Ranthambhor National Park/Ranthambhor Regency Hotel
Ranthambhor
is a region synonymous with tigers and tiger hunting. Much like nearby
Bharatapur, Ranthambhor was a preserve where the maharajas engaged in this,
their favorite royal pastime. Today the tigers enjoy protected status in the Ranthambhor
National Park. Evidence of the tiger hunts of yesterday remain, in the form of
the maharaja's hunting lodge, shown in the photo above. Access to
the park takes guests past the Ranthambhor Fort, (photo to the right) which overlooks the jungle
below; in a fashion similar to medieval moats, its' Hindu architects designed the
jungle as a vital cog in the fort's defenses. The park is home to a variety of
wildlife, most of it more plentiful and accessible than the tigers.
The first animal that we encountered after passing through the Jurassic
Park-like gates of the entrance were wild boar, one of which is shown in the photo to the right.
There
was no lack of wildlife to observe as we rode through the forest and jungle
areas on flatbed trucks equipped with seats, a frosty ride at 6 a.m. on a
February morning! The park is well-stocked with herds of deer, and they seemed
nonplussed by the many vehicles whizzing by on the dirt paths. Two types of deer
are found in the Ranthambhor National Park. There are the larger Sambar
deer, large animals who resemble their North American counterparts. White
spotted deer are also plentiful, and these deer tend to be smaller than the
Sambar. The photo to the left shows a Sambar buck in a clearing, while the photo
to the left shows a group of three spotted deer, a mature buck, a doe and a
young "button" buck.
While
tigers are the featured species at Ranthambhor National Park, they remain
relatively elusive, with about 40 some tigers on the preserve. We were not
fortunate enough to spot a tiger, and had to settle for several sets of fresh
tracks. However, other guests at our hotel had better luck, spotting a tiger
on each of the three outings, proving that we were not in fact on an Indian
version of the snipe hunt. Still, it was a rewarding experience. On our second
trip we spotted the Asian antelope, which looked like a cross between a horse
and a hippopotamus! It is shown in the photo to the left, while the photo to the
right shows one of the many peacocks found on the grounds.
Ranthambhor
also has a great deal of wetland, similar to that found at Keoladeo Ghana
Sanctuary. These were good spots to look for wildlife, as they flock to the
waterholes to drink. The photo to the left shows a pair of monkeys, just two
members of the tribes of monkeys that surrounded Rajbagh Talao lake bank. The
photo to the left shows a crocodile basking on the lake shore. Also visible in
the distance were large herds of deer, antelopes, and gazelles. The hunting
lodge featured at the top of the page was also located on Rajbagh Talao lake.
While on safari, we stayed at the Ranthambhor
Regency Hotel, a few kilometers from the park, The hotel was designed very much
like a hunting lodge, with rustic rooms around a central courtyard. The photo to
the immediate left shows the main entryway to the Ranthambhor Regency Hotel.
From the lobby at the front of the hotel one passes by a corridor of rooms which in
turn open onto a large courtyard with a pool (photo to the right). Meals are
served in a large dining hall just beyond the pool. Although it looks inviting,
the water was very
cold when we visited, and there was not much lounging around the pool. Still a
few brave (foolhardy?) members of our group did take the plunge, while others
made certain that none of the guests were too comfortable in their chairs by
constantly booting a soccer ball in the courtyard area. The photo to the bottom
left shows one of the rooms. Decorated in lodge style, they boasted wooden bed
frames, a large armoire, a set of chairs and coffee table. A television was
provided (no English channels!) and the
cold of the marble floor was buffered by
carpets. All in all, a comfortable retreat from the rigors of bouncing around on
the back of a truck, buffeted by the cold February air. More bracing than the
outdoor adventures was the wait for the water in the shower to become hot!
