Travel Catalyst | Inbound Travel Agency in Delhi NCR

Wildlife Tour: General useful information

Ideally one should stay for 3 Nights at each Tiger Reserves, giving sufficient time to understand and feel the parks and its wildlife existence. However, if you have lesser time in hand or you wish to cover more of Tiger Reserves and National Parks, you may as well stay for 2 nights at each wildlife Parks. This will normally give you time for 3 safaris at each place, At the end of the marathon wildlife visits, if you wish to relax you can opt for Goa beaches, or go for Golden Triangle tour (if India is your first time).
Normally, duringmonsoon time either National Parks and Wildlife sanctuaries are completely closed or partially closed. Some buffer zones are open during monsoon period. Parks in South India are open throughout the year in most of the cases. Best is to check before you make you plans. October to March is the best time to visit wildlife Parks when all parks are open and all zones are operational.
Also, jeep/ jungle safaris can be booked well in advance as most of the bookings are open as early as 365 days in advance. It can be booked against passport copies and full advance payment. Due to limited vehicle inventory in most of the Parks, it is advisable to book your safari at the earliest possible.
Parks are partially(core zone) or fully (Core and Buffer zone) closed on certain days in certain Parks
Jungle safaris can be done by exclusive jeeps, sharing jeeps, bigger vehicle : Like Canters, on elephant back and by premium jeeps etc. 5 persons can be comfortably accommodated in one jeep. Canters can carry 15 to 20 persons. Exclusive jeeps are best for 4 to 5 persons in a group. Sharing jeeps are value for money. Canters cab be used for persons on budget. Elephant safaris are mostly banned now. Also due to scarcity of elephants it is little difficult to elephant rides. Premium jeeps are available at few Parks on premium charges. At Periyar wildlife safaris can be done by boat only.
Exclusive Jeeps can be hired for full day also instead of morning and afternoon slots. However these are relatively quite expensive and are required for photography tours. Special permission is required, well in advance, from the Forest department and Govt of India for wildlife still and video photography if you wish to use advance equipment/ tripods for commercial or ad films.
Normal Govt. approved naturalists are provided by the forest department during the safaris. However their English communication may not be so good. With some extra charges better/ hand picked naturalists can be provided.
There are 2 safaris in a day. Normal safari timings are 5.30 to 10 AM and 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM. Howeverthis changes depending upon the Parks and winter and summer timings.
Mostly resorts with cottages are found in the Park areas, unlike high rise hotels with big inventories. Mostly all resorts are on full board (all 3 major meals) basis, as food options are not much in the park areas. However room +breakfast or half board options are also available.
Difference between Tiger Reserve, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuary: While both tiger reserves and national parks focus on wildlife conservation, a tiger reserve is specifically designated for tiger conservation, and can include national parks or wildlife sanctuaries within its boundaries, while a national park aims to protect a broader range of flora, fauna, and ecosystems. So, a tiger reserve may also be a national park or wildlife sanctuary. For example the Sariska Tiger Reserve is also a national park.
Difference between Tiger Reserve, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuary: While both tiger reserves and national parks focus on wildlife conservation, a tiger reserve is specifically designated for tiger conservation, and can include national parks or wildlife sanctuaries within its boundaries, while a national park aims to protect a broader range of flora, fauna, and ecosystems. So, a tiger reserve may also be a national park or wildlife sanctuary. For example the Sariska Tiger Reserve is also a national park.
The first national park was established in India in 1936. It was the Hailey National Park in Uttarakhand. Today, we know it as the Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, we had only five national parks as below :

Jim Corbett National Park
Ranthambore National Park : 2 and half hours from Jaipur
Gir Forest National Park : Delhi – Diu : Fly and drive 2 and half hours. : State Gujrarat
Pench National Park : Fly to Nagpur and drive 3 hours to Pench
Sundarbans National Park : Fly to Kolkata, drive to Sonakhali or Canning and take a boat to Sunderbans. Or 2 nights / 3 days Cruise to Sunderbans.

Wildlife Sanctuary

A natural Geographical surrounding to safeguard wildlife. It can be upgraded to a National Park like Kaziranga national Park. Activities like cattle grazing and collecting forest products are allowed in such sanctuaries. There are 576 wild life Sanctuaries are there in India. Some of the popular ones are as below:

Bharatpur wildlife Sanctuary : For bird watching
Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
Madumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Periyar wildlife sanctuary
Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary

As of 2025, India has a total of 58 Tiger Reserves, established under Project Tiger to protect the endangered species and their habitat. The latest addition to the list is the Tatapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which was declared the 58th Tiger Reserve in India in 2024.

Bandipur Tiger Reserve
Corbett National Park
Kanha National Park
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary : Fly Delhi / Kolkata to Guwahati (Assam - North East State) and drive 4 hours
Ranthambhore
Sunderbans National Park : West Bengal
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary : Fly to Cochin and drive 5 hours to Periyar
Sariska : Rajasthan : 3 and half hours drive from Delhi
Dudwa National Park : Uttar Pradesh : 5 hours drive from Lucknow airport
Pench National Park
Tadoba, 3 and half hours drive from Nagpur airport
Bandhavgarh
Panna National Park
Annamalai National Park : 3 and half hours drive from Coimbatore airport
Nagarhole: 2 and half hours drive from Mysore airport
Tatapani National Park : One and half hours drive from Bhopal airport

For more detailed and specific information, please write, call or whatsapp to us on +91 9312286625, vidyanath_mishra@hotmail.com or travelcatalystt@gmail.com

Wildlife Tour

Day 1 : Mumbai/ Delhi - Nagpur–Pench Tiger Reserve

Met upon arrival at Nagpur airport and driven to Pench Tiger Reserve. Pench National Park, boasts of rich biodiversity and fascinating landscapes that inspired Rudyard Kipling's classic, "The Jungle Book." The park extends over Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with its diverse flora and fauna, is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.Pench National Park is home to the majestic Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Indian wild dog (dhole), sloth bear, Indian gaur (bison), and various deer species. Avian enthusiasts canrevelinspottingover285birdspecies,includingthecrestedserpenteagle,Malabar pied hornbill, and Indian pitta, making it a paradise for bird-watchers.Arrive and check in to the resort for meals and overnightstay.