06:15 AM: waiting for the endless paperwork before entering the park for the morning safari

Bandhavgarh has a core area of 105 km² surrounded by a buffer area over 800 km², so overall a large area for tigers to wander. Supposedly it has one of the highest densities of tigers of all the Indian parks. The area has a long history as a game preserve for the Maharajas, and has a diverse mammalian and bird fauna.

Each morning we would be collected in a “Gypsy” – a small 4WD vehicle adapted to the purpose by putting 2 bench seats in the back. We had a driver who was often very knowledgeable about the wildlife, and we had to take a “nature guide” at the park gates. Some of the nature guides were good, and spotted wildlife and explained the natural history; others were dead weight.

The open topped gypsies tended to get dusty when we were following other vehicles on the unsealed park tracks, and with the often rough roads and poorly padded seats, we were often rather exhausted at the end of a safari.  The morning safaris started well before dawn to get us to the gates and to the tedious paperwork to get into the parks. There is endless bureaucracy here – to do just about anything you need to show your passport; often you need to show your visa papers, fill in endless forms … So, a 5:30 start for the 6:30 dawn gate opening was the norm. The resort gave us a packed breakfast that we got to eat around 9-9:30 in one of the designated centre points. These ranged from a few shelters and a screen out in the paddock to use as a lavatory, to mud-brick buildings and proper toilet facilities.

We had 3 safaris at Bandhavgarh. We saw a variety of wildlife including the Indian Gaur. This species died out in the region due to cattle carried diseases, but 50 were reintroduced in 2012. Sadly no tigers presented themselves. But we did see tiger footprints.

Bandhavgarh to Kana is only 215 km but it takes 5 hours. I snapped some images from the car as we drove.

Here is the road through a typical town

hay delivery by bicycle

This tuk tuk had 15 passengers, the driver and a lot of luggage.

A few km before Kanha we struck a problem. A tractor with a trailer loaded with bricks had collided with a lorry (that is what they call trucks here) on the bridge. Fortunately the resort sent a car so we carried our luggage past the blockage and got to the resort safely.

Lots more photos at https://photos.app.goo.gl/8T1rwEnxysUHsXtZ2