From Mumbai take a local flight to Nagpur and then drive three hours south to reach Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Here is the big secret. Most visitors enter Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve through the northern gates, but this tends to result in big crowds and the horror of ten, twenty, thirty or even more gypsies (that is what the small suzuki safari vehicles are called) chasing the poor animals. Instead, go to the southern most gates of Zari and Zari Peth, where you almost get to experience the park on your own. And there are just as many tigers and other game.
The other big secret is Red Earth Tadoba, an amazing resort very close to the Zari gates. The link to Red Earth is here: https://redearth.in/destination/wildlife-resort-tadoba/
Red Earth is a sustainable resort with a kitchen, led by Chef Yasin, which serves up the best vegetarian food south of the Himalayas (as well as excellent non-veg options). Fancy 7-8 taster dishes at each meal and the dishes change with every meal! The variety and flamboyance of Yasin's kitchen is insane, only matched by that of India itself. People really should go on gourmet holidays in India.
Moreover, Red Earth is a simple and practical design, built with wooden materials from old forts in the region and eco-friendly materials that keep the rooms cool in the heat of the day and warm during the cold nights.
As a guest, you are assigned a highly trained Naturalist. Sharayu arranged all game drives and took care of all the logistics during our stay. She is an awesome guide with deep knowledge not just of animal and bird species, but also of local culture. As she has previously worked in the Nicobar Islands and in Rajasthan, her knowledge extends far beyond Tadoba.
For most visitors to Tadoba, tigers are the big attraction. But, as Sharayu was keen to point out, there can be no tigers without an ecosystem. Fortunately, Tadoba is far more than just a place of tigers; the park is very large and has the full range of animals, birds, insects, and plants you would expect to see in any top notch national park - a few of which are shown below.
One of the key features of Tadoba is the close and healthy relationship between the park and the inhabitants of the local villages some of which are located within park boundaries. All park drivers and guides are from these villages. They, their parents, their grand parents, their great grand parents and many generations before them all lived and worked in this area, so they know the eco-system inside out. You are in the best of hands with these super-professional experts.
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