Bandhavargh NP - when open in 2008?

HelenR · Apr 30th, 2008, 12:41

Hi All!

I'm planning a trip to India and really really want to visit Bandhavgarh.

The problem is, I'll be there in September.

I've been trying to find out conclusively that Bandhavgarh National Park will be open for elephant safaris on October 1. However, I keep finding all kinds of dates. Some websites say it opens on October 1, some say October 31, some say mid-October!

Does anyone have reliable info on when it opens in October 2008? I would really appreciate any help!

Thanks.

Helen

didindia7 · May 1st, 2008, 00:49

All the Madhya Pradesh parks open the first october.

HelenR · May 6th, 2008, 14:41

Thanks for the reply!

Also, I would really like to have an elephant safari. But I would like it to be all day, and hopefully without that "bench". Does anyone know how the elephant safaris work?

aadil · May 7th, 2008, 00:49

The elephant safari is just a joy ride in the evening time for a limited time of one hour only unless you book it for more hours and it is pretty expensive for foreigners at Rs700 or so per person. There are no tigers to be seen during this ride as it goes through a part of the jungle where you may see some monkeys and deer at the most. Seeing tigers on this ride is a real rarity. Sorry, but they do have that bench you are talking about. No bare back rides here. You have to do the booking for the evening rides in the morning or else they will be booked out soon. There are only two elephants for this ride, so a maximum of two persons on the small elephant and four on the large one are permitted. There is another short 5 minute tiger watching ride in the mornings if the tigers are spotted in the small watching circle where they track the tigers for the tiger show. This is the time when they usually round up the tigers and arrange a tiger show for the tourists. It seems pretty natural though it may not really be so cause it is held almost everyday!!! Bandhavgarh is famous for the largest number of tigers in one small park so the chances of seeing one here are the most in India. Hope you get to see one at least during your trip here.

Cheers,
Aadil.

vdvoort · May 7th, 2008, 06:47

Like in every NP, safaris start either early morning (6 am) or late afternoon (from 4.30 pm), in Bandhavgarh both take around 3 hours, with a stop midway. There's no such thing as a whole day elephant safari. I was in Bandhavgarh last March, made 3 safaris in a jeep, spotted tigers 2 times. Don't know how much an elephant ride costs, but if it's really that much more expensive than making a safari in a jeep, I wouldn't bother; when in the jeep and seeing the tigers, there was an elephant with 2 tourists on it, right in front of us (so yes, unlike #4 says, you can also see tigers when on an elephant), but imo it won't add much to the experience (which, btw, is great). And Bandhavgarh is a beautiful park, regardless of seeing tigers. Just hope you'll have a capable guide, in that respect they (at least the ones we had) can learn a lot from the ones in African NP's. The older ones seem to be the best (as the French lady staying at the hotelroom next to mine told me...vieux c'est mieux...(toujours, I may add ;-)).

Enjoy!

HelenR · May 8th, 2008, 12:28

We would probably do more than 1 safari if there's no all-day elephant safari (I think it's possible with a jeep though). I wanted to ride the elephant for the experience in of itself, not necessarily for tigers. This is the one expensive thing I'll comfortably do. Although it won't be like riding a huge African elephant, I bet it'll still be amazing

Hehe, I'll keep "vieux c'est mieux" in mind.

Thanks for the info!

aadil · May 8th, 2008, 18:35

To get to the elephants you have to take a jeep inside the park, the elephant rides are specially arranged only when the tiger is sighted in the morning sessions and not generally sighted in the evening sessions when they arrange the longer (one hour) joy rides which do not guarantee a sighting like in the morning session when you pay only if you see the tigers from the elephant for the small five minute ride. The charges for the five minute ride are the same as for the evening one hour ride at Rs700 approx for foreigners and Rs100 or 150 for Indians. The elephants are not possible to ride from the gate of the park and are available only from the specified place inside the park where you have to hire a gypsy jeep to get inside during each session (morning or evening) for about Rs600 per vehicle for about 4-6 people including the driver and the guide from the park which is compulsory. Hope this helps and clears any doubts.

Cheers,
Aadil.

Apr 30th, 2008, 12:41	#1
HelenR Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: USA Posts: 80	Bandhavargh NP - when open in 2008? Hi All! I'm planning a trip to India and really really want to visit Bandhavgarh. The problem is, I'll be there in September. I've been trying to find out conclusively that Bandhavgarh National Park will be open for elephant safaris on October 1. However, I keep finding all kinds of dates. Some websites say it opens on October 1, some say October 31, some say mid-October! Does anyone have reliable info on when it opens in October 2008? I would really appreciate any help! Thanks. Helen Last edited by HelenR : Apr 30th, 2008 at 12:56. Reason: misspelling

May 6th, 2008, 14:41	#3
HelenR Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: USA Posts: 80	How long are the elephant safaris at BNP? Thanks for the reply! Also, I would really like to have an elephant safari. But I would like it to be all day, and hopefully without that "bench". Does anyone know how the elephant safaris work?

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May 1st, 2008, 00:49	#2
didindia7 Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: France Posts: 23	All the Madhya Pradesh parks open the first october.

May 7th, 2008, 00:49	#4
aadil Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m) Posts: 1,794	The elephant safari is just a joy ride in the evening time for a limited time of one hour only unless you book it for more hours and it is pretty expensive for foreigners at Rs700 or so per person. There are no tigers to be seen during this ride as it goes through a part of the jungle where you may see some monkeys and deer at the most. Seeing tigers on this ride is a real rarity. Sorry, but they do have that bench you are talking about. No bare back rides here. You have to do the booking for the evening rides in the morning or else they will be booked out soon. There are only two elephants for this ride, so a maximum of two persons on the small elephant and four on the large one are permitted. There is another short 5 minute tiger watching ride in the mornings if the tigers are spotted in the small watching circle where they track the tigers for the tiger show. This is the time when they usually round up the tigers and arrange a tiger show for the tourists. It seems pretty natural though it may not really be so cause it is held almost everyday!!! Bandhavgarh is famous for the largest number of tigers in one small park so the chances of seeing one here are the most in India. Hope you get to see one at least during your trip here. Cheers, Aadil. __________________ Climb high; climb far; Your goal, the sky, Your aim, the stars!!!

May 7th, 2008, 06:47	#5
vdvoort Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Netherlands Posts: 73	Like in every NP, safaris start either early morning (6 am) or late afternoon (from 4.30 pm), in Bandhavgarh both take around 3 hours, with a stop midway. There's no such thing as a whole day elephant safari. I was in Bandhavgarh last March, made 3 safaris in a jeep, spotted tigers 2 times. Don't know how much an elephant ride costs, but if it's really that much more expensive than making a safari in a jeep, I wouldn't bother; when in the jeep and seeing the tigers, there was an elephant with 2 tourists on it, right in front of us (so yes, unlike #4 says, you can also see tigers when on an elephant), but imo it won't add much to the experience (which, btw, is great). And Bandhavgarh is a beautiful park, regardless of seeing tigers. Just hope you'll have a capable guide, in that respect they (at least the ones we had) can learn a lot from the ones in African NP's. The older ones seem to be the best (as the French lady staying at the hotelroom next to mine told me...vieux c'est mieux...(toujours, I may add ;-)). Enjoy!

May 8th, 2008, 12:28	#6
HelenR Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: USA Posts: 80	We would probably do more than 1 safari if there's no all-day elephant safari (I think it's possible with a jeep though). I wanted to ride the elephant for the experience in of itself, not necessarily for tigers. This is the one expensive thing I'll comfortably do. Although it won't be like riding a huge African elephant, I bet it'll still be amazing Hehe, I'll keep "vieux c'est mieux" in mind. Thanks for the info!

May 8th, 2008, 18:35	#7
aadil Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m) Posts: 1,794	To get to the elephants you have to take a jeep inside the park, the elephant rides are specially arranged only when the tiger is sighted in the morning sessions and not generally sighted in the evening sessions when they arrange the longer (one hour) joy rides which do not guarantee a sighting like in the morning session when you pay only if you see the tigers from the elephant for the small five minute ride. The charges for the five minute ride are the same as for the evening one hour ride at Rs700 approx for foreigners and Rs100 or 150 for Indians. The elephants are not possible to ride from the gate of the park and are available only from the specified place inside the park where you have to hire a gypsy jeep to get inside during each session (morning or evening) for about Rs600 per vehicle for about 4-6 people including the driver and the guide from the park which is compulsory. Hope this helps and clears any doubts. Cheers, Aadil.

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