Simply Satpura

Description

Satpura National Park surely has everything for the nature enthusiast on a wildlife holiday in India. Of course there are tiger but you are less likely to see them here than in the other nearby national parks of central India such as Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh. Tigers are not habituated in Satpura and neither is the other wildlife. Few vehicles are allowed into the park at any time. So why visit Satpura?

Quite simply Satpura is an outstanding success for nature and it's conservation. The park is located in part of the Satpura Range of hills which act as a transition zone between the east and west of India and a migratory stopover between the far north and the south. The national park is highly scenic, from the waters of the Tawa a backdrop of mountains is seen, these hold rugged gorges with boulder strewn rivers, forests and meadows. For safaris there are a good network of tracks for both game drives and for walking. The few lodges are located away from the park entrance on the opposite side of Tawa Reservoir, requiring a short boat ride to start some activities. These waters themselves hold a wealth of bird life, seeing many passing migrants each year. The buffer zone is also rich in wildlife and the fields beyond are home to endangered black buck, the world's fastest antelope.

This wildlife holiday takes advantage of the many diverse activities that can be undertaken in Satpura, with the emphasis on observing and understanding nature. Besides the standard option of a 4x4 game drive within the reserve you can expect to walk with local national park guides, canoe on the reservoir, perhaps take an elephant back safari and explore the surrounding fields and buffer zone.

Unlike the other, more famous, tiger reserves of central India walking is allowed within the park. On nature walks you take your time and will learn about those things that you miss from a vehicle, the myriad of butterflies, the flowers and other flora; perhaps aware of a large herd of gaur passing through the forest nearby or langurs calling overhead. In the quiet of the morning a gentle canoe trip, paddled carefully by a park ranger brings you close to some amazing bird life, Indian skimmers, river terns, waders, ducks, bar-headed geese, kingfishers and many others of the 300+ recorded bird species.

Satpura is known for its sloth bears and leopards and these are often frequented on game drives. Other species you can expect to see include gaur which are of a lighter colour than in other parks, wild boar, chital, sambar, langur, marsh crocodile and possibly Malabar giant squirrel. Dhole or wild dog are also present in good numbers in the reserve and packs are encountered, often all too briefly. Of course there is also the aforementioned tiger. By dusk you can head out to the fields where black buck gather, before scouting the buffer zone by spotlight as darkness falls to find the likes of eagle owls, jungle cat, palm civet, perhaps a leopard visiting at a waterhole and nightjars resting on the ground and with luck small Indian civet and other nocturnal wildlife.

We have included the remote satellite camp in the buffer zone for 2 nights in the outline itinerary here but there are other possibilities during the week depending on your interests, such as a multi-day hike within the national park. Despite all of this choice you will still be wanting more of such a beautiful region towards the end of your week.

There are chances to relax during the day with a central pool at the lodge and with the easy going, homely atmosphere Forsyth's Lodge is a great place to stay. The guides here are outstanding and recognised nationally and combined with the local national park rangers make this a superb base for the week.

Inspired? To read more about this itinerary, or for us to design your own unique holiday contact us …