I have a few guests at my place from abroad who wants to visit the Khajuraho Group of Monuments. Besides exploring the historical and heritage sites, they are also interested in Indian wildlife, particularly in spotting the king of jungle - the Bengal tiger. As per my knowledge, the Panna Tiger Reserve is situated very near Khajuraho. Is it a good place to spot tigers out in the wild? I would like to know - 1. Are tiger sightings common at the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve? 2. Any idea, what's the current population of tigers at Panna reserve? 3. What kinds of safari tours do they offer? 4. What are the timings and costs for wildlife safari? Is there any online booking facility? If anyone has visited this place recently, then kindly share your experience of wildlife sightings at the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. I need this information a bit urgently, so looking for some quick responses. Thanks.
Panna Tiger Reserve is just around 25 KM away from Khajuraho. It's only about 30 minutes' drive. Panna National Park is one of the best wildlife reserves in India to spot tigers. Although the number of tigers diminished in the last decade, the recent efforts have resulted in a steady increase in the number of resident tigers at Panna Tiger Reserve. Currently it houses as many as 26 adult tigers, tigresses and cubs. Although tiger sightings are a matter of luck, the chances of actually catching one of those majestic animals is quite high at Panna Tiger Reserve. As far as the forest safari is concerned, both vehicle as well as elephant safari rides are offered at Panna. Safari vehicles can be booked from the entry gates at Madla and Hinauta. It costs around INR 1300 for a round of jungle safari in a 8-seater vehicle. For foreign tourists, they charge double the amount though. If you are travelling in larger groups, then there is option to hire minibus for the safari that can accommodate upto 20 persons. The cost of hiring a minibus for safari purpose is INR 5500 for Indian tourists and INR 11,000 for foreign nationals. You are also allowed to take your own vehicle inside the national park for jungle safari. In that case, you would need to hire a forest guide from the entry point. The guide fee is around INR 300, while the charge for taking your vehicle inside the park would depend on the type of vehicle. A light vehicle with a seating capacity of upto 8 passengers costs INR 500, while the charge is INR 1100 for larger, heavy vehicles. Elephant safari is another interesting prospect at Panna Tiger Reserve. Elephants can take you to those areas which a vehicle can never access. Also as there is hardly any noise, the chances of distracting the animals will be minimal and hence it offers you better possibility of wildlife spotting. Elephant safari can cost you INR 550 if you are an Indian citizen, while for the foreigners, it is priced at INR 1650 per person. There is no online booking facility as far as I am aware of. You need to arrive at the entry points in Madla or Hinauta to book your safari rides. Safari timings at Panna Tiger Reserve is from sunrise to 11 AM and again from 3 PM to sunset. For better chances of spotting tigers, opt for either early morning or late afternoon safari trips. Regards, Deb
