An early‑morning safari in search of tigers, a lucky sighting thanks to Kirsty, a restful afternoon at the hotel, and an evening of music, dance, and conservation talks.
Ranthambore Safari.
Today, I joined an early‑morning safari to experience the wildlife and to see if I could spot a tiger in Ranthambore National Park.
I was up before sunrise. I showered and walked to the restaurant for breakfast. After eating some cereal and drinking fruit juice, I went back outside and boarded our large coach for the start of this morning’s tour.
It was only a short trip to a different location from the one we used yesterday. Once we arrived, our large group was split into several smaller jeep‑style vehicles. As we climbed aboard, we were all given warm blankets to wrap around ourselves to keep out the early‑morning cold. Soon, we were on our way to the section of Ranthambore National Park we would be visiting today.
Our first stop in the park was to see a large group of wild boars snuffling around the base of a concrete plinth, searching for food. Peacocks sat on top of the plinth, pecking at what I suspect had been thrown down by people in a nearby building. We continued through the park, spotting small deer, and parked near a body of water and a concrete toilet block that only the braver members of the group dared to use.
We moved on, and the safari guide told us about the animals that lived in the National Park. We stopped on a bridge over the water for a while to watch the birds before heading to an area where the guide thought a tiger might be seen. He couldn’t spot anything and eventually decided to move on, but Kirsty, one of the people on the tour with me, suddenly announced that she could see a tiger in the grass close by. The guide doubted her at first, but Kirsty insisted, showing us that she was already taking photos of it.
Soon, others could see it too as it walked through the tall grass. I managed to film it on my mobile phone, though it wasn’t very clear until the tiger stepped briefly into a small clearing. A little while later, it wandered away and up a hill, clearly bored with the foreign paparazzi photographing it.
It was fantastic to see the tiger so close in its natural habitat, and everyone thanked Kirsty for spotting it when the guide hadn’t.
After the safari, we were taken back to the hotel for lunch.
Ranthambore Fort.
In the afternoon, there was a trip to see the Ranthambore Fort. I had planned to go, but our guide, Digamber, advised me against it, saying it would probably be too much for me. I took his advice and stayed at the hotel. I spent some time around the swimming pool reading my Kindle, and when I got too hot, I went back to my room for a nap.
In the evening, there was a show near the swimming pool. Musicians played Indian music and sang while two young children danced to entertain us. When it finished, we went into a conference room in the hotel to watch an interesting slideshow about Ranthambore National Park and its conservation work. After the presentation, we all went for dinner in the restaurant before returning to our rooms for the night.
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