Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve – Safari
The tiger reserve is open from 16th October till 30th June and is
closed from 1st July till 30th September. The tiger reserve remains closed to tourists during Holi, Diwali, New Year and Wednesday
evenings.
Safari Timings:
|
Months |
Morning Hrs |
Evening Hrs |
|
15 Oct - 15 Feb |
06:30 - 11:00 AM |
02:30 - 05:30 PM |
|
16 Feb - 31 March |
06:30 - 11:00 AM |
03:00 - 06:00 PM |
|
01 Apr - 30 June |
05:30 - 10:00 AM |
04:00 - 07:00 PM |
Safari Zones:
The tiger reserve consists of mainly two zones, namely core zones and buffer zones.
The zones are divided according to the animal movements. The core zones have
higher animal movement while the buffer zones have lesser animal movement.
Core Zones:
The core
zones are the main zones in the tiger reserve and have higher animal movement. There
are three core zones in this reserve. All these three zones are accessible
through Jeep safaris. The Tala and Magadhi core zones are more popular among
the three zones due to high tiger sightings.
Tala Safari Zone:
Tala Safari
Zone is the most popular zone for safari in this tiger reserve. It got its name
from the Tala village. The highest tiger sightings are reported from this zone.
Rajbhra and Chakradhara are popular meadows ideal for tiger sightings. Tourist
attractions like Bandhavgarh Fort, Shesh Shaiya (idol of lord Vishnu), Bari
Gufa, Sita Mandap, Gopalpur pond, three cave points, etc. are situated in this
zone. The entry gate of Tala is the main gate of the whole tiger reserve area.
The ticket counter is situated at the Tala entry gate.
·
Entry Gate: Tala
entry point / Gate number 1
·
Maximum Number of
Vehicles: Morning - 28, Evening - 27
Magadhi Safari Zone:
Magadhi Safari
Zone is situated adjacent to the Tala zone. It is situated at about 10 Kms from
the entry point of Tala. This zone is also popular for tiger sightings. Tourist
attractions like Charger Point (named after Charger, the most popular tiger
that once lived in these territories), Climber's Point, Dinosaur Rock,
Rajbehra, Patiha Camp, Dahua Tower, etc. are situated in this zone. This zone has
several man-made water holes. Some of the water holes are Murdhawa, Dabhadol
tank, Sookhi Talab, Sookhi dam, and Mehman Pond. These water holes serves the
wildlife during the summer.
·
Entry Gate: Magadhi entry
point / Gate number 2
·
Maximum Number of
Vehicles: Morning - 26, Evening - 25
Khitauli Safari Zone:
It is
the third core zone and situated on the western part of the tiger reserve. This
core zone is situated opposite to the Magadhi zone and is about 5 kms from the
Tala entry point. The tiger sightings in this zone is lesser compared to the
other two zones. This zone is blessed with dense forest and considered as the
best place for bird watching. Tourist attractions like Umrai River, Marjadgarh
Tower, Nigahi Nala, Garhpuri Dam, Charki Dongri, etc. are situated in this
zone.
·
Entry Gate: Khitauli entry
point/ Gate number 3
·
Maximum Number of Vehicles:
Morning - 21, Evening - 20
Buffer Zones:
The
buffer zones are situated around the core zones of the tiger reserve. The
buffer zones allows more tourist movements than in the core zones. The buffer
zone has very slight chances of tiger sightings, but still other wildlife can
be spotted here. Buffer zones are open throughout the year for visits and can
easily be booked even some days before the visit. The buffer zones offer walking
safaris and night safari. There are three Buffer zones in this tiger reserve
namely Dhamokar, Johila, and Panpatha.
Panpatha Safari Zone:
Panpatha
buffer zone is situated adjacent to the Khitauli core zone. It covers most of
the northern portion of the tiger reserve. This zone can be accessed by Jeep
Safari. This buffer zone has its entry gate from Pachpedi and the safari route
starts from Pachpedi and ends at Khitauli.
Dhamokhar Safari Zone:
Dhamokhar
Zone is the southwestern buffer zone of this tiger reserve and is an extension
of the Magadhi Core Zone. This zone is accessible from the Parasi entry point. This
zone is famous for leopard and Sloth bear sightings. Dhamokhar buffer zone
starts from Parasi to Badawar, and it covers Jamunia, Jhaanjh, Mudgudi,
Kehrawah, Kadewaha, Kudarmada, Sahu, Taal, Shimada, Madehavah, Kalwahdhaar and
Badawar.
Johila Safari Zone:
The
Johila buffer zone shares the eastern boundaries of the Tala Core Zone. It is accessible
from the Cechpur / Gajwahi gate. Johila Falls and Kuthulia Falls are situated
in this buffer zone. This zone is famous for bird watching. The Jeep safari in
the Johila Buffer zone starts from Chechpur and ends at Gajwahi.
Jeep Safari:
The most
popular and the best way to explore this reserve is through the Jeep safari. Jeep
safaris are conducted two times a day. The first safari is in the early morning
and the second in the early evening, as the animal movements are maximum in
these times. Normally 4Wd Gypsies are used in Jungle Safaris. Maximum 6 people
are allowed to sit in a jeep with a professional guide.
Jeep Safari Fees:
· Park entry Fees (Magdhi,
Tala, and Khitauli Zones): ₹1550 for Indians and foreigners.
·
Guide fees: ₹360 per drive.
·
Jeep Charges: ₹2500 per drive
Canter Safari:
Tourists
can also visit the reserve in canter vehicles. It can accommodate up to 12
tourists. It is available to the tourist on the basis of first come first
serve. Canter Safari is allowed in Khitauli and Magadhi Zone.
Elephant Safari:
The
elephant safari is one of the unique experiences in this reserve. This allows
the tourists to explore the reserve sitting on the back of the elephant. This
special safari can only be arranged for the tourists if they have written
permission from the Field Director of Bandhavgarh.
Elephant Safari Fees:
· Foreigners: ₹ 2000 per person for 1 hour
in Maghadhi Zone in the mornings.
·
Indians: ₹ 700 per person for 1 hour
in Maghadhi Zone in the mornings.
·
₹ 80,000 per elephant for 1 whole day for 4 people.
Walk Safaris:
There
are guided walk safaris with a tourist guide at the buffer zones. Tourists will
be accompanied by a naturalist and a forest official.
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