Apr 28, 2009 04:23 PM
13310 Views
Bandhavgarh has been made famous by its tigers! They are the foremost reason why Bandhavgarh has earned a spot for itself in the tourist map and they have become an important source of livelihood for the people living there.
This year we decided to go to a national park, and kanha is the nearest place to go from raipur. But then two things changed our destination...The tigers at Bandhavgarh and the tree house hideaway!
Bandhavgarh, because of its smaller area and abundance of deers and sambar is the ideal place to see tigers in their natural habitat (We got to see 4!). The forest is deciduous and grasslands sparse which make tiger sighting easy.
But do not go there for the tigers alone...the rest of the flora and fauna is equally interesting (at least after you have seen the tiger!). They have one safari in morning at around 6, when the jeeps are divided into 4 groups and reach a meeting place through 4 different routes through the jungle. At this place drivers exchange their sightings and then they are free to go their own ways. The other safari is in the evening. Go for each of them at least once. March, April and May are the best time to go as the heat brings the tigers out of their hiding places to the watering holes.
On our last day there (the third day) we went to the Bandhavgarh fort which is inside the national park premises itself. It is on the top of a mountain and provides a bird's eye view of the whole forest. Our hotel had provided us with a picnic pack...imagine a picnic in the forest!
The weather in march was very interesting. Morning when we reached, it was quite cold and we needed our jackets. By afternoon we needed to switch on the AC if inside the room. And one day we had thunderstorms which gave us a feeling of the monsoons too!
We had booked the Tree house hideaway beforehand and had seen its pictures on the internet, but the site of the tree houses took our breath completely! There are a total of 5 tree houses only and they are made totally of wood! Each house is tastefully furnished and each provides you with all the creature comforts you want. (Would have loved to give a detailed review of the hotel we stayed in, but mouthshut does not have a place for Bandhavgarh hotels in the hotels list)
Beyond the safari and your hotel, their is not much to do (how many days you just yearn to do that..nothing!). We used to go bicycling to the nearby village and just lounge around the rest of the day! That made it a perfect holiday!! A perfect place to spend with your loved one's.
