Panna National Park Experience?

nikikali

I am planning to take an "Elephant Safari" at Panna National Park while on my trip in June. I am unsure of what the experience will be like. Is it more like visiting an "Animal Park" in the US (think San Diego Wild Animal Park)? or is it more "wild" like a National Geographic special in real life? I appreciate any help or guidance to a previous thread with answers.

machadinha

I've not been to Panna. Those parks are what you would call a natural reserve I guess, long established to preserve the local flora and fauna. It's not at all like what we call a safari park where I live no, with exotic creatures kept in a large enclosure that you can drive around in. Think Yellowstone or something instead, I guess. They're just exactly what it says: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries. You can make short trips ("safaris," usually an hour or two) in them by jeep or (in some of them) elephant, and sometimes other modes of transport (boat rides, mini bus tours, etc.). Some offer trekking and canoeing and stuff I guess, others (most, I think?) you are not allowed to and would rather not venture alone in to begin with I imagine, owing to said fauna.

While I had some fantasies about doing my own cowboy mahout thing, riding an elephant (or where I was) you actually get taken in a howdah, they normally accommodate four I believe, with the mahout sitting up front straddling ollie's neck. It's great fun & a lot higher than you might think, & with the howdah tending to sway about quite a bit... well, you're in for an experience. (I also hear fewer and fewer parks offer them, so grab your chance while you can.)

A thing is the wildlife doesn't normally hang around to wait for either your jeep to come roaring up or your elephant to come crashing through the bush, so sightings are far from guaranteed. It depends on the guides' dedication (remember these are forest guards, they're just entertaining you as something of a necessary evil) and a bit of luck, and the weather comes into play: in the heat of summer the animals will flock to the scarcer ponds, so this will increase the chances of sightings. (I guess Panna would be frying up by then though. Note that most parks will close down seasonally btw, mostly around monsoon times I think.)

So I guess between your choice of the tame and the wild, they fall somewhere inbetween: Nice to check them out, and any animal sightings will be a bonus. (Some parks have a far better reputation for this than others, I simply don't know about Panna. Note also that it's not just about verocious carnivores, India has a vast array of ungulates and reptiles and monkeys and birds and whatnot.)

When visiting any park, I'd advise to spend at least a few days there to increase your chances of actually seeing anything. (Safaris tend to be once a day, maybe two if you're lucky.) If you don't see any animals, those forests or other habitats tend to be very pretty and impressive by themselves of course. They tend to be relatively costly, but think of what it would cost at home and don't let it stop you. They also tend to be a little involved to get to by nature (supposed to be secluded right), so make the most of it while you're there.

Well, hope this helps some. Now over to the others to tell me Panna is actually someone's backyard

http://www.pannanationalpark.net/
http://www.forest.mp.gov.in/panna1.html

ps Note most parks I think require contacting them ahead to announce your visit and/or secure a bed. I guess this means well ahead at peak times.

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nikikali

Thanks! This is exactly the sort of information I was looking for. I believe I saw somewhere that Panna does not close until July for the Monsoon Season. I will look for a way to contact them directly...

Khak

Hi
i visited panna tiger reserve in 2004...... we stayed in ken river lodge and did jungle safary on jeep.......you need to take one official guide available at the gate of tiger reserve........ the safari can be completed in 2-3 hours....... entry charges are not much... i think entry charge + guide charge was around Rs. 150/-....... only in rare cases you can expect to see a tiger.......... i suppose there is also a boat ride within the jungle...

all national parks are closed to visitors during monsoon which is also the breeding season i.e. Jul-Sep........

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bijapuri

In the South many parks are open year-round

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machadinha

Y'r most welcome; for bookings and opening times, try the state tourism board: http://www.mptourism.com/dest/panna.html.

Their bookings section is general for the state from the looks of it, however the accommodation link there looks to be geared to Panna itself. Looks most reasonable btw if that's up-to-date. Anyway, you can try contacting the tourism board directly for information.

Searching the web for "panna national park" gives plenty of hits; http://www.indiawildliferesorts.com/...onal-park.html claims it's open year-round (and that it does fry up in summer), but best to check all the same.

nikikali

I was planning a stop in Khajuraho already, so I imagine I will stay there and make a day trip out to Panna. Yes, all the websites with conflicting info on Panna prompted my original posting.....Thanks again for all the info