We decided to take our next trip to Bandhavgarh National Park when we realized that seeing a tiger is on our bucket list and the high density of tigers in the region means definitely a great chance of spotting one.

Bandhavgarh National Park lies in the Vindhyachal Ranges of Madhya Pradesh in central India and has the great majority of tigers, one of the highest in India. The great majority of tigers in the relatively compact area, form the core of the larger Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The park signboard itself read -” Welcome to the Land of Tigers”.With a great sighting rate, the tigers are the superstars here.

Bandhavgarh National Park- Tiger spotted in Magdhi Zone

The best time to see tigers in this park is from April to May, But it's super hot here. So to avoid hot weather, visitors come from November to March. During this time the temperature is good and the landscape is greenery. We planned our Trip To Bandhavgarh National Park in February 2021 and it was really pleasant at that time. 

Bandhavgarh is closed in the monsoon season from July to Sept end.

How to reach Bandhavgarh National Park?

Bandhavgarh is best connected via Train- the major connecting stations are Umaria, Katni, Satna, and Jabalpur. The nearest railway station is Umaria after Katni station, from there it's about 40 minutes drive to reach Tala park, the entrance at Bandhavgarh.

The 2nd way is to fly from Delhi, Agra, or Varanasi to Khajuraho and take a 7 to 8 hours drive to Tala park. The nearest airport is Khajuraho.

We Traveled via road from Umaria Railway station and it was a really convenient way. You will get local auto or taxi available at the station. You can easily bargain with the taxi drivers.

Where to Stay in Bandhavgarh National Park?

After reaching the Tala park, the entrance, you will find a lot of accommodation options depending on the budget.

If you want to spend much on staying, you will get good resorts and spa facilities like Mahua Kothi, Treehouse Resort, Nature Heritage Resort. But these are really expensive ones.

If you want a budget stay with good amenities and good food, there are options like Wild Tiger Resort. We stayed in Wild Tiger Resort, Bandhavgarh for a 2 day and 1-night trip. The hotel rooms are good with a perfect garden view. They also help you out in arranging the safari but it's always better to book your safari in advance.

Bandhavgarh National Park- Wild Tiger Resort

Before moving on, you should be informed and should have a clarity of different Gates and Zones, which ones are the best to explore. 

This was the part we struggled with a bit so, we are going to give you a proper explanation on this.

Being the best wildlife enthusiast, Bandhavgarh is the ideal tiger country offering the best sightings in the country. The forest is divided into 2 major zones: Core Zone and Buffer Zone.

Core Zone: (Khitauli Gate, Magdhi Gate, Tala Gate) It's the central and important part where the conservation of wildlife and natural resources is strictly protected by the forest department. It shares its boundary with the buffer zone.

Buffer Zone: (Dhamokhar Zone, Panpatha Zone, Maanpur Zone) It is an area that surrounds the core areas where nature is conserved alongside compatible human uses of the land or water. 

For the tiger safari, we will be going to any one of the core zones. Magdhi zone is the best to spot the big cat, we experienced 4 tigers in this zone on the same day of safari.

The Bandhavgarh National park is covered with Sal forests, bamboos, and grasslands along with 32 wooded hills. Bandhavgarh National Park was once the hunting place for the kings of the Rewa kingdom.

There is a 2,000-year-old Bandhavgarh Fort rising 300m above all, crowning the park’s highest point. The history of this place is from the era of Ramayana. It is believed that Bandhavgarh Fort has been gifted by Lord Rama to his younger brother Lakshmana to keep an eye on Lanka. "Bandhav" means brother and "Garh" means fort. Hence the name, Bandhavgarh. And is now ruled by tigers, leopards, and wild animals. The access to the fort has been stopped now, although it's allowed for the villagers only on festive occasions.

Another famous sculpture is Shesh Shaiya, still accessible to the normal public. The vision is the 35 feet long Lord Vishnu in reclining position, resting on the seven-headed serpent called Sheshnaag and hence the name “Shesh Shaiya”. There is a ShivaLinga to the left and a Brahma statue to the right, which is now covered with roots, not easily visible. The idea was to set up Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh) in this place.

It's the only place inside the forest where it's allowed to step out of Jeep and that too with high risk because the tigers and leopards have been sighted on Shesh Shaiya

The Fort and Shesh Shaiya are in the Tala zone of the park, which is the oldest Zones of all. It has a marvelous view of small hills, forts, and Greenland.

The Magadhi zone is at the top hot spot for tiger sightings. This zone is very famous for the beloved Emperor of the forest, Charger. 

The charger was one of the most fearless and frightful tigers, who fought a battle with the then ruling tiger, Banka, to claim his territory.

Another tigress Sita is one of the most photographed in the world because of her beauty. 

Charger and Sita raised their family and ruled for almost a decade and increased their family. In fact, most of the tigers in this zone are from their family. After Sita’s death due to old age, Charger also died in a fight with his own son B2.

There is a Charger point in a Magadhi zone in his memory. Unfortunately, we missed taking the photograph of this point :(

The last zone is Khitauli, the western part of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The zone is covered with a dry deciduous forest of bamboo. Animals like Nilgai, deer, and elephants inhabit this zone. This zone is known for sightseeing and the herbivorous.

How to Book Safari in Bandhavgarh National Park?

Online booking-  https://forest.mponline.gov.in

Offline booking- You can book from the safari booking office. Reach 1.5 hours earlier than the safari timings along with photo identity.

Prior booking - You can ask your hotel or resort to book the safari in a particular zone and time.

The safari runs in 2 slots- Morning and afternoon 

What are the Safari Charges in Bandhavgarh?

We had a prior booked safari from the resort only. Our slot was in the afternoon. It was an amazing experience with unforgettable memories. We reached at around 7pm at our resort and left the resort on the same day. We returned to the Umaria railway station via car.

Some Important points for the Bandhavgarh Trip

• Never jump out of Jeep or Canter in safari.

• Be ready with your camera and mobile phones to save a few clicks.

• Don't hesitate to ask your guide everything about the zone and the forest.

Bandhavgarh National Park- Jungle Safari