The lure of India’s exoticism is not just restricted to its heritage monuments, its glorious narrative –filled palaces and royal retreats or its religious pursuits. One of the most compelling aspects of the country’s natural heritage is its national game parks and wildlife sanctuaries that are the gorgeous stamping grounds of a wealth of flora and fauna. Most of these are open to the public through the winter months till the onset of the hot days of summer when sightings are more rewarding as the animals converge on the watering holes. There are, however, some wildlife spots which are open all year round, though these are few. Scroll through this preferred choice of 4 Fantastic Wildlife Vacation Spots in India.
Jhalana Leopard Safari Park
Having tasted of the many pleasures and allurements of the Pick City, a date with a wilderness space just 10 km away from Jaipur is just the ticket for a great wildlife vacation experience. The Jhalana Leopard Safari Park lies close to Nahargarh, which has its own compelling attractions for visitors. The park, with its lazy sprawl of 23sq km offers some of the most exciting leopard sightings in India. Jhalana Leopard Safari Park is India’s first Leopard Reserve. The beauty of this wildlife vacation is that you can enjoy this lush natural habitat in proximity to one of Rajasthan’s most popular urban spaces.
Since Jhalana was once a royal hunting preserve till 1860 one can, on a day safari, still delve into the rich biodiversity of the park while savouring the fantastic sightings of wildlife in this natural habitat.
If luck is on your side, you might even get to spot the elusive denizens such as the panther, the golden jackal, the Indian palm civet and monitor lizards. Birding enthusiasts too will love this wildlife habitat, as it offers fantastic sightings of popular species such as the Indian Pitta, Dusky Eagle, Spotted Owlet, Indian roller, shikra, and hawks. To further enhance the joys of this wildlife vacation another good place is the nearby Nahargarh Biological Park, a part of the Nahargarh sanctuary and lies on the Jaipur- Delhi highway, 20 km from Jaipur city.This lush natural habitat is home to around 285 avifaunal species including the elusive white-naped tit. One of the popular spots for birding here is the placid Ram Sagar.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Another beautiful wildlife vacation can be enjoyed in Mumbai city. For the uninitiated, this mega metropolis stands cheek-by-jowl with the amazing Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Sprawled over an expanse of 103 sq km along the Western Express Highway in suburban Mumbai, the park serves as a natural sanctuary to the growing leopard populace in the region. You can also drool over the fantastic botanical splendour and great avifaunal wealth of the park, also known as the Borivili National Park. Several species of dragonflies and damselflies have made the park their home. Divided into seven zones, the park is a big draw for wildlife buffs and back-to-nature enthusiasts. History buffs will love exploring the 109 Buddhist rock-cut caves of deep antiquity. Kids and grownup on this wildlife vacation will love the lion safari and boating here.
Mollem National Park
The drive 56km from Panjim in Goa to Mollem National Park offers an exhilarating promise of some fantastic birding experiences in a superb wildlife habitat. If you want to transform your Goa sojourn into a wildlife vacation, this is one of the best spots to be so close to the historic city which served as the new bastion for Portuguese rule after Old Goa.. Straddling the border area between Goa and Karnataka, Mollem is another of those beautiful spots which offers an alluring side of Goa’s natural beauty. Spread over 240 sq km Mollem also holds the Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary in its embrace. Keep your eyes peeled for sightings of the nocturnal sloth bear, wild dogs and flying squirrels. Another attraction is here the hiking trail to the glorious Dudhsagar Falls.
Nagarhole National Park
While enjoying a leisurely vacation in the erstwhile royal city of Mysore, plan to travel to the superb Nagarhole National Park, also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park. Just 95km away from Mysore the national park runs contiguous to both Bandipur and Wayanad game parks in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. Your wildlife safari vacation will introduce you to one of India’s great biodiversity hot spots. Be prepared for some unique sightings of wild elephants, the elusive tiger and leopard and other denizens of this wildlife habitat. For an untrammeled wildlife vacation, you can choose to stay here at one of the beautiful jungle retreats for a night or two for more up-close experiences of this stunning jungle world. Go for boat rides on the beautiful Kabini River on birding tours or simply to watch the shoreline serve up unexpected wildlife sightings of animals and birds enjoying a meal by the river.
There are plenty of other wildlife vacation spots which lie close to popular tourist cities across India. Do your homework well and you will come up with some lovely choices.