so sighting is assured (and other sales talk that Tadoba is great)
W: How will we go? Drive?
M: We can drive but it will require Friday to Monday Chutti!
W: No way I am coming
M: Please please please please please (with puppy eyes)
W: How will we go but?
M: Train to Chandrapur; thereafter some local thing
W: see if tickets are available
M: Yes SL class is available
W: YOU want to travel via SL
M: Dont want to, but that's the only thing available. And guess what 400 bucks one way.
W: Really you & SL
M: Chaloooo... if you are not ok with SL let me know (that one try to prove she is more snobbish than me)
W: I toh go. you only cant handle the smell of the toilets ( and the try goes to the drain)
M: I am booking then
W: You ensure no holidays are required
M: Sure!!!

I book tickets Hyderbad-Chandrapur, Return tickets are RAC (of course, I don't tell my wife they are RAC until we get on the onward train)

M: we booked tickets. Add us to the safari and see if we can get a room at the hotel. If not beds are ok, we will adjust in some or the other room.
C: Ab bol raha hai.
M: I know you can do it. Proud of you
C: Must have rolled eyes

She gets the bookings sorted and we are good to go.
Once she shares me the details of the resort, I check up with the guy there. He advises me to come via Warora. I book Chandrapur to Warora & back Tickets over and above the Hyd to Chandrapur tickets.

So we are on for a fun trip. It was one after our childhood trips to Moms & masi's home. So all is well.

Nov 16 we board the train to Warora in the night. Get down at Warora. Then catch a local bus to Shegaon Village. From there we climb into a Sumo which will drop us to the resort. The Sumo develops a fault somewhere and we decide to walk the last 2-3 km. We took a wrong turn on the way and walked ~3-4 kms before we spotted a Resort Gypsy on the way back from the morning Safari

As we get down we are greeted by a Hen & its chicks. I take my camera out of the bag! Let pics do the Justice


A Green Bee eater


A Painted Stork


A raptor


Hit upon a Pool with Toads/frogs chilling


Spot a Dragonfly on the tip


This was where we met the Gypsy and headed to the resort. So me & wifey were coming from Hyd while rest of the troupe from Mumbai. Needless to say, we reached earlier than the larger with kids company!

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We got the rooms ready and ensured that we were there to welcome the rest of the peeps. We had planned 2 Safaris. One later in the evening & one in the next morning. On the feedback, the morning Safari's for the day had been disappointing with no sighting. The last evening safari had a sighting. Mentally we were ready to see tiger poop, paws, scratches, hair and go back

So people came, they ate and then got ready for the safari.

The Trail


A few butterflies while we sorted the formalities at the gate


The first animal! A Deer


More from the Deer Family!






Spot the Camouflaged Croc


Antlers!!!


Look on both sides to ensure the road is clear!


Don't know the name, assuming its some raptor. It was far off on the treetop.


Tired after the long no tiger safari, we came to a spot where supposedly, there was a tiger. Couldn't spot it then, but took a few random shots and zoomed. And there was it sleeping. But we were disappointed as we didn't see it or realise it was there.

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So with a longish day, we called it a night and based on the info that the morning safari had not been that great we were all set to go home without a tiger. But, agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati ha...

How was the Josh! High Sir!!



The driver got the info that at a pond a mommy was seen. He took us there and as we reached, she disappeared in the woods. I was lucky to catch a glimpse of her tail Again hailing that this is the closest we could see a tiger. On one side two of the other jeeps disappeared. Our driver advised waiting there for around 25-30 mins. Man Wildlife is a game of patience. And the reward.

The First!





The Second!




Drinks over! Now What!



The Third! Now we have a crowd!!! The fun begins!!!



The drink was just an excuse to come out. And they played!!!!!

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The next 30-35 Mins was fun. the cubs were around a year and a quarter old. Siblings. They just were in a mood to play and gambol around us!

In all its grace


Feeling Off Colour?


Hi Ant(i)


Catch a break guys, we are going to start a show



Too hot to do?


Stay Hydrated!


What up doc!


I need some privacy!

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Time to fight out who is the Best!

Play Tag


You came to with the hope to see poop. Now watch me poop!


Beat it, I just pooped


Up matey!!!


Oh oh, this does not look good


Thappad khaega?


Lets pretend to be Kangaroos!


Lag ja gale...


Meowrrr


Push me up the tree?

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Taking A Dip!


Testing the waters!


Wanna go Home?


You idiot... Why do you want to go home


Take that!


Ok I am not going. Peace!


And I have to live with them full time


Water's nice and cool!!!



The ears are too cute


Make a splash!



First pic with all three of them in one frame


Love love love



Mewow


Thande thande paani me nahana chahiye...

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After a bit of calm, masti resumed. One of them literally pushed one of them in the pond.
A compilation of the 40 mins is in a video shot on my wife's phone. At ~3 mins its hilarious

https://youtu.be/_tKUjVO67sk

Some of the fun in the water






Meditation



Its Getting late mommy will growl if we are late for breakfast!



The Parting Shot




So forty Minutes, Fully fun. We travelled back to the resort. By 14:00 we were on our journey back to Warora (with confirmed tickets).

And thus possibly what was my best experience in wildlife.

Thanks for reading my first dedicated travelogue!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

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

Beautiful photographs of the cubs.

[Aditya]

Nice travelogue. Loved the pictures. Three cubs playing freely - what a joy to watch. Nice shots of the sambhar and chital too.

Taboda seems to be one place where you are almost certain to see a tiger in your visit. That's quite something, since there are many who have been trying hard to catch a glimpse of one at different parks without any luck. In fact, the last time I saw one was in Kerala, a very long time ago.

I am not much of a bird enthusiast, but that raptor looks like a falcon to me.

[Subroto]

Fantastic photos 1.2TSI7DSG! The video was great too! Tadoba has been on my to-do list for a long time. Could you share some details of the resort where you stayed?

[2himanshu]

Nice travelogue, really nice moments you witnessed there, I envy you

The photos and videos are great. Please keep shooting and posting

My 2 cents in your thread:

Maya tigress from Tadoba &


A leopard

P.S: The butterflies are Tawny Costers, The bird perched on a tree looks like Buzzard.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

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

Beautiful photographs of the cubs.

Thanks!! Also thanks for putting up to the homepage!!!

Originally Posted by Aditya

Nice travelogue. Loved the pictures. Three cubs playing freely - what a joy to watch. Nice shots of the sambhar and chital too.

Taboda seems to be one place where you are almost certain to see a tiger in your visit. That's quite something, since there are many who have been trying hard to catch a glimpse of one at different parks without any luck. In fact, the last time I saw one was in Kerala, a very long time ago.

I am not much of a bird enthusiast, but that raptor looks like a falcon to me.

Thanks! We were indeed lucky!

Originally Posted by Subroto

Fantastic photos 1.2TSI7DSG! The video was great too! Tadoba has been on my to-do list for a long time. Could you share some details of the resort where you stayed?

Thanks
We stayed at 7 Tigers resort. Expensive for the kind of services. But the fun was in the Safari.

Originally Posted by 2himanshu

Nice travelogue, really nice moments you witnessed there, I envy you

The photos and videos are great. Please keep shooting and posting

P.S: The butterflies are Tawny Costers, The bird perched on a tree looks like Buzzard.

Lovely!!!
This is the second butterfly name I know now The first was the blue Mormon.

All this encouragement has given me a new craving to put out the Hampi travelogue soon!

[Travelmania]

Though read your travelogue but got addicted to your photos, just like viewing circus of three tigers. The video is also perfect. First of all, congratulations on your luck and thanks for sharing the experience with us .

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Originally Posted by Travelmania

Though read your travelogue but got addicted to your photos, just like viewing circus of three tigers. The video is also perfect. First of all, congratulations on your luck and thanks for sharing the experience with us .

thanks for the kind words!

[t18]

"A compilation of the 40 mins is in a video shot on my wife's phone."

I went to Tadoba in Oct 2019 and they did not allow mobile phone. If we carried mobiles it had to be handed to the guide who kept it in a box in their possession. Have they now allowed use of mobile phones.