The Tadoba National Park is the biggest home of the famed Royal Bengal Tigers in Maharashtra. Sprawled over 1726 square kilometres, the reserve has over 80 tigers, making it one of the best places in India to spot the famed beast. Your safaris here will take you through dense jungles and vast landscapes as you cross paths scores of animal species roaming about in the wilderness they call home!
What you’ll see
The Tadoba National Park is flanked by the Chimur Hills to the north and the Tadoba Lake to the south. The park is covered in dry tropical foliage, with the forests thinning out into grasslands and deep valleys. The varied landscape and flora create an ideal habitat for hundreds of animal, bird and insect species.
Throughout the park, you’re likely to find the infamous striped beast, prowling through the jungles and lounging by the lakeside. Apart from Bengal Tigers, you will find leopards, sloth bears and hyenas on the lookout for prey. Prancing through the thickets, you’ll spot sambhar deer, chital, gaur and antelopes and hear the shrill calls of the barking deer.
Summers bring in flocks of migratory birds for the mating season, when you’re likely to see woodpeckers, serpent eagles, hawk-eagles, jacanas and more fluttering through the treetops and catching fish in the lakes.
Tadoba is also teeming with tiny critters, including the endangered eggflies, butterflies like pansies, monarchs and swordtails, jewel beetles and more.
Tadoba National Park Zones
Booking for Tadoba occurs for safaris in three zones, namely the Moharli, Tadoba and Kolsa Zones.
The most popular is the Moharli Zone, accessible via the Moharli Gate. It’s the central zone of the park and has the maximum number of safaris conducted in it owing to the dense population of mammals, including the keystone species of the Bengal Tiger.
To the north of the park lies the Tadoba Zone, accessible via the Navegaon, Kolara and Khutwanda gates. This area is dotted with hills all across and holds the Tadoba Lake, making it an ideal habitat for various wildlife species. The thick forests are also home to numerous bird species and is teeming with migrant birds in the summer mating season.
For visitors that are looking for a peaceful, offbeat experience, the southern Kolsa Zone, accessible via the Pangdi and Zari gates, is the perfect option! It is least frequented by tourists and is rich in tropical flora that’s home to the infamous striped beasts. Fewer tourists mean the area remains undisturbed, giving you a fair chance to spot animals relaxing in the wilderness.
Recently, six buffer zones were added to reduce crowding at the core zones. They are the Alizanza, Agarzari, Junona, Devada Adegaon, Ramdegi and Kolara zones.
Tadoba Safari
Booking for Tadoba is done to explore the deepest parts of the jungles where wild beasts reside.
Jeeps can take up to 6 people at once to all the zones of the park. The compact vehicle takes you to crevices inaccessible by a bus/canter, making it an ideal choice for hardcore nature lovers!
Canters are open buses that take up to 16 people on a predetermined path through the park. This is the best option for larger groups that are looking for a short and sweet ride filled with sightings of the numerous fauna and avifauna of the park.
Where to stay
You can find a large number of resorts, hotels and lodges at the periphery of the park, which are in close proximity to its various gates.