Elephants? Kanha National Park?

goldfish · Nov 11th, 2003, 08:00

I heard that the 'Elephant Safari' at Kanha National Park isn't there any more (apparently because there's 'not many elephants' but I don't know). When I saw this I assumed it was a 'safari' RIDING on an elephant but maybe it meant a normal jeep safari looking for wild elephants - does anyone know? I'd LOVE to ride through the jungle on an elephant! I guess it's not really relevant if they don't offer them at all anymore though....

Do most people get to ride an Elephant in India? I rode one at the fort at Jaipur. What was your best elephant riding experience in India?

Apana · Nov 11th, 2003, 09:55

There are no wild elephants in Central India. This includes Kanha. When tigers are spotted, visitors may be ferried closer to the tigers on elephants, for a few minutes. The availability of elephants depends upon the whims of the Forest Department.

In some parks you may hire an elephant for a proper safari. The typical duration will be about two hours. In most parks what they call a safari is actually a half-hour 'joy' ride around the periphery of the elpehant camp.

Apana

goldfish · Nov 12th, 2003, 05:12

Thanks for the info Apana - Any ideas which National Parks offer elephant safaris (as opposed to joyrides). One of the things my 14 year old sister really wants to do when we go to India in Feb 04 is ride on an elephant through the jungle so I'm trying to do what I can for her! (I love your website - I'll be forwarding it onto a photographer friend of mine!).

Apana · Nov 12th, 2003, 08:53

Thanks for your comments. Nagarhole has now introduced elephant rides, but every ride will be restricted to about two hours. In the mornings it becomes too hot for the elephants after 9 ish. In the afternoons, the ride must stop by 5.30 so the elephant can return to camp.

The rumour is that Jungle Lodges and Resorts, the people who run the resort at Kabini, will introduce a proper elephant safari, where visitors will travel between tented camps where they can spend the night. I just checked their web site, but there's no official word on this as yet.

At the moment Jungle Lodges takes visitors to the elephant camp at Dubare in Coorg, where visitors may feed and bathe the elephants.

Hope this helps.

Apana

mridula · Jun 14th, 2009, 00:34

Any tips for what should I expect at Kanha? I would be there sometime next week. Also anything special that I should keep in mind for the safari? Would be staying at the Taj Safari Lodge (long story how). Any diea what to expect there?

Travelling the hills · Jun 15th, 2009, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by mridula

Any tips for what should I expect at Kanha? I would be there sometime next week. Also anything special that I should keep in mind for the safari? Would be staying at the Taj Safari Lodge (long story how). Any diea what to expect there?

Hi mridula ,
Just do not expect any tigers

they only come when not expected. one small tip: do not go for a elephant show, ask your guide to take you to the show site when tiger starts moving you will have a better sighting, that` what we did.

do not miss the oppurtunity of birding . kanha has a treasure house of them. dont pet the gaurs,

just love the place.

mridula · Jun 15th, 2009, 13:32

Thanks Travelling the Hills for the tips. I will not expect to see a Tiger

Any tips for clothing? Anything that is expected in this regard on a safari and that a first timer like me won't know of?

Travelling the hills · Jun 15th, 2009, 17:36

Hi Mridula,
its going to be hot, be prepared for it . We went in April this yr & it was already burning. do carry a scarf or headcover for your head and arms, otherwise sunstroke is a possibility. and do carry gallons and gallons of water. if you have time do an evening drive to Bamni Dadar(sunset/sunrise point), hardly anybody goes that route and believe me when i say its exciting. chck my blog for the pics, we stayed in Baghira Log huts, which was pretty exciting. I dont know where Taj Lodge is. Clothes must be light shaded, preferably earthy colors, loud colors r not allowed in jungle.

by the way do ask how 17 tigers died in Kanha this yr??

you will have every kind of funny stories, ours was 'most of them were old and died fighting among themselves'.

then ask them what the total no is, every guide will have a different no.

mridula · Jun 15th, 2009, 17:48

Thanks for the tips Travelling the Hills. I will follow your advise. Will ask about the Tigers too. And I know about summer, after all I live in NCR, so will take care.

mridula · Jun 15th, 2009, 17:49

Oh that Taj lodge is in Banjaar Tola.

Travelling the hills · Jun 15th, 2009, 18:02

grt enjoy .

mridula · Jun 21st, 2009, 20:27

I am back from Kanha National Park, no luck with the tiger. But as they say, so what if you could not see the tiger, be happy that the tiger saw you!

And got a good picture of Malabar Pied Hornbill.

Travelling the hills · Jun 22nd, 2009, 08:17

lovely pic, that bird is a treasure to look at.

mridula · Jun 22nd, 2009, 19:32

Thank you Travelling the Hills. I am quite amazed that the bord stood still for such a long time!

kausiks · Jun 24th, 2009, 23:41

Beautiful photo!! Love it.

Nov 11th, 2003, 08:00	#1
goldfish Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 20	Elephants? Kanha National Park? I heard that the 'Elephant Safari' at Kanha National Park isn't there any more (apparently because there's 'not many elephants' but I don't know). When I saw this I assumed it was a 'safari' RIDING on an elephant but maybe it meant a normal jeep safari looking for wild elephants - does anyone know? I'd LOVE to ride through the jungle on an elephant! I guess it's not really relevant if they don't offer them at all anymore though.... Do most people get to ride an Elephant in India? I rode one at the fort at Jaipur. What was your best elephant riding experience in India?

Jun 14th, 2009, 00:34	#5
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Any tips for what should I expect at Kanha? I would be there sometime next week. Also anything special that I should keep in mind for the safari? Would be staying at the Taj Safari Lodge (long story how). Any diea what to expect there? __________________ Mridula Travel Tales from India

Jun 15th, 2009, 17:36	#8
Travelling the hills Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Kolkata,hyderabad Posts: 35	Hi Mridula, its going to be hot, be prepared for it . We went in April this yr & it was already burning. do carry a scarf or headcover for your head and arms, otherwise sunstroke is a possibility. and do carry gallons and gallons of water. if you have time do an evening drive to Bamni Dadar(sunset/sunrise point), hardly anybody goes that route and believe me when i say its exciting. chck my blog for the pics, we stayed in Baghira Log huts, which was pretty exciting. I dont know where Taj Lodge is. Clothes must be light shaded, preferably earthy colors, loud colors r not allowed in jungle. by the way do ask how 17 tigers died in Kanha this yr?? you will have every kind of funny stories, ours was 'most of them were old and died fighting among themselves'. then ask them what the total no is, every guide will have a different no. Last edited by Travelling the hills : Jun 15th, 2009 at 17:59. Reason: additional info

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Nov 11th, 2003, 09:55	#2
Apana Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 146	There are no wild elephants in Central India. This includes Kanha. When tigers are spotted, visitors may be ferried closer to the tigers on elephants, for a few minutes. The availability of elephants depends upon the whims of the Forest Department. In some parks you may hire an elephant for a proper safari. The typical duration will be about two hours. In most parks what they call a safari is actually a half-hour 'joy' ride around the periphery of the elpehant camp. Apana

Nov 12th, 2003, 05:12	#3
goldfish Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 20	Thanks for the info Apana - Any ideas which National Parks offer elephant safaris (as opposed to joyrides). One of the things my 14 year old sister really wants to do when we go to India in Feb 04 is ride on an elephant through the jungle so I'm trying to do what I can for her! (I love your website - I'll be forwarding it onto a photographer friend of mine!).

Nov 12th, 2003, 08:53	#4
Apana Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 146	Thanks for your comments. Nagarhole has now introduced elephant rides, but every ride will be restricted to about two hours. In the mornings it becomes too hot for the elephants after 9 ish. In the afternoons, the ride must stop by 5.30 so the elephant can return to camp. The rumour is that Jungle Lodges and Resorts, the people who run the resort at Kabini, will introduce a proper elephant safari, where visitors will travel between tented camps where they can spend the night. I just checked their web site, but there's no official word on this as yet. At the moment Jungle Lodges takes visitors to the elephant camp at Dubare in Coorg, where visitors may feed and bathe the elephants. Hope this helps. Apana

Jun 15th, 2009, 13:32	#7
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Thanks Travelling the Hills for the tips. I will not expect to see a Tiger Any tips for clothing? Anything that is expected in this regard on a safari and that a first timer like me won't know of?

Jun 15th, 2009, 17:48	#9
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Thanks for the tips Travelling the Hills. I will follow your advise. Will ask about the Tigers too. And I know about summer, after all I live in NCR, so will take care.

Jun 15th, 2009, 17:49	#10
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Oh that Taj lodge is in Banjaar Tola.

Jun 15th, 2009, 18:02	#11
Travelling the hills Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Kolkata,hyderabad Posts: 35	grt enjoy .

Jun 21st, 2009, 20:27	#12
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	I am back from Kanha National Park, no luck with the tiger. But as they say, so what if you could not see the tiger, be happy that the tiger saw you! And got a good picture of Malabar Pied Hornbill.

Jun 22nd, 2009, 08:17	#13
Travelling the hills Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Kolkata,hyderabad Posts: 35	lovely pic, that bird is a treasure to look at.

Jun 22nd, 2009, 19:32	#14
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Thank you Travelling the Hills. I am quite amazed that the bord stood still for such a long time!

Jun 24th, 2009, 23:41	#15
kausiks Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 307	Beautiful photo!! Love it.