Wildlife Vacations in India

This wondrous land India, is a haven of flora, fauna and avifauna. The legacy of bountiful wild animals includes 550 mammals, 30,000 insects and 2000 species and sub-species of birds, with over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians including the deadly king cobras, pythons, crocodiles and monitor lizards. Due to its diverse topography and varying climatic conditions, India is the second largest country on the planet to have such diverse life forms. In order to protect the several endangered species, an endeavour to strike a balance between ecology and tourism is essential. Here is your chance to unravel the mysteries of Indian wildlife sanctuary.

Goa Wildlife Vacations in India
The rugged western ghats make it an ideal haven for many species of birds and animals and also provide a corridor for migration. The western ghats called the Sahyadris in Goa, extend for a total of 600kms in Goa of their total length of 3702 kms. The widest belt of forests along the western ghats is in Goa and neighbouring Karnataka state. The high rainfall accounts for this because the elevation of the mountain range here is lower.

Popular wildlife sanctuaries in Goa

Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary: 
This is Goa's only bird sanctuary, 1.8 Sq Km in area. A variety of local and migratory birds can be found on this island.

Bhagvan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary: 
The Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Goan town of Mollem.

Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary: 
Its mini zoo, sprawling deer park in natural habitat, botanical and rose gardens attract people throughout the year.

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary:
If one wants to see multi-storeyed forests with tall trees and rare plants, where hardly any light reaches the ground, Cotigao Sanctuary is the place to go to.

Rajasthan Wildlife Vacations in India

Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore is a wildlife enthusiast's paradise, about 180 kilometres from Jaipur and 360 kilometers from Delhi in Rajasthan's rugged Sawai Madhopur district. The drive from Jaipur is not particularly exciting so taking a train to this part of Rajasthan is an option you might consider. Situated at the eastern limits of the Aravalli range, the Ranthambore National Park takes its name from the medieval Ranthambore Fort that overlooks it. Ranthambore National park is famous for its tigers and is one of the best places in the country to see these majestic predators in the wild. The tigers can be easily spotted even during the day. A good time to visit between November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common. The Park covers an area of nearly 400 sq. km. and is set between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges.

Sariska Tiger Reserve
Sharp cliffs of hills and narrow valleys of the Aravallis dominate the landscape of Sariska, whose forests are dry and deciduous. Within the Sariska wildlife sanctuary there are the ruins of medieval temples of Garh-Rajor, belonging to the 10th and 11th centuries. A 17th century castle on a sharp hilltop at Kankwari, provides a panoramic view of flying Egyptian vultures and eagles. The area was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and became a National Park in 1979.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
One of the finest bird parks in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana Natiuonal Park) is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water- birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Kerala Wildlife Vacations in India

Periyar Wildlife Santuary
Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats, in God’s Own Country, Kerala, is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. Periyar wildlife sanctuary has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife. Though its a Tiger Reserve, tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the Periyar lake.

Other Wildlife Vacations in India

Bandhavgarh National Park
The thick forest of Bandhavgarh National Park sits in a bowl encircled by cliffs and wooded Vindhyan mountains, and its plains have a number of grass and reed covered wetlands where Kingfishers dive and Egrets sit poised, hunch-backed, in the shallows. Up above, vultures nestle in holes in the sheer cliffs. The Bandhavgarh jungle, when it is large enough, becomes a living self-sustaining organism providing its own climate, atmosphere, water and nutrition through its recycling systems. It even has a sleep wake cycle. As more light fills the sky, Bandhavgarh begins to awaken.

Kanha Tiger Reserve
Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha national park cum Tiger reserve extends over an area of over 1,940-sq-kms. The major feature of this region's interesting topography is the horseshoe shape valley and the whole park area is surrounded by the spurs of the Mekal. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha's central Maidans, grasslands that cover the extensive plateau. Steep rocky escrapments along the edges offer breathtaking views of the valley.

Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
In the southwest of the peninsular state of Gujarat, lies the 116 square-mile Gir sanctuary created to protect the last wild population of Lion outside the African regions. Since 1913 when the Lion population over here fell drastically to just 20 animals, the numbers have increased to around 300. The Asiatic lion is slightly smaller than its African cousin is and its mane is also smaller.