Ranthambore

Ranthambore is the most accessible major tiger reserve from Delhi — six hours by road or five hours by train — and its tigers are the most habituated to vehicles in India, which has made it the country's most reliably productive destination for photographers and first-time wildlife visitors.

The Ranthambore fort, a 10th-century Rajput stronghold that rises above the park on a rocky promontory, gives the reserve its visual character — the ruins of a fort, complete with temples and cenotaphs and a still-functioning Ganesh shrine, overlooking lakes where tigers drink at dawn. The juxtaposition of the medieval and the wild is so photogenic that images of tigers framed against the fort's silhouette have appeared on the covers of every major natural history magazine.

The tigers of Ranthambore have been individually identified and named for several decades, which means that experienced guides can often tell you which individual you are likely to see on any given day based on territorial patterns and recent sightings. This personalisation of the encounter — knowing that you are watching T17 (Sultan) on the northern lake rather than a generic tiger — changes the quality of attention the experience generates.

Places to Visit in Ranthambore

• Ranthambore National Park
• Ranthambore Fort
• Padam Lake
• Jogi Mahal

Things to Do in Ranthambore

• Jeep safari for tiger sightings
• Birdwatching at Padam Lake
• Fort ruins exploration