During our days in Kanha National Park we arise to an early morning wake-up call followed by tea and coffee, then depart the lodge in 4x4 open jeeps accompanied by a resident naturalist and community forest park guide acting as our scout. Early morning is the best time for tracking the Bengal tiger and other wildlife as we look for tracks and follow the distress calls of chital (spotted deer) and langur monkeys who alert prey that tiger are in the area. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha shelter a significant population of rare species including tiger, leopard, sloth bear, and wild dog or Dhole. Kanha's mixed forests are interspersed with vast meadows which support a high density of herbivores, including chital, barasingha, sambar and Indian gaur (bison). These herbivores attract predators to waterholes and the fringes of clearings. Kanha meadows, with hundreds of chital grazing on a carpet of green grass against the backdrop of the majestic Sal forest, have been aptly referred to as “the Ngorongoro of India.” A picnic breakfast is served in the jungle with a cup of hot tea or coffee. We return to the lodge where the remainder of the morning is at leisure. Lunch is taken at the lodge, and in the late afternoon we depart on our second jungle safari of the day. We return to the lodge late this afternoon for tea, cocktails and dinner. Our gracious lodge hosts, Tarun and Dimple, have dedicated much of their lives here, raising their young son, studying and sharing the love of tigers, birds, and flowers. Enjoy their stargazing program, Indian cooking lessons and catch the flying squirrel at sunset! Overnight Kanha Jungle Lodge.
By participating on this trip you help save tigers, in part by supporting the local communities around the parks so they benefit from ecotourism. In the video below, meet Mr. Vinod Ayam who was sponsored by Wildland Adventures and our travelers to participate in a local guide training program. Vinod will likely be your spotter when you are in Kanha National Park.