Out of many wonderful things which I have seen in my life so far, seeing a Tiger in his natural habitat is so far the most thrilling experience. I must say that watching Tiger in captivity is truly different than watching it in Jungle. This is the reason may be Ranthambore have thousands of tourists visiting each year.
Ranthambore is the famous national park in India located in Sawai Madhopur city. Sawai Madhopur is 2 hours away by train and 3 hours away by road from Jaipur. The famous Ganesh Temple and Ranthambore urge thousands of tourists every year to this city. National park and Ganesh temple are adjacent and a day should be enough to visit this city given that you are lucky enough to find the tiger in your safari.
Timings of the park and reservation :
How to reach RanthamboreBy Air: The nearest airport is at Jaipur (180 kms)
By Rail: Sawai Madhopur (10Kms.from the National Park) is on the main line between Delhi and Bombay. There is a direct rail link between Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur.
From New Delhi to Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore)
| Train Name | Train Number | Departure from ND | Arrival to SWM |
| Golden Temple | 2904 | 07:15 AM | 13:05 |
| Jan Shatabdi Exp. | 2060 | 13:10 | 18:00 |
| August Kranti | 2954 | 16:15 | 20:37 |
| Pachim Express | 2926 | 17:00 | 22:10 |
| Mewar Express | 2963 | 19:50 | 01:08 |
| Deharadun Exp. | 9020 A | 21:40 | 05:05 |
From Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambore) to New Delhi
| Train Name | Train Name | Train Number | Arrival to ND |
| Golden Temple | 2903 | 12:50 | 18:34 |
| Jan Shatabdi Exp. | 2059 | 07:07 | 12:35 |
| August Kranti | 2953 | 06:33 | 10:55 |
| Pachim Express | 2925 | 03:40 | 10:06 |
| Mewar Express | 2964 | 04:40 | 10:25 |
| Deharadun Exp. | 9019 | 21:45 | 06:30 |
All above trains are daily trains.
Timings for safari
The park is open to tourists from the 1st of October to the 30th of June. Mostly tourist visit from November to March as summers are very hot in Rajasthan.
A. Timings – Morning wildlife safari – 6.00 to 10.00 am & Evening wildlife safari – 2.30 to 6.30 pm, the timings may vary by 1/2 hr, as they are based on the sunrise & sunset time.
There is a high possibility of sighting in morning safari in summer and evening safari in winter. Make sure you take very warm clothes for morning safari in winter.
Tarriffs
http://ranthambhore.com/bookingTariff.html
Local activities
Temples
1. Baanki Mataji Temple
This temple is located in the old city of Sawai Madhopur some 20 kms away from national park is very famous and has a religious significance to locals. Visit this temple after 7 PM to see congregation.
2. Bazaria :
Local market of city is known as Bazaria and it is some 7-10 Kms away from almost all the hotels.
3. Old City
Sawai Madhopur is geographically divided in 2 parts, one is where bazaria and ranthambore is located and other is the old city. Usually all the localites shop from old city. If you are interested in buying some nice Rajasthani sarees at good price then head to old city – Bahubali sarees and Gotewala is famous for beautiful sarees there.
4. Food
Kachori – Deep fried spicy round shaped patty stuffed with lentils is very famous in this city.
Badey – Very spicy deep fried small balls made by paste of lentil is among famous delicacy here.
Aam ki berfi – A sweet made by mango only served in summers is relished by locals in the evening after dinner.
Maawa Gajak – A sweet made by milk served in winters is appreciated by local citizens.
Shikanji – A drink made with sugar and lemon juice is imbibed by locals in summer almost daily.
Have fun,
Neha
