Area: 1,334 km², of which 400 km² are open for safari. Ranthambore, a former princely hunting ground some two hundred kilometres southwest of Delhi, once held barely fifteen tigers. Today it is one of the world's best-known parks for tiger sightings. Encountering a tiger here is a rare experience — Ranthambore is where it allows itself to be glimpsed. Whatever fear it inspires, Bengalis hold the tiger to be magical, and venerate it. This exceptional stay, devoted to tracking and observing the most legendary of all big cats, is timed for the best season: the dry months. As vegetation thirsts for the coming monsoon and water becomes scarce, animals are easier to spot around the remaining waterholes — among them sambar deer, chital, Indian gazelle, sloth bear and leopard. Within the park, tigers move among the many ruined pavilions, Hindu and Mughal in style, scattered across a landscape of cliffs and lakes, jungle and hills scorched by the Rajasthan sun. The abandoned hunting lodges and the ruined palace of a former Maharajah, set atop a ridge, together with the permanent lakes, hills, forests and plains, give the site a distinct atmosphere and make for striking photography.
With some luck, you may spot leopards, jungle cats, hyenas, four-horned antelope, wild boar, jackals, or a tiger — all part of the wildlife inhabiting this reserve dotted with carved ruins.
