Recommendation for hotel in Bandhavgarh

JES13

My husband and I plan to visit the park Dec. 28th, 2007 through Jan. 1, 2008. I have inquired about reservations, and have heard back from, all of the following:

Nature Heritage Resort
Tiger Den Resort
Hotel Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge
Wild Haven Resort

Some of these lodges/resorts have room and food only prices, while others include 2 safari drives.

So my questions: (a) is it better to get a whole package deal? (e.g., is it cheaper than trying to put a package together myself?); (b) any experience with the above resorts/hotels? Please share...

Thanks.

cool blue

I am off to Bandavgargh and Panna Parks this afternoon - I'll let you know what the accommodation set up and packages are like when i get back in a week or so.

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shahronakm

Even I would be interested in knowing the details. Especially hotels with AC & their cost at Bandhavgarh as I will travelling their in Summer. Happy Tiger sighting.

Ronak.

JES13

CoolBlue, thanks! Any advice/insight you can give would be greatly appreciated.

mikewill

A few thoughts. We stayed at Bandhavgarh last year in late January. We stayed at the MPTDC White Tiger lodge on the Jungle plan arrangement - food, accommodation and park rounds all included. Accomodation OK but uninspiring. Not expensive though.

Morning park round starts around 6 - 6:30 and ends about 11 - 11:30. Afternoon park round starts at about 3 and ends about 6. We spent four days at Bandhavgarh followed by a drive across to Kanha and four days there. By the time we finished we were just about wrecked from spending so much time in a Gypsy. So, you could pick and choose when to go into the park - but you may wish you hadn't when your fellow guests come back and tell you how they just spent forty minutes in the close company of four tigers!

Depends on what you want, so decide if the ability of the naturalists and drivers is most important, or the standard of accommodation. In January it's very cold at night and in the early morning - we had frost some days - and doesn't really warm up until quite late. Take plenty of layers and maybe borrow a blanket for the gypsy.

Did you consider Camp Mewar - their drivers and naturalists seemed particularly good. There is a strong tendency to concentrate on seeing tigers at the expense of other wildlife, which is a bit of a problem. If you want to see birds then I suggest you ask about their identification skills on these aspects too. There are plenty of birds there to be seen, especially if given a bit of time.

Tigers were seen every day we were there. We saw them on two of four days without going to the tiger show. Total of eight tigers in all.

Sorry I can't be more helpful about your lodge choices.

Oh, one more thing - I expect there will be some disruption of timings over New Year. We were there on Republic Day 26 January and the park opened late. Best check arrangements for 1 Jan too.

I know fees went up significantly again this year since we visited:

"Regarding prices here as you may have seen on MPTourism all has increased. Now you pay per trip, so entry fee morning and afternoon. So it is 500Rs morning and same in afternoon plus vehicle charges and guide charges too, so just doubled. However the good thing is that you can book a package of three trips ie.two afternoons or two mornings with the third a morning or afternoon but they must follow each other. This allows you a deal so 1000Rs for three or 750Rs for two trips. Same on vehicle 300Rs for three trips in stead of 450 and so on. Guide fee remains 105Rs always. 5Rs goes to some society here now as in Kanha. Sounds complicated but it works. So really just say its doubled. On Sundays it isdouble because you have to pay per trip no savings. Also holidaysof Divali, Christmas New Year and Holi are are doublewith the deal (except sundays)but literally double so entry is 1000Rs per trip. So best avoid these periods as an individual and it is heaving with Indians at this time. Elephant rides remain at 600Rs and cameras are now free but not videos these are 300Rs per trip with a deal on three at 600Rs. Do you follow all this. Best to sayits doubled on entry though it is not that much more really. Fort is expensive now because for a day in the park you pay 2000Rs to go up at lunchtime. You can go on a park round time but must be down in sheduled time and the guide ismore and the ticket must say for fort.Wow.

It is very possible these prices will go up again next season as it is hinted so. Might even double again! Getting very expensive here as they try to reduce numbers coming. Prices same for Kanha and Pench and I think Panna? Holiday times are six days either side Holi and Divali and 16 days around Christmas New Year. So christmas double time is 21st till 6th Jan. And so on this year Holi from 27th to 6thMarch."

Next season will mean this season i.e from Oct 2007.

Ronak - you mentioned visiting in summer, but of course the park is closed from 1 July to 30 September.

Whatever, we hope to go back!
Mike

shahronakm

Thanks Mike for a detailed info.
Visiting in Summer i.e in the months of April, May & June (First two weeks).

Ronak.

JES13

Mikewill--am reconsidering going. My husband and I are traveling from the US on Dec. 22, arriving in Delhi on the 23rd, and then leaving from Mumbai on Jan. 14. We intend to spend time in Delhi, Agra, (flying from Delhi to Bangalore) Mysore, Kerala, Goa, and Mumbai... and hope to visit some off the beaten track places in our travels between those places. I simply don't think there is enough time to go to the park, particularly because there is no easy way to get from there to the south (i.e., Bangalore), w/out having to go back to Delhi... We haven't completely abandoned it, but any thoughts you have would be appreciated. Thanks.

mikewill

Well, there are plenty of interesting places to see in the south. Would strongly recommend a visit to BR Hills, south east of Mysore. Very nice site run by Jungle Lodges here's a link http://www.junglelodges.com/resort_overview.asp?resort=K%2 0Gudi

Great for gaur, wild elephant. We also saw sloth bear as well as deer, monkeys, boar etc. Nice to be able to watch birds from the comfort of a chair on the verandah of your tent too! Very tough to find tigers in the south - they are there, but hard to see. You could try Kabini in Nagarahole NP (same company, twice the price, but one of the best run places anywhere). Fantastic for elephant. We just missed leopard.

It's an interesting drive to Ooty from BR Hills (we went the other way) and then you could go down on the blue train. Great trip.

I think you're right about running out of time - you're already doing a lot of miles. We spent four weeks just in Kerala! Never mind, there's always next time

Mike

cool blue

a very quick post to say that I am just back from Panna and Bandavgarh - yes, we did see the tiger, and many of his jungle buddies. Had a fantastic time and will get answers to the questions in the coming days once I get on top of the backlog from being away.....

Indian_writer

Hi Cool Blue, I am planning a visit to Panna around mid-dec. (I am visiting Khajaurao so plan to visit Panna). Is Panna worth a visit? Which are the games likely to be sighted there? Also, which is the best place to stay at Panna? Thanks in advance.

shahronakm

Cool blue, waiting to hear your experience in tiger countries.

Ronak.

cool blue

Sorry about the delay in responding.

We stayed in Ken River Lodge at Panna Reserve, which was really nice - good quality, rustic and not a crowded resort. It is less than 30 km from Khajuraho if I remember correctly. there were a couple of other lodges, varying in facilities. We spent a half day in Khajuraho which was interesting too. In Bandavgarh we stayed at King's Lodge - lovely!

Panna Reserve is very different to Bandavgarh - the vegetation is a combination of teak and sal and the scenery is beautiful. Bandavgarh is bamboo and sal (I think!) In the two parks we saw lots of birds and animals - similar in both parks, the tiger sightings in Bandavgarh were more frequent. We saw - sambar deer, spotted deer, soo many langour monkeys, a few red macaques, great birds (golden oriole, owl peacock, jungle quail etc), nilgai, jackal, wild boar.......

We stayed 3 nights at Panna and then travelled to Bandavgarh for four nights. the places seemed to be getting busy so I think it is helpful to make sure you book well in advance.

I have just written up the tiger experience on my blog

shahronakm

Thanks Cool blue for posting your experience.
Do you think AC room will be a must if I intend to vist Bandhavgarh durin April or May ? Any idea about budget hotel rooms with AC.

Ronak.

cool blue

From what i was hearing, then April/May is really hot so I think AC would be necessary.

Sorry I don't know about budget rooms and AC - there are quite few places in Tala village at the edge of the Park.

shahronakm

Thanks for the info.

Ronak.