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Old 19th October 2009, 11:45   #16
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Great Sightings of the Royal Beast. Love the pics a lot. Keep them coming and also include some more details.
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Old 19th October 2009, 16:40   #17
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day 2- second trip to the forest

Spotting the tiger from a few feet distance was one great experience. I could feel my hand shivering with excitement while trying to click a snap of the tigress. We were all so disappointed that the sight only lasted for 10 mins. Having spotted the tiger, our aim was to spot a Leopard. We all thanked our guide Vasanth and promised him a handsome reward if he could also help us spot a Leopard.

All the tourist entering the park are given some basic instructions. No one is allowed to alight from the vehicle under any circumstances, no littering, no honking, smoking or drinking within the forest premises. We were all pretty upset with the Indica guy for scaring away the Tigress, we all gave a piece of our mind to the driver of the Indica and the guide accompanying the group.

Vasanth was one of the senior guides and had extensive knowledge about the tiger reserve, the best possible places where once could spot a tiger and was equally passionate about wildlife conservation. While waiting to spot the Tiger, Vasanth had many stories and funny incidents to share with us .

He told us about an incident where the tigress once entered the village right next to the reserve in search of prey and took away a young calf, an encounter with a sloth bear which was high on Mahua. how once he got a rescue 2 young cubs that fell into a ditch and many such incidents. Well, these incidents certainly sent a chill down my spine.

It was afternoon as the animal calls intensified and so did our hunger pangs. It was soon 11am and was time for us to make a quick exit to avoid being fined Rs250. We had a good lunch and caught some good sleep. We were up and ready by 2:00 pm, got the tickets in and were the first one’s in the queue.

This was our third and final trip as we planned to start early the next day to Hyderabad. We again chose Vasanth as our guide and off we went. Our first stop was again the same watering hole where we spotted the tigress in the morning.

We waited patiently for about an hour for the tiger to show up. Seeing us waiting and expecting some action other vehicles also slowly started queuing up close to the watering hole. Soon there were around 20 vehicles parked on both sides of the watering hole.There was almost a traffic jam on a narrow path with lots of vehicles, full of bawling infants and their equally loud parents, trying to take vantage positions to see the tiger. It was such a chaotic scene and that too in the middle of a forest! We soon realized that with this kind of commotion the tiger would never dare venture out to have a dip. We decided to try our luck elsewhere and made a quick exit to the next watering hole.

Near one of the watering holes we saw broken beer bottles, waste paper litter and rubbish strewn on the forest floor. It’s sad that people have no respect for the environment and wildlife.

The heat was unbearable with the temperature around 47 degrees and it was tough to have the AC on all the time while waiting for any animal to show up. We explored few places where there were very few safari vehicles, we managed to spot some rare bird species, a monitor lizard, a herd of wild boars. We narrowly missed sighting a leopard, a group that we earlier met were lucky enough to spot it crossing the road and managed some brilliant shots on their cams.

With no luck spotting a tiger, Vasanth told us the best bet is again to back to the same watering hole and wait for the tiger to show up. We soon reached the spot and now saw very few vehicles parked. It was 6pm and we still had an hour to go. Vasanth had this strong intuition that the tiger would definitely make an appearance before we leave the reserve. It was 6 30pm, we now only had 30 min of our last trip inside the reserve. Vasanth asked us to be patient and wait till 6 55 pm to make an exit. In the next few mins the animal calls intensified, It was an amazing piece of luck., we saw the tiger emerge from a bamboo thicket on to the trail. It went right into the watering hole and lay there for some good 15 mins. It finally got up and strode majestically across the trail to the other side and vanished as swiftly as he had emerged earlier. Our day was made. We were lucky enough that we were able to spot the tiger in each one of our trips to the forest.
Attached Thumbnails
A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-eagle.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-forstw2.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-tiger1.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-tiger2.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-tiger3.jpg  

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Old 19th October 2009, 16:51   #18
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day 2- Final moments

We called it a day, made a quick exit and bid adieu to our guide Vasanth. We planned to start early at 5 am the next day to Hyderabad. Dinner was good with drinks flowing and everyone sharing their experience and excitement from this trip. A night in the jungle can be a totally different experience, as darkness engulfs you in no time. It’s an eerie feeling, like someone is watching you from those dense bushes, waiting to pounce.

It was one of most horrible nights that I could ever think of, a power cut late in the night and the backup generator also not working. We could hardly sleep as the heat was unbearable, millions of mosquitoes and insects added to the woes. We were all awake waiting for the clock to show 5 am. We settled the bill in advance as we had to start early In the morning. We regret the decision as we didn’t get to use the AC at all on the second day.[/FONT]

Time soon was 5 am, we packed all our stuff and were back on route to Hyderabad. The return journey was pretty uneventful, we reached Hyd by 2 pm and bid adieu to everyone in the group. I truly cherish this adventurous and enthralling time I had at this place

close to wilderness!!! That’s what I like, close to god’s creation, where time and space come to an absolute halt.

Some basic travel advice to Tadoba

The best time to visit Tadoba for Tiger is between March to May for tiger sightings. Please avoid Saras resorts at any cost. MTDC resort is a much better option with better accommodation facilities. Weekends are usually busy with all resorts booked. Ensure that you book the accommodation well in advance.
I don’t have the booking details for MTDC resorts but if anyone is interested in booking accommodation at Saras the contact numbers are 09764993866 & 09422139353.

One can hire a Gypsy for a safari tour for a cost of rs1500 per trip. Entry timings and ticket cost listed below

Light Vehicle..........Rs. 50/- Per Round
Heavy Vehicle.........Rs. 75/- Per Round
Per Person.............Rs. 20/- Per Round
Kids (Age 5 to 10)....Rs. 10/- Per Round
Guide..................Rs.100/- Per Round

Indian Citizens

1)Adult .................Rs. 60/- Per Round
2)Children ............Rs. 40/- Per Round

Foreign Tourist

1)Adult..................Rs. 300/- Per Round
2)Children.............Rs. 200/- Per Round
Attached Thumbnails
A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-2.1.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-2.4.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-2.jpg  

A visit to the Sher khan’s den- Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve.-73110030.jpg  

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Old 19th October 2009, 18:12   #19
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Beautiful pictures.
Spotting the Sher Khan in it's own natural habitat is indeed a beautiful experience to cherish for a lifetime.

Sad to note that people don't respect the ecosystem and litter the forest.
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Old 19th October 2009, 20:02   #20
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Was it Wasim's Bolero, that you travelled in? Love his ride a lot.[/quote]


Yes. indeed ? Loved the way it handled the roads, the AC was soo powerful that we had to cover ourself eveytime we switched it on.

The best possible vehicle that we could have taken for a safari.
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Old 20th October 2009, 12:23   #21
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Great Travelouge Satan, I could feel the excitement in your travelouge. Pics are worth every penny spend on the trip. Would love to embark on this journey soon.

Dude, you've scratched me at the wrong place at the wrong time with this travelouge. With the suggested season of visit a good 6 months away, I am thinking how can I control my inner urge of visiting Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Now, I am eagerly awaiting for March. Come March and I embark on this journey at the first possible instance.
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Old 20th October 2009, 12:46   #22
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What a gorgeous animal and congrats on seeing one every visit to the forest.

Some of the charm is lost when you have so many vehicles hovering around a tiger, but you can't help it in the more popular reserves.
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Old 20th October 2009, 13:27   #23
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Magnificent sightings!
TATR is the least visited reserve in India. Since you can drive in the forest in your own vehicle rash incidents like the Indica has occured and more ridiculous things too take place on a day to day basis.
TATR is on my wish list, 2010 summer and also on the opposite side Nagarahole in Karnataka, I pray I can make it back to back.
I am very happy for you guys, SherKhan in his realm... still fighting for survival and suceeding.
p.s. You were disappointed that your sighting of this supreme preadator lasted for only 10 minutes???
Regards,
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Old 20th October 2009, 15:51   #24
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I really doubt, do i know the dude in the black pant & green Tshirt (extreme right) ? Just to cross check, is it Yogesh by any chance?
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Old 20th October 2009, 16:05   #25
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Excellent photographs.I have not heard of this place and within 6-8hrs drive from Hyderabad.I had been to Sawaimadopur to see tigers.Thanks for the information.
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Old 20th October 2009, 17:33   #26
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Man, some guys have all the luck in the world!!! But then, you were unlucky to miss out on the leopard. The leopard is known to be a very secretive animal, more than the Tiger.

Last week, my aunt from the US visits Kabini and she gets a Tiger sighting the first day itself and here is me, having visited almost all the Tiger reserves & other wildlife sanctuaries, which supposedly have tigers in them, in Karnataka and not have a single sighting to account for.

Nice travelogue & pictures. It really reminds me not to lose hope and someday, maybe I will get my chance

It is really a tragedy to see littering in such places
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Old 20th October 2009, 17:43   #27
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Wow great pics!

i remeber when i had been to Badra reserve couple of years back, spotted the leopard just outside the gate and as soon as we entered inside the reserve we came across a "herd" of buffaloes(not the wild once what an irony hehehe
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Old 20th October 2009, 20:12   #28
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traveloholic We have been planning for a second trip for the last couple of months and had to call it off the last minute to avoid disappointment. I am not sure how the sightings would be this part of the season, but the best bet is in summer. Even I have my trip planned for this summer to Tadoba. Can’t wait to be there again to spot and enjoy the beautiful sightings

DKG- Agree with you sir. Though Tadoba is not as famous as other tiger reserves, constant tourist inflow with so many vehicles does disturb and hamper the natural ecosystem of the forest

fazalaliadil.p.s. You were disappointed that your sighting of this supreme preadator lasted for only 10 minutes???

Adil saab.. if not for the fool in the Indica, the sighting could have lasted for much more than 10 mins.

I am a big fan of your threads on team bhp and each one the pics in your thread on the Hyd-bandipur-madumali-nagarhole trip is breathtaking.

wdm007.No sir, he is not yogesh.

gajadonga. The credit goes to my friend Pavan for capturing these beautiful pics. He is passionate about photography and might soon be a member on Team Bhp to share his travel experiences.

addyhemmige Yeah. We were really lucky that we got to spot the tiger in each one of our visit to the forest. We met a group from Mumbai who have been visiting Tadoba for the last 4 years and still didn’t manage a single sighting of the majestic tiger.
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Old 23rd October 2009, 16:06   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazalaliadil View Post
Magnificent sightings!
TATR is the least visited reserve in India. Since you can drive in the forest in your own vehicle rash incidents like the Indica has occured and more ridiculous things too take place on a day to day basis.
TATR is on my wish list, 2010 summer and also on the opposite side Nagarahole in Karnataka, I pray I can make it back to back.
I am very happy for you guys, SherKhan in his realm... still fighting for survival and suceeding.
p.s. You were disappointed that your sighting of this supreme preadator lasted for only 10 minutes???
Regards,

Adil saab..is entry and stay permitted inside the Nagarhole sanctuary ? or do we need to apply for a permission from the forest dept ?
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Old 26th October 2009, 08:51   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s@tan2s@int View Post
Adil saab..is entry and stay permitted inside the Nagarhole sanctuary ? or do we need to apply for a permission from the forest dept ?
s@tan,
Yes entry and stay are permitted in peripheries of the forest, in the forest bungalow, but you need to take prior permission from the concerned dept when the park is open. If you book yourselves in Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) at Kabini, it is a part of your package, two trips a day in the jungle in their vehicles, (many have sighted tigers) in these morning 7-10 and evening 4-7 trips in summer. We too were fortunate way back in 2006.

This July when we went there, it was by special permission and stay (in the forest bungalow in my thread pics.) as the park was closed otherwise. Everything we paid for but it was very much worth the visit though we did not sight the tiger this trip.
Here you cannot take your vehicles in the park, which is good for all.
Regards,
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