Ranthambore Trip - Day 1 Report

I went to Ranthambore during the fourth weekend of May.  With a two day weekend and a permission for a monday holiday, Ranthambore makes for a perfect getaway even in the HOT summer months.

Me and two of my friends were booked on the Dehradun Expess to Sawai Madhopur (SWM) which leaves from Hazrat Nizamuddin at arnd 9:30 pm on the Friday. The scheduled time of arrival in SWM is 5 am and with this in mind I booked my safaris for saturday morning.

I am one of those unfortunate souls who cant sleep on a train (even when there is no wailing kid or a snoring uncleji next to your berth).  After giving a couple of hours of company, both my friends drifted of to their slumber wonderland. Leaving me to  my dog earred copy of Feluda stories (by Satyajit Ray).  Which by way is absolutely great train read I realized.

The train also decided to call it a night and stalled just before Mathura.  They also stopped the air conditioning as apparently the units were not charged enough!!   So imagine now a cramped room full of people with no outlets - at least the second class sleeper had windows which opened. I have a lot of pent up rant and angst against the Indian railways! I think the next post is going to be on the great Indian railways.


Anyways the train finally gathered speed around two thirty in the morning by which time it was clear that there was no way we were going to make it to Ranthambore in time for the morning safari.  Another point for my next anti railway post!

We reached SWM at around 6:15 am.  We were booked at the Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge.  I had stayed last year also.  It is a very nice place - open and green with low bunglow type accomodation and absolutely fantastic staff.  The staff here are really helpful and courteous (a big thank you to both the Gajendras there!!).

We had a car waiting for us at the station and with the morning safari plan shot (thank you Indian railways), we decided to go to the fort and the famous ganesh mandir.  After a quick chai, we were on our way to the fort.  The fort is actually inside the park itself - further down from the gates 1,2 and 3 and opposite 4 and 5.

The Fort looks on to the vast expanse of the Ranthambore National Park and though the ledges and windows of the fort ones gets outstanding photo ops.   It takes amost 45 mins to get to the top of the fort and the Ganesh Mandir.  On route to the ganesh mandir you have langurs lined up on the sides of the roads for ay food which you may have.  Langur unlike macaque monkeys are very well behaved and genetlemanly creatures! They will not get after you or trouble you unless you steadfast refuse to give them food or   pull their tails!!

Anyways we came back from the safari and went straight in for breakfast! Breakfast at the lodge is a nice buffet - with both Indian and continental options.  The walk to the fort and built up a nice appetite. After devouring the food, all of us went to sleep!!

I barely managed to wake up for lunch! We had a very heavy lunch and came back and snooze off once more! One of my friends 'retired hut' and refused to go for the after noon safari.  But the remaining of of us, armed with a ice cooler, wet towels and bottles of water braved the heat for the after noon safari.

Let me make no bones about it - It is VERY HOT.  It is imperative if you want to go for afternoon safaris in summer, the following are essentials:

(a) very high spf sunscreen (40 + at least)
(b) wet towels to tie at the back of you neck and wipe face;
(c) hats (not caps) - you'll need all round protection;
(d) ice bucket (your hotel should provide you). This serves two purposes - keeps drinks cold and also you can wet your towels during a break in the safari in the ice cold water!

The benefit of an afternoon safari during summer is that you most probably WILL see a tiger.  As you feel hot, so do the tigers.  They  come down to the water among 5 in the evening when the sun's energy sapping heat reduces a bit.

For the pains taken by me and my friend, we had a great sighting! It was his first boy wasnt he happy!

We went and waited at a man made water reservoir for the tigers and the king made his presence felt! It was a nice big male numbered T-7 offspring of the famous T-2.

 T-7 is a truly regal animal.  It just sat there and lapped up the water in peace fully ignoring the jeeps around and the continuous camera clicks.

As the park gates were about to shut, we rushed back out back to the comforts of the hotels! A long refreshing shower to take out all the dust which got thrown onto me during the safari! A bathrooms in the Lodge were massive!! they are twice the size of my room in Delhi!!

After the bath and a long dinner, my friends and me got together for some UNO!  We played till we were too tired to carry on and went to sleep with the promise of the morning safari when we woke up!

Oh! I also got a lovey pic of a neelgai!