Ranthambore National Park: Rajasthan’s Eco-Jewel
Located in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, the Ranthambore National Park is considered to be one of India’s best national and wildlife parks. The Ranthambore National Park is particularly famous for the wide variety of animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that call it home. For this reason alone, many commentators refer to Ranthambore National Park as Rajasthan’s Eco-Jewel.
The Ranthambore National Park is most famous for its tigers, whose population has been somewhat stabilized owing to intensive conservation efforts. Some of the other animals who call the Ranthambore National Park their home are leopards, sambars, chitals, striped hyenas, nilgais, macaques, common or Hanuman langurs, jackals, jungle cats, caracals, sloth bears, Indian porcupines, black bucks, chinkaras, common palm civets (toddy cats), rufous-tailed hare, Indian flying foxes, Indian wild boars, five-striped palm squirrels, common yellow bats, Indian mole rats, desert cats, Indian foxes, Indian gerbilles, Indian false vampires, ratels, small Indian mongooses, long-eared hedgehogs, small Indian civets and common mongooses.
Among the reptiles that call this natural reserve their home, the more prominent are snub nosed marsh crocodiles, desert monitor lizards, banded kraits, cobras, common kraits, tortoises, Ganga soft-shelled turtles, rat snakes, Indian pythons, north Indian flap-shelled turtles, saw-scaled vipers, Russel’s vipers and Indian chameleons. The common toad and the common frog are the most common amphibians in this park.
Places to visit in Ranthambore National Park
There are many places definitely worth visiting inside the Ranthambore National Park. Prominent and popular among these are Ranthambore Fort, Malik Talao, Padam Talao, Rajbagh Talao and Jhalra. The Ranthambore National Park is located in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is one of India’s most tourist-friendly destinations and is a delight to visit any time of the year. Further, owing to its excellent rail and road connectivity, the Ranthambore National Park is strategically located and is close to many other tourist attractions of Rajasthan including the state’s other national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife reserves and wildlife parks.
Ranthambore National Park- Travel tips, languages spoken, cuisine
- Languages: Hindi and English are widely spoken in the region surrounding the Ranthambore National Park, and as such communication should not be a problem.
- Cuisine: Cuisine, however, would largely be local.
- Wildlife photography and camping are highly recommended.
Many tour operators in India offer package wildlife tours and wildlife safaris for Ranthambore National Park.
Best time to visit Ranthambore National Park
The Ranthambore National Park lies in the desert state of Rajasthan. Here, the variations in summer and winter temperature and in maximum and minimum temperature are quite high. The temperature ranges from a minimum of 2 degree Celsius in the winter to a maximum of 47 degree Celsius in the summer. Thus, it is suggested that one avoid visiting this wildlife tourism during the peak summer months. The best time to visit the Ranthambore National Park is between the months of November and February (when the weather is extremely pleasant) and the months April and May (note that this is the peak summer time and the temperatures can be very high; however, these are the months when the chances of spotting tigers are the highest).
Ranthambore National Park- Getting there
- By Air: Jaipur, located 122 odd kms, away is the airport nearest to the Ranthambore National Park.
- By Rail: Sawai Madhopur, located a mere 5 to 6 kms away, is the nearest and most convenient railhead. Further, Sawai Madhopur lies on the Mumbai-Delhi main line and as such boasts of excellent rail connectivity.
- By Road: The Ranthambore National Park is well connected to all the important cities in the region.
Accommodation
Hotels, inspection bungalows, private cottages, etc. are available to suit all budgets. The Ranthambore National Park abounds in family holiday resorts and wildlife resorts. One can obtain excellent discounts on accommodation via package Ranthambore National Park tours.