It was December end. From Kolkata we travelled by Mumbai mail to reach Gondia. Car, courtesy of the hotel was waiting for us at station. Khatia, where we are supposed to stay is 3 hours from the Gondia station. The beautiful hilly road led us to Khatia. We reached hotel in the evening. It was cold! Our plan to stay there was for 3 days. To enter the Kanha forest, special types of open jeeps are available. These jeeps queue from early morning 4 am to enter the forests. We started a little late next morning. Strangely enough this late entry helped us! When so many jeeps enter together early in the morning, the animals and birds get frightened and fled away but we were alone at that time around 7 am and we were welcomed by a beautiful peacock. Our driver was an expert guide and he drove so beautifully through the forest and introduced with the inhabitants there. Variety of colorful birds, deer, wild bores, bison, and lots of monkeys along with the natural beauty and fragrance of the forest was splendid experience. We really couldn't stop snapping. Driver cum guide assure us that we may get a chance to see tiger if not today, at least in next two days. In our morning trip we were not lucky enough to see the king.
Came back to hotel for lunch and again started our second trip to the forest in the afternoon. This time we drove through another route. In this itinerary we saw different variety of owl, and so many colorful birds, sorry don't know the names. While coming back, driver from another jeep told us tiger is seen at some place. We drove fast and saw there are at least 15 jeeps are standing. Some of them told they have seen the tiger but it has left this place a little ago. We cursed our luck and get back to the hotel.
Next day morning we started with more enthusiasm, hoping for the best thing to come. Today we were blessed! We saw the rarest scene a tiger is crossing the road! It is not possible to explain how we felt by seeing it from so close and that too from an open jeep!
We were so satisfied; everyone spent rest of the time just by discussing how the experience was! We saw the museum at Kanha. The museum is mostly tiger oriented. After viewing the king, we really enjoyed the museum too. Folk dances by the local people were arranged by the hotel in the evening. We had still a morning session left.
Next morning we again entered the jungle, our last safari. We didn't expect anything more Kanha is going to gift us. To our surprise we suddenly saw a deer with beautiful horns and almost as big as horse! Our guide told us this is Hardground Barasinga / Barasingha Deer and is available specially in this forest. We were dumbstruck.
Kanha has fulfilled our all dreams and gave us everything one can expect from a jungle.
Information for visiting Kanha National Park:
It is best to go Kanha via Jabbalpur. Khatia is the entry point for the forest. Within the forest a MP tourism tourist lodge is there to stay at Kisli. Open jeeps are available to roam around in the forest. Your hotel authority will arrange for the car. This reserve forest is open for the tourists from October to June. It remains closed for three months during the rainy season. Daily two shifts are open for entry. 1st from sunrise to 12 pm and 2nd from 3 pm to sunset. 6 persons are allowed per jeep. You have to drive 3 km from Khatia to Kisli and pay the necessary entry charge and camera charge at the forest office to collect the permit, before entering the forest. Guide is must. Your driver may also be a licensed guide. Those who are coming from Bilaspur side, same arrangement is there at Mukki, another entry point to the Kanha forest.
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Where to stay at Kanha:
Baghira Log House at Kisli by MPTDC DB AP @INR 3600 – 4300 per day
At tourist hostel dormitory @INR 500 per bed
At Mukki Kanha Safari Lodge by MPTDC DB @ INR 2100 – 2900 per day
Private hotels 165 Km from Jabbalpur
Kipling camp kipling@nivalink.com
This article is republished at India study Channel
Photo attribution:
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