TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
- William Blake
After having spent two days in Sawai Madhopur and been privileged enough to spot three tigers in the Ranthambore forest, I can safely conclude that Ranthambore and surroundings are totally tiger-obsessed. All conversations, art, shops have something or the other about the tiger. You cross Sawai Madhopur (a small quaint town neighbouring the vast tiger sanctuary) and you see green-colored cantors and Maruti Gypsys, and drivers wearing green hats, some with animal prints. You clearly know that you have to love the tiger to enjoy your holiday in Ranthambore.
We arrived in Ranthambor on Republic Day. It’s an 8-hour road trip from Delhi, if you go through Alwar-Dausa-Lalsot. Otherwise, train is a very good and viable option. Surprisingly, the roads were perfect apart from one bad patch where the roads were being made. My choice of hotel was Welcome Heritage, which had mixed reviews on TripAdvisor but I still went ahead with it because the property seemed to be quite picturesque, it was well within my budget and the name of Welcome Heritage seemed to make me feel good. But I was in for a shocker. The property is fantastic, in the sense that you can read or play cricket in the wide and sun-bathed lawns. The amenities were left wanting first when we could not access hot water and then the water flow stopped altogether. The reception staff was mediocre at best. They lacked proper communication skills and were hardly responsive. We had to call them thrice to remind that hot water was missing in our bathroom. There were a few more bad experiences but we did not let that dampen our spirits. Later I learnt that their safari rates were far more inflated than the others.
Our safari happened on the sunny afternoon of 27th January. Since we were on the Gypsy that was arranged by a localite than the hotel, the driver was kind enough to spot the tiger for us. We found two tigers sleeping amidst tall bush and our Gypsy crossed them. It was a sight to behold. We did not dare cross them again as that would have made immense sound. Our next sighting was when we saw a tigress moving into the deep jungle. We had seen 3 out of 40 and that was enough for us. The Ranthambore forest otherwise has countless crocodiles, sambhars and spotted deer. Towards the evening, you can spot the owls as well. Apart from that, the forest is a beauty, with hills from the Aravali Range all around, and a big watery pond in the corner. We were told that were lucky to spot three tigers, as sometimes people make more than half a dozen visits to spot one. This was a major relief for us. On my way back, I learnt from my conversations with the driver that many tourists come here time and again to see tigers. I am not a wildlife freak but I still found that being too obsessive for wildlife! For me, Ranthambore stands to be a good one-time visit. I’d rather go to Madhya Pradesh the next time and do a thorough survey of the resort!