Bandhavgarh

Bandhavgarh has the highest density of tigers in any protected area in India — roughly one per five square kilometres in the core zone — and a landscape of sal forest, meadow, and ancient fort ruins that provides a backdrop for wildlife encounters found nowhere else.

The park takes its name from the Bandhavgarh Fort, on a rocky hill at its centre, which appears in the Ramayana as the location where Ram gave Lanka to Lakshmana. The fort is now accessible only on an approved wildlife vehicle, and approaching it on an early morning jeep drive through forest where tigers are genuinely present — with the fort emerging above the treeline — is unlike anything else in Indian wildlife tourism.

The tigresses of Bandhavgarh have historically been reliable breeders, which means cub sightings are a realistic possibility between March and May. The meadow areas of the Tala zone, where tigers move across open ground, produce photography opportunities that Bandhavgarh's guides describe, with reasonable accuracy, as the best in India. The ancient fort ruins overlooking these meadows give Bandhavgarh a visual identity that no other Indian park can replicate.

Places to Visit in Bandhavgarh

• Bandhavgarh National Park core zones
• Bandhavgarh Fort ruins
• Tala village

Things to Do in Bandhavgarh

• Tiger safari jeep drives
• Fort ruins exploration
• Nature walks and birdwatching