Travel Stories - India

The road from "Jabalpur" is bad and we stop with the bus about every few meters to get people in and out. Finally I see the signs along the road announcing the national park "Kanha". Someone close to me starts to tell a story about that he has ever met a tiger on his path outside the park not far from here. It is a long monotonous road with some buildings here and there and suddenly I see a hotel name that I had written down as an option but we have not yet reached the village, or the park, so I keep my mouth shut as we drive one. The village turns out to be a few huts and suddenly we are standing in front of the big fence of the park and I am asked if I want to come (then I have to pay an entrance fee) or that I will stay here! I do not even know exactly where we are but I get out of the bus in the hope that I will make the right choice. 

In the bus a young local girl gave me a map of a hostel here, what suppose to be “Kisli”. With my little card I take my bag from the luggage store in the bus and I am sent to a sandpad that goes out of the village. Between the fields, I walk on a dust path where a tractor meets me. On the side of the road is a dead monkey, probably attacked by a bunch of dogs. The path now runs up a courtyard where a large, rather modern, covered restaurant is located; behind them I see a few rows of shacks that look like separate apartments and then the girl walks up to me. I check in and walk straight back to the "main street" of the town which is no more than a dusty road full of jeeps with some eateries and hotels. Here I try to get some information from several people and organizations about a possible safari tomorrow. It seems that I, as a Western tourist, pay 6 times more than local people, and if I want to keep it affordable it is necessary to share with several people in a jeep.

My alarm goes at a quarter to five because I’ll go on jeep safari today! I warm up a bit and I walk to the meeting place where we will have breakfast at the restaurant at my place. When the others come in (from other hotels), I’m kinda shocked; they all wear scarves, hats, very thick winter coats and I wonder if they will appoint themselves or is it really cold? I take some extra clothes with me but I think they are exaggerating. Fifteen minutes later we are standing with a whole row of jeeps in front of the gate of Kanha National Park where I got off yesterday by bus. When the gate opens, we drive through the bufferzone, see some deer and again stand in front of a fence. This is the actual park and here we fill in forms and pay the entrance fee. This short ride was only a minute or 10, but I already regret that I have not taken more clothes with me; my hands are freezing cold and especially my cheeks have to endure it. I have a "sarong" with me and binds it around my head; I also do my socks over my hands.

It’s a wonderful sight to see the dew over the fields, shrubs and among the trees. Especially above the lake we see it is a mysterious and striking sight. "Kanha" park or tiger reserve is the largest nature park in Central India and of course the best known for "Kipling's" Jungle book. It is in the top 10 most popular attractions in India. The park is famous for its population of Bengal tigers but there are also Indian leopards, slot bears, the Indian wild dog and the newly introduced "barasingha", a wild ox and largest of the wild animals in the park. The landscape consists of lush greenery with bamboo forest, meadows but also numerous ravines. The nomadic tribe "Baiga" once lived here, depending on the forest. We are still talking among ourselves in the back when someone talks about the mobile phone and the guide says that a tiger has been spotted. Already? It is a race, but we come too late. We see monkeys, deer and many birds but no big wild animals like the tiger or leopard. A few hours later we arrive at a large parking lot and here we get out of the car and agree with the driver and spotter to be back an hour later. There is a museum and a restaurant. We are far too late for the elephant show.

Because I didn’t experience yersterday what I came for I book another day in the jeep. Today I do not let myself be surprised by the cold; I take my sleeping bag, an extra blanket and more clothing. When the Swedes arrive that I met yesterday, I'm still laughing; they are completely wrapped up and walk in their sleeping bag. We drive through the gate and it is still dim when the driver suddenly stops at the side of the road and points between two bushes. Yes, it is a leopard who walks quietly into the forest. When we look again we see one more and I realize that this is pure luck; these animals are very shy and it is unique to spot them up so close. And it is still early! Much earlier we go to the central point today and we are happy to hear that there is an elephant show and that we are at number 6. 

There is a tiger spotted and we race with our jeep in that direction; we see deer sprinting away and screaming monkeys which may indicate the presence of a tiger but we do not see anything. We drive around and then comes the point where you have to decide; whether or not on the elephant. I really want to see a tiger and decide to pay extra. A few jeeps are waiting in a row and I see people climbing an elephant with a ladder. You have to pay on the spot and we go with the French lady on the back of an elephant while we walk directly into the high grass. The tiger lies in the tall grass for a long time, so that you can never spot it from the road, and look up when we get close. A beautiful sight to see this big male from so close in the wild. Five minutes are nothing to experience this unique moment and before we know it we are back in the jeep. It gets too hot to spot wild animals and after a few stops where we see monkeys and deer we drive back to the gate - satisfied! Sheree Kan and Bagera seen - Balou has to go next time.