There is a very specific kind of madness that grips people just before the monsoon arrives in India. Some rush to beaches, others flee to the hills. We decided the sensible thing to do was drive straight into tiger country in central India in search of striped royalty before the rains washed away every paw print and safari track in sight. As it turns out, the tigers were feeling unusually sociable.
Our adventure began in Tadoba, Maharashtra’s fiery tiger kingdom where the forests are dry, dusty and look as though they belong in an old western rather than central India. The teak forests crackled in the heat and every rustle in the bushes sent cameras scrambling into position.
Within 48 hours, we had spotted two tigers and not blurry orange blobs disappearing into foliage either. One sauntered across the road during a morning safari as though late for an appointment, while another posed magnificently during an evening drive, seemingly aware of its audience and entirely comfortable with the attention.
Tadoba’s tigers have developed quite the reputation for indulging wildlife enthusiasts and they know exactly what they are doing. The reserve held plenty of supporting actors too — bears, monitor lizards, sambar deer, barking deer and enough birdlife to keep enthusiasts occupied for weeks. Stay at Waghoba Eco Lodge. ₹20,000 onwards.
Next came Pench, the jungle that inspired The Jungle Book and the only tiger reserve in India to stretch across two states.
Unlike Tadoba, Pench feels greener and softer. The Pench River winds through dense woodland, creating a landscape that feels distinctly more Kipling-esque.
The tiger sightings continued with one magnificent cat appearing with surprising ease, prompting celebrations inside the safari vehicle that would probably have embarrassed us had anyone else been around to hear them. Pench is also leopard country and conversations soon drifted towards the elusive black panthers reportedly wandering across the reserve. Suddenly every bush looked suspiciously panther-shaped. Stay at Pench Tree Lodge. ₹20,000 onwards.
Our final stop was Kanha, arguably India’s most beautiful national park. Towering sal forests open into vast meadows while bamboo groves sway gently in the breeze. If Tadoba is rugged and Pench adventurous, Kanha is majestic.
The park rescued the hard-ground barasingha from extinction and remains a powerful reminder that conservation succeeds only when wildlife and local communities thrive together and yes, we spotted the Bengal Tiger, in all its majesty, once again. Stay at Kanha Earth Lodge. ₹20,000 onwards.
