After experiencing the royalty of the princely city Jaipur, I was scheduled to experience the wilderness of the world famous Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary and Ranthambore National Park. Thoughts of wildlife started racing through my mind when I started my journey to Sariska National Park. Known for a wide variety of wildlife, Sariska is one of the must-see destination of Rajasthan for wildlife enthusiasts. Tucked away in the beautiful Aravalli hills, Sariska was once the hunting ground of the Alwar Royals. It is not only famous for its wildlife but also for its ancient temples reflecting the rich architectural heritage of Rajasthan.
Sweet aroma of wild flora, beautiful hills with thick towering bamboo trees, a feeling of venturing into the unknown and ample opportunities of sightseeing—this is what Sariska greets you with. I opted for Jeep safari and embarked on the adventurous journey into the fascinating world of jungle with the guide named Shankar. He acquainted me with some information on Sariska. Sariska was established as a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Spreading over an area of 429 sq km, Sariska is a home to a rich variety of wildlife such as Tiger, Leopard, Hyena, Jackal, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Barasingha(antelope), Langur, Jungle Cat. Besides these animals, the Park boasts of a colourful avian world— Crested Serpent Eagle, Great Indian Horned Owl, Peafowl, Grey Partridge, Golden Back Woodpecker and lot more.
Making our way into the deeper side of the jungle we spotted Peafowl,Wild Boar, Crested Serpent Eagle and Nilgai. The Park has an applaudable population of langurs. Flocking from tree to tree they were showing us their jumping skills. What a fitness freak they are! My jaded eyes were still longing for something special—tiger. I kept asking my guide,” when will we sight a tiger” and he kept encouraging me by saying “soon”. I kept my fingers crossed and kept praying for my desire to be fulfilled. After moving a little ahead our fortune favoured us and we saw not only one but two tigers busy relishing their prey from close quarters. What a sight! I captured that moment in my camera and moved ahead. Then we saw the historic Kanwari Fort and the ruins of ancient temples of Garh-Rajor. This was another treat for our eyes.
Next morning we embarked on another wildlife journey. This time our destination was Ranthambhore National Park—the abode of Royal Bengal Tigers. It is a Project Tiger Reserve bounded by Banas River, the Chambal River, hills of Aravalli range and a plateau on its four sides. Enveloped with some greed, my heart again longed for a sight of tiger. Ranthambhore is a storehouse of wild flora and fauna. During the first hour of our safari we saw wild pig, sambar, nilgai, chital. I think it was quite an achievement. Not satisfied with our achievement we kept moving ahead in search of leopard and tiger. During our search for wildlife we saw Ranthambhore Fort which is the oldest fort in Rajasthan. When our morning safari was about to come to an end, the guide showed us the pugmarks of tiger. We stopped or Jeep there and started looking for tiger and fortunately got a glimpse of it. I thought to myself “something is better than nothing” and traced our steps back to our hotel near the Park.
Mystified by what I had seen and experienced during my visit to Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary and Ranthambhore National Park, I with my treasured memories of wildlife made a move towards my next destination—Jaisalmer.
Sweet aroma of wild flora, beautiful hills with thick towering bamboo trees, a feeling of venturing into the unknown and ample opportunities of sightseeing—this is what Sariska greets you with. I opted for Jeep safari and embarked on the adventurous journey into the fascinating world of jungle with the guide named Shankar. He acquainted me with some information on Sariska. Sariska was established as a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Spreading over an area of 429 sq km, Sariska is a home to a rich variety of wildlife such as Tiger, Leopard, Hyena, Jackal, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Barasingha(antelope), Langur, Jungle Cat. Besides these animals, the Park boasts of a colourful avian world— Crested Serpent Eagle, Great Indian Horned Owl, Peafowl, Grey Partridge, Golden Back Woodpecker and lot more.
Making our way into the deeper side of the jungle we spotted Peafowl,Wild Boar, Crested Serpent Eagle and Nilgai. The Park has an applaudable population of langurs. Flocking from tree to tree they were showing us their jumping skills. What a fitness freak they are! My jaded eyes were still longing for something special—tiger. I kept asking my guide,” when will we sight a tiger” and he kept encouraging me by saying “soon”. I kept my fingers crossed and kept praying for my desire to be fulfilled. After moving a little ahead our fortune favoured us and we saw not only one but two tigers busy relishing their prey from close quarters. What a sight! I captured that moment in my camera and moved ahead. Then we saw the historic Kanwari Fort and the ruins of ancient temples of Garh-Rajor. This was another treat for our eyes.
Next morning we embarked on another wildlife journey. This time our destination was Ranthambhore National Park—the abode of Royal Bengal Tigers. It is a Project Tiger Reserve bounded by Banas River, the Chambal River, hills of Aravalli range and a plateau on its four sides. Enveloped with some greed, my heart again longed for a sight of tiger. Ranthambhore is a storehouse of wild flora and fauna. During the first hour of our safari we saw wild pig, sambar, nilgai, chital. I think it was quite an achievement. Not satisfied with our achievement we kept moving ahead in search of leopard and tiger. During our search for wildlife we saw Ranthambhore Fort which is the oldest fort in Rajasthan. When our morning safari was about to come to an end, the guide showed us the pugmarks of tiger. We stopped or Jeep there and started looking for tiger and fortunately got a glimpse of it. I thought to myself “something is better than nothing” and traced our steps back to our hotel near the Park.
Mystified by what I had seen and experienced during my visit to Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary and Ranthambhore National Park, I with my treasured memories of wildlife made a move towards my next destination—Jaisalmer.
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And thanks for visiting my page. My blog is so bland and ordinary compared to yours! :o