Tigers and Temples: An Indian Safari By Jayne Francis and Michael Parker
We were able to fulfil a dream of seeing and spending time with the Bengal tiger. Tigers are icons of beauty and power, and we experienced both on our 16-day safari to Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore National Parks in India. We are very fortunate to have a friend who is a naturalist, professional wildlife photographer and travel company owner. Charlie Ryan (Sticky Rice Travel) pulled together a trip that was 90% focused on tigers and 10% focused on some of the must-do sites around Agra. Charlie and good friend and colleague Kaustubh Mulay (Pristine Safaris) accompanied four other friends and us on a trip of a lifetime. We went in April when it is heating up, and the water sources in the parks are drying up, forcing the animals to use the few larger water sources that remain, making for better sightings. The temperatures were in the low 40s throughout our time there – that’s hot! Hot temperatures and lack of rain also equal dust, so bandanas across our faces and towels across our camera gear became commonplace when we were hurtling through the park after the next sighting. Our accommodation was very close to each park, minimising the travel time to get into the different park zones each day. The accommodation also had
great pools, which after a hot, dusty safari, were so refreshing (in addition to a cold beer). At each national park, we had two jeeps. They have three rows of seating, so the six of us took turns choosing a jeep each day. Charlie and Kaustubh split between the jeeps, leaving the front for the local driver and the park ranger who accompanied us on most of our drives. Charlie had requested specific drivers and it wasn’t unusual to find one had been replaced the next day if the driver wasn’t good at following instructions to have us in the right spot at the right time. Charlie and Kaustubh have exceptional spotting skills and their intimate knowledge of animal behaviour meant they positioned the jeep where animals would be emerging or walking towards us.
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