O
VER the last decade, I’ve travelled extensively in India’s
wild spaces, from the Himalayan National Park with its alpine
vegetation in the north, to the wet rainforests of Agumbe
in the south. The remarkable thing about India’s natural
landscape is its diverse ecosystems, all in one place:
rainforests, scrublands, river sanctuaries, islands, deserts...
I’ve started to see these places not as destinations, but as homes,
with their own history and stories of survival. It’s downright impossible
to pick which places you should travel to. This piece, then, is just a place
to begin. Start with these and go on to explore the tremendous ecosystems
that this country hosts.
THE CENTRAL INDIAN TRIO
IN MADHYA PRADESH
Go for: Jeep safaris, big cats, birding
This is the heart of tiger country.
Madhya Pradesh hosts three of the
most popular names in wildlife tourism:
Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, sitting side
by side. They’re on this list together so
you can put more than one on your
itinerary. The landscape is similar across
these forests. Sal and teak trees dominate
the central Indian landscape and much of
K ipli ng’s Jungle Book is set in Pench,
not Kanha, as many believe. While
driving through Pench, you’ll see how
the large grey boulders, stacked up
against each other, could so easily be
Bagheera’s perch, and how the numerous
rocky plateaus could host important wolf
council meetings. But Shere Khan is
surprisingly sociable here. Collarwali,
a radio-collared tigress, is a favourite
with photographers and tourists.
She seems unfazed by attention and
regularly emerges for sightings with
her cubs. Unlike in the south, this
familiarity with and affection for certain
tigers is extensive in the forests of central
and northern India. While some think
this encourages a fondness for the
animals, others see it as a danger to
the cats and other species, escalating
one animal’s brand over that of the forest,
even in a poacher’s eyes. Whichever way
you see it, some of these animals have
achieved cult status. Bandhavgarh, which
is still one of the most popular parks in
the country, was an even stronger magnet
for tourism years ago, with stories about
the mighty Bamera, Kankati and Charger
delighting travellers.
To me, Bandhavgarh means none of
those things, but an opportunity to work
and volunteer in conservation in the
context of the communities that stay
around the forest. Instead of just sitting
in a jeep and zipping through the forest,
it’s more enriching to find opportunities to
engage in upkeep, awareness programmes
and constructive tourism. In national
parks like these, make time to walk on
nature trails, observe smaller animals,
especially those that aren’t as charismatic
as the big cats, converse with people
you meet, use travel as a way to
understand our tourism spaces and
how you can contribute.
And do enjoy these forests. The tiger
is just one resident of this ecosystem.
Pay attention to the landscape, observe
how it changes as you move between
zones. By the time you hit the famed
Kanha meadows, you will have seen
many chitals already, but wait and
observe as the sun rises over these
grasslands, bathing the landscape in
a warm glow, illuminating herds of deer,
langurs, and so many hidden creatures.GETTING THERE
BY AIR: Both Nagpur (better for Pench and
Kanha) and Jabalpur (for Bandhavgarh)
have airports with a good flight frequency.
BY RAIL: Nagpur, Katni and Umaria are
railheads on this route.
BY ROAD: From Nagpur, Pench is closest
at 90km, then Kanha (at 260km). It is better
to drive to Bandhavgarh from Jabalpur
(190km).
BEST TIME TO VISIT: March to May, when
the intense heat brings the cats to the
waterholes, is a good time for sightings.The parks are closed in the monsoon. (^) 123 RF
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