6 of India's Best Safari Destinations

[Nature Safari India]

Here is a updated list of The Best Wildlife Safari Destinations in India

1. Corbett National Park

Land of the Elephant and Tiger

• Best time of the year to visit Corbett National Park: November to June
• Type of Safari at Corbett National Park : Jeep Safari
• How to get to Corbett : 07 hour drive from New Delhi or 04 hour drive from Dehradun Airport
• How many nights to spend at Corbett : 03 nights

• Wildlife to see at Corbett : Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Smooth Coated Otter, Goral(Mountain Goat), Gharial, Marsh Crocodile, Sloth Bear, Yellow-throated Marten, Hog Deer, Sambar and Spotted Deer.
• Birds to see at Corbett : Great Hornbill, Pallas’ Fish Eagle, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Ibisbill, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Long–tailed Broadbill.

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Corbett Tiger Reserve is a hugely important biodiverse area with beautiful thick Sal Forests that cut the large grasslands of this terrain.

The tracks in the forest are filled with footprints of the Tiger and Leopard – making the safari a thrilling affair. Elephants browse amongst the trees as well as graze in the gorgeous grasslands; watching big elephant herds crossing the crystal clear river in order to find new feeding grounds is a humbling sight which adds to the mystical experience of traveling in India.

Mixed vegetation amongst the foothills is rich in birdlife of the Himalayas and this makes Corbett one of the best birding destinations in India, with close to 600 species recorded in this terai landscape.

2. Kaziranga National Park

Land of the Rhino

• Best time of the year to visit Kaziranga National Park : November to April
• Type of Safari at Kaziranga National Park : Jeep Safari and Boat Safari
• How to get to Kaziranga : 04 hour drive from Guwahati Airport
• How many nights to spend at Kaziranga : 03 nights

• Wildlife to see at Kaziranga : Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo, Swamp Deer, Tiger, Gangetic Dolphin, Western Hoolock Gibbon, Capped Langur, Smooth Coated Otter.
• Birds to see at Kaziranga : Black-necked Stork, Swamp Francolin, Collared Falconet, Pallas’ Fish Eagle, Marsh Babbler, Slender-billed Vulture.

An area that boasts of the “BIG FIVE” of Indian Safaris, Kaziranga National Park is steeped in history. A successful conservation story where the world’s largest population of the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros currently reside : 2000 or so individuals out of 3000 in the wild.

Today, these giants survive along with other endangered species which make up the “The Big Five”, including the Indian Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo, Royal Bengal Tiger and the Swamp Deer.

The landscape is made up of Grasslands mixed up with large swamps or “bheels”, which occupy the open areas that are interspersed between thick moist deciduous and tropical evergreen forests. The Brahmaputra river is the life source of this area as well as for much of the inhabitable areas of this region.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tiger Reserve, and an Elephant Reserve, Kaziranga in India is a special place in the world for a wildlife safari.

Birds aplenty, and with wondrous sights of the usually shy Otter, the rare Indo-Gangetic River Dolphin and endemic Assam Roofed Turtle, this park has an amazing variety of sights to offer on safari in India.

3. Pench National Park

Land of the Jungle Book

• Best time of the year to visit Pench National Park : October to June
• Type of Safari at Pench National Park : Jeep Safari
• How to get to Pench : 2.5 hour drive from Nagpur Airport
• How many nights to spend at Pench : 03 nights

• Wildlife to see at Pench : Tiger, Leopard, Indian Wild Dog, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Indian Grey Wolf, Sloth Bear, Blue Bull, Gaur and Four-horned Antelope.
• Birds to see at Pench : Malabar Pied Hornbill, White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Mottled Wood Owl, Indian Scops Owl, Osprey, Painted Spurfowl, Indian Paradise Flycatcher.

A more well-known fable on Jungles doesn’t exist than The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Pench is the backdrop for the well-woven story of Mowgli, Sher Khan, Bagheera, Bhaloo, Akela and all the other beloved denizens of the Jungle. One can see the forest of our childhood along with all its animals on safari here at Pench.

Teak forests old and new stretch for miles on the plateaus here, and its very big grasslands are home to the highest density of Spotted Deer in India – thus giving rise to a healthy population of Tigers and Leopards.

Chances of spotting predators such as Tiger, Leopard and Wild Dog(Dhole) are rather high here and jeep safaris are action packed.

The forest is dry deciduous type and though very dense and green until January, the understory recedes quite a bit, revealing the inner reaches of the forest. Water sources dry up in the hot Summer, and the Tiger takes to man-made waterholes in order to cool itself down.

Well – connected by road and by forest corridors with other Wildlife sanctuaries of the region, Pench is flourishing with animals and tourists alike.

4. Gir National Park

Home of the Asiatic Lion

• Best time of the year to visit Gir National Park : October to May
• Type of Safari at Gir National Park : Jeep Safari
• How to get to Gir : Located 3.5 hours away from Rajkot Airport or Located 2.5 hours away from Diu Airport

• How many nights to spend at Gir : 03 nights

• Wildlife to see at Gir : Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat, Bengal Fox, Blue Bull, Gaur and Four-horned Antelope.
• Birds to see at Gir : Glossy Ibis, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Bay-backed Shrike, Desert Wheatear, White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Spotted Owlet.

The only place in the world where one can see the cousin of the mighty African Lion is Gir, where, the Asiatic Lion roams 400 strong. A stunning renaissance story in which the absolute decimation of grasslands and hunting therein of these lions in Asia had seen their population crumble to under 10 individuals in the previous century, now stands tall and defiant.

Once found across Central to Western Asia, the Asiatic Lion lives now only in the Dry Deciduous Forests and Scrub lands which mark Southern Gujarat. It is also the only place in India where one can see the lion in the wild.

Prides of lions can be seen in the open grasslands hunting Spotted Deer and Blue Bull mostly. Their behaviour rather different from that of the Tiger, Lions are more easily viewed in the wild.

5. Jawai, West India

The Leopard’s Kingdom

• Best time of the year to visit Jawai : October to May
• Type of Safari at Jawai : Jeep Safari
• How to get to Jawai : 03 hour drive from Udaipur Airport or 03 hour drive from Jodhpur.
• How many nights to spend at Jawai : 03 nights
• Wildlife to see at Jawai : Leopard, Striped Hyaena, Jungle Cat, Bengal Fox, Indian Gazelle(Chinkara), Indian Crested Porcupine, March Crocodile.
• Birds to see at Jawai : Indian Eagle Owl, Indian Courser, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear,  Glossy Ibis, Lesser Whitethroat, Crested Bunting, Plum-headed Parakeet.

Jawai is located near at the Jawai Dam, and is most well known for its magnificent sightings of Leopards. The experience is unique as it’s not a forest; instead you will sight leopards near around this semi-arid scrub landscape. Jawai is home to various fauna such as the mighty Bluebull/Nlgaii, The Indian Gazelle/Chinkara, the Marsh Crocodile, Indian Crested Porcupine and birds such as the Indian Eagle Owl.

The area and the wildlife therein, has been preserved by the unmistakable local Rabari tribe, who are nomadic by nature, and are spread out in different parts of Rajasthan. With difficult weather conditions in Rajasthan, they have been known to practise shifting agriculture and have an inherent respect of the land which they utilise. Here, at Jawai Bandh, the dam has provided more or less permanent grounds for them to succeed, and with them, so has the wildlife – both keeping out of each others way, with no attacks reported on humans in recent history. The livestock do get picked off often by the leopards, but the patience of these herders, and the intervention of governmental as well as recent eco – tourism interests, have ensured that this area remains conflict free for the foreseeable future.

A Safari at Jawai is unique, in that it is not a forest or grassland terrain, but a shrub forest with sparse human inhabitation where giant granite boulders provide natural shelter for Leopard families. One can drive atop these boulders in a bid to spot the leopards emerge from their caves within and interact with one another – a truly special safari destination that easily provides the best chances of seeing a wild Leopard in India.

6. Nagarhole National Park

Emerald Forests of South India

• Best time of the year to visit Nagarhole National Park : November to June
• Type of Safari at Nagarhole National Park : Jeep Safari and Boat Safari
• How to get to Nagarhole : 04 hour drive from Bangalore Airport
• How many nights to spend at Nagarhole : 03 nights

• Wildlife to see at Nagarhole : Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Indian Wild Dog, Gaur, Barking Deer, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Indian Giant Squirrel
• Birds to see at Nagarhole : Malabar Trogon, Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, White-bellied Treepie, Southern Hill Myna, Square-tailed Bulbul, Orange Minivet.

Southern India is the land of endemics, with species found only in the area – celebrated are the Birds, Reptiles and the Amphibians which are simply beautiful and rather unique.

Discoveries in the Insect and Amphibian varieties are occurring till today, and will continue to do so.

Also known as Kabini, and robably the most visited National Parks of South India, Nagarhole National Park is part of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve as well as a part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

These Moist Deciduous forests and Evergreen forests are home to large mammals such as the Indian Elephant, Gaur, Royal Bengal Tiger & Indian Wild Dogs.

More recently, people from all over the world flock here in the summer for photographing a rather bold male Melanistic or Black Leopard on Jeep Safari.

Boat or Canoe safaris on the Kabini river are also possible – there are quite a few migratory waders, plovers, raptors and storks which are seen. Elephants are seen in huge herds by the river along with the other herbivores.

Nagarhole is also an IBA – Important Bird Area and over 300 bird species are recorded here including some of the endemics of South India. A birding hotspot, South India, especially Nagarhole, is the best place to see interesting Indian bird species on safari.

We have tried to portray some of the variety in the Indian Wildlife landscape with destinations spread around India. There are hundreds of amazing safari destinations that we have missed out but do deserve as much coverage.