Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve – Safari

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve – Safari

The tiger reserve is open from 16^th October till 30^th June and is closed from 1^st July till 30^th 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.