When I was doing the research on the best place to go to see tigers in India, one of the parks that kept showing up was Bandhavgarh National Park. Bandhavgarh is located in Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India. It is touted to be one of the best (if not the very best) place to see tigers in the wild, and it was the first stop on our two-week tiger safari adventure. It’s worth noting that the only place to see tigers in the wild is in India (in case you weren’t aware!). If you have been on safari in Africa before, check out my overview of the differences between wildlife safari in India vs Africa!
When to visit Bandhavgarh
We visited Bandhavgarh in April 2018, so it was “summer” and the temperatures were quite hot (getting to the high 30’s in the day). The hotter months of March to June are considered to be the best time to visit to get the most tiger sightings, as tigers are more likely to hang out at waterholes. July to October is monsoon season and the park is closed. From November to February it is Winter, and the temperatures can get quite cold so it’s best to take warm clothes. The good thing about this season is that the scenery is lush and green (good for photos) and you have a higher chance of seeing tigers walking on the roads (rather than in waterholes). However there are much fewer sightings overall.
Finding tigers (and other wildlife) in Bandhavgarh
So the big question is, did we find tigers? Yes! We stayed at Bandhavgarh for four nights, taking a total of seven safari drives (four morning, three afternoon drives). Though our first few drives were quiet due to a massive storm that came through the night we arrived, we did manage to catch a glimpse of a tiger walking away on our second drive. Our luck really heated up during our final four drives in Bandhavgarh, where we not only found our first sloth bear of the trip, but managed to enjoy six more tiger sightings!
Here’s our highlight video from the trip:
Our best tiger sightings at Bandhavgarh
Our best tiger sighting was on our fifth drive, where we managed to see the famous spotty and one of her sub-adult cubs (she had three at the time). While our glimpse of Spotty was relatively fleeting, one of her cubs honoured us with an amazing sighting walking down the road, and then down to the water, where she eventually went for a swim! It couldn’t have been scripted better and after a stressful few days with no good photos to share, we finally got our natgeo shots!
The next drive was almost as good as we managed to find all of Spotty’s cubs individually – the first was lying in a waterhole and after a while ended up launching herself in pursuit of spotted deer. Then we got wind of another sighting, only a few minutes away and we arrived to find her sister walking through the bush, and she crossed the road in front of us! Then we saw the last of the sisters lying close to the waterhole we had seen her at that morning, but even though we waited for a while, she never came back in for a swim! By this point we were rushing back to the gate and almost drove straight past Spotty herself, who was right next to the road, but somehow all four of us in the car didn’t notice until a spotted deer very politely gave us a loud warning call! Spotty then walked behind our car, scent-marked a tree and carried on her way. A sighting all to ourselves and the fourth tiger of the drive!
Other wildlife to see in Bandhavgarh
Going on safari in central India is not just about tigers (though sometimes it may feel a bit that way). While there’s no lions or rhinos (which exist in other areas in India), there’s plenty of other awesome wildlife to find other than tigers! Leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, spotted deer, gaur (Indian bison), wild boars, peacocks and so much birdlife are not uncommon to see. We missed leopard and wild dogs in Bandhavgarh, but we got to see a sloth bear, nilgai (blue bull antelope), spotted deer, gaur, wild boar, peacocks and lots of birds. India is amazing place for birds of prey!
Bandhavgarh Zones
Bandhavgarh National Park, like most tiger reserves in India, is split into ‘zones’. The core area of Bandhavgarh is about 105 square kilometres which is split into three zones: Tala, Magdhi and Khitauli. Tala used to be the ‘premium zone’ and was more expensive, but that changed in recent years so all cost the same and are considered to be relatively equal. That being said, Tala is by far the most popular zone, followed by Magdhi – so it’s important to book in advance to secure drives in these zones! During our time staying at Bandhavgarh, all zones were good for tiger sightings. We certainly had the best luck in Tala, however we never had any drives in Khitauli (others we knew had good luck seeing a big male there). Spotty and her cubs are in Tala zone, which makes it very popular as they are common to see.
Outside the core area there’s a ‘buffer zone’ of about 400sq km, which includes villages, roads and probably even your accommodation. It is very possible to see tigers (and other wildlife) in the buffer zone as well, but the best chance is in core zones.
Bandhavgarh Landscape
The topography is amazing in central India tiger reserves – we didn’t expect it to be quite as beautiful as it was! It has really gorgeous forest areas, with green valleys and also rocky hills. At Bandhavgarh there’s even an ancient fort, however that area was closed to tourists when we visited. The waterholes at Bandhavgarh were some of the best for photography compared to other parks (particularly Tadoba).
We were equally surprised by the diversity of the landscape as with its beauty – it’s clear to see why Bandhavgarh is the park of choice for many photographers. Even when you aren’t finding any tigers the drive is enjoyable because it is so stunning.
Where to stay in Bandhavgarh National Park
It’s important to note that you cannot stay within the core areas of Bandhavgarh National Park (one of the differences when compared to going on safari in Africa). You can stay in the buffer zone though. There are quite a few places to stay, with the highest-end being Mahua Kothi (a Taj property). This is the place to stay if you want ultimate luxury, but be aware they use larger vehicles in the forests that I believe are harder to manoeuvre and may actually detract from your experience! Just down from this option is Pugdundee’s properties, which is where we called home. We had the privilege of staying at both Pugdundee properties in Bandhavgarh: King’s Lodge and Treehouse Hideaway
Both places were awesome, but we probably preferred Treehouse Hideaway due to it being smaller, more rustic and more intimate. King’s Lodge is a good option for families and older guests – it has a more resort feel to it with a pool and spa. I will post reviews shortly of both properties, but in the interim please get in touch if you’d like more information! If this is still a bit too pricey for your liking, there are some cheaper options available – check out some options more options here.
So is it worth visiting Bandhavgarh?
After visiting Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Pench National Park and Tadoba-Andhari, we would probably rate Bandhavgarh as the best place to visit to go on tiger safari. Another popular park in India to see tigers is Ranthambore, and while we didn’t get a chance to visit, we did speak to others who travelled to both and they rated Bandhavgarh well above Ranthambore too.
The reason it is at the top of our list is a combination of the high quality tiger sightings and the stunning scenery. It is a photographer’s dream!
On the other hand, the downsides include: it is very busy with tiger sightings typically being quite crowded (this applies to virtually all parks), it is far from any airport (6hr road transfer from Khajuraho) and they often use elephants to harass the tigers to walk to roads in order to appease VIP guests and photographers paying $$ for full-day safaris. This last point really detracts from the overall wilderness experience for tourists and while it makes for good photography, it is not in the spirit of wildlife conservation!
This all being said, we would recommend visiting Bandhavgarh National Park for a tiger safari. Make sure you get in touch with us if you want help planning your wildlife safari in India or Africa!
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