Bandhavgarh NP

aadil

It does get pretty hot out there and when I was there in May it was pretty good seeing the tigers but you will have to sweat it out when it gets in the high forty fives!!! Kum Kum Lodge does not have A/C rooms I think but maybe aircooled ones.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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shahronakm

Kaustubh, I am planning my trip in May 08, very hot during that time, hence looking for an Ac room.

Aadil, thanks for the feedback. I am ready to sweat out while in the jungle but would prefer an AC / Air cooled room while indoors. Where had you stayed ? What about jeep safaris if we stay at this budget hotels ?

Ronak.

aadil

I had stayed at the cheapest place in Bandhavgarh called Tiger Lodge and it was Rs200 for a room with attached bath. They also arranged a jeep for the normal price of Rs600 per session or Rs1500 for the whole day including the trip to the fort in the afternoon besides the two sessions in the morning and evening to see the tigers in the park. Kum Kum is much better at around Rs300 for a cottage. These rates were in May 2005 but I think they have not changed much now.

Cheers,
Aadil.

shahronakm

Thanks for your reply.
Jeep Safari Rs. 600 per session, is it for full jeep or per person basis ? Guide charges are extra ? Did you book the room in advance ?
So were you feeling the heat when you were in the room during afternoon & night time ?
I hope the toilets were clean in this two lodges.

Ronak.

aadil

The toilets were not so clean in the lodge I stayed in so you would want a better toilet at least, Kum Kum cottages should be fine though. I went there at the last moment so no bookings were made. The jeep for Rs600 is for the whole jeep and about four to six people as it is a Maruti Gypsy with the driver and the guide from the park in the front, the rest of the people sit at the back. There are three sessions so you pay for each one separately or together for all three if you want to reduce costs and also share your jeep with other people.

The elephant ride is different and you can book in advance for the evening joy ride for one hour (no tigers are shown during this trip), but the other ride is only for five minutes when the tiger is spotted so you don't pay if you don't see the tiger!!!

The rooms are pretty hot during the day time but should be fine at night. You will be out the whole day so you will not really feel the hot day in the room, use caps, long sleeved shirts / trousers and sun block lotion.

The park fees are separate and include the guide charges, the jeep charges are private so you share them with whoever you are travelling with or else you have to pay the whole cost. Do not go late at the park gate so that you get the best routes and guides too. There is a distribution of the routes according to your number in the queue so be there early for the best spots. The early bird always gets the worm!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

shahronakm

Thanks a lot Aadil for a detailed reply. This will be of great help to me for my Bandhavgarh trip this summer.

Regarding toilets my wife is very much particular about having a clean toilet. Will take your advice about being an early bird very seriously.

Three sessions meaning - Morning Safari, Evening Safari, Bandhavgarh Fort drive ? Evening Elephant joy ride (No tigers shown) is it in the park it self ? Booking done by forest dept ?

Thanks

Ronak.

aadil

That's right, the elephant ride is a hour long ride in the jungle but you are not likely to see any tigers on this one!!! There may be some other animals like deer and monkeys besides birds but that's all. It is a lovely way to get destressed when riding the elephant through the jungle. I am sure you will enjoy this ride the most. The booking has to be done in the morning for the evening ride. The other elephant ride in the morning can be booked at the booking center for the elephants in a different part of the park and the driver will do it for you. The chance of seeing the tiger from the elephant is much better though it looks like it is a stage managed act. You can get really up close to the tigers from the elephant so it is a really nice way to see the tiger in the wild.

The toilets in Bandhavgarh's small hotels are not likely to be very clean but then it is a small village after all. The more expensive places are surely going to be better off but their prices are sometimes really prohibitive.

Even the small roadside dhaba style restaurants charge really high prices for simple vegetarian food as everything over here is at a premium!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

shahronakm

The so called resorts have a high package price around Rs. 15000 = 00 per couple for two nights. That also they give only one safari per day. Even the MP tourism accomodation is Rs. 2000 - Rs. 3000 per night (with out safari). So staying there is out of question. May be we can go to Tala & after seeing the rooms (& the toilet) book upfront. Is it O.K. I mean will there be shortage of accomdation as it will be peak time ?

Food again will be a problem for us there as we eat Jain food only. Hope the dhabas can prepare jain food for us.

Thanks for your detailed replies. BTW after your recommendation on another thread I had purchased Binocular from Raju Patel in Feb. this year & am more than happy with it.
Ronak.

didindia7

Attention, prices in all MP National Parks increased a lot in 2006. Prices are rated on single drive, 2 drives or three drives, example for indian guest : Rs.25, 40 and 60; park entry for gipsy : Rs. 150, 250 and 350; guide entry (cheapest prices) : Rs. 100, 175 and 250. If you take 3 safaris, you have to pay 60/3=20 + 350/3=116.66 + 250/3=83.33. These combined rates will be not valid on sundays, you have to pay 25+150+100=275. To rent a jeep, i think it was 2000 Rs for one day in 2006, not sure. Normally, this season, you have to share the gipsy with 3 other tourists. I have no more information for this season, I am waiting. For foreign tourist like me, it becomes horrible prices, it's 10 to 20 more times than indian tourists. Excuse my poor english.

cool blue

Ronak

Re AC in May - my personal opinion is that AC would be preferable at that time........ or a room in the fridge?

I was there last month so happy to answer any questions if I can

CB

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cool blue

PS - if you check my blog the latest two entries are about my visit to Bandavgarh..

shahronakm

Cool blue, checked out your blog, nice write up. Nice pics as well. Any idea about rooms with AC at Tala, apart from the big resorts.

didindia7, Thanks for your update on prices. Do post here when you have current info. for this year.

Ronak.

didindia7

Last infos for Bandhavgarh and Kanha : the number of jeep entrance will be restricted from january 2008. Some lodges managers told about 40 jeeps per day in these parcs. It will be public in december...

shahronakm

Bad news for tourists. Good news for tigers.

Ronak.

paul compton

I can recomend the Mogli resort in Bandhavgarh, was the a short while ago and the rooms and food was very good.

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