Kanha National Park – A Complete Travel Guide to Kanha Tiger Reserve

Who hasn’t read The Jungle Book?

If the descriptions of an encompassing dense, green forest with the presence of several animals big and small ever made you wonder if the place exists then the answer is probably yes. Jungle Book was written by Sir Rudyard Kipling keeping the landscape and the forests of Kanha National Park in Mind. The abundance of the mighty tigers inspired him to come up with the character of Sher Khan.

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Among all the Tiger Reserves of India, Kanha National Park’s name is taken with high regards. The sightings of tigers at Kanha National Park are supposed to be highest. The tiger conservation project has made Kanha tiger reserve a model example in the terms of ecological conservation. The great amount of diversity makes it the most beautiful National Park in MP.

Kanha Kisli national park covers an area of more than 940 sq km. Unlike many national parks and tiger reserves, Kanha National Park’s is filled with a thick grassland, ideal for tigers to hide and wait for the pray. The beautiful views of Kanha National Park make it one of the best places to visit in Madhya Pradesh.

Read This:21 National Parks in India For All The Wildlife Enthusiasts

Apart from Tigers, Kanha National Park boasts of a diverse and rich flora and fauna. In total, Kanha Tiger Reserve has 4 zones and 3 entry gates from where you can enter and explore this beautiful forest.

Kanha National Park is a paradise for those who wish to observe the wildlife from a very close distance and those who love to click the pictures of colourful animals and birds. Kanha Tiger Reserve has so much to offer to the travellers coming here.

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Popular Safari Zones of Kanha Tiger Reserve

Kanha National Park is divided into 4 zones. While entire Kanha is famous for tiger sightings, but each zone has its own speciality. The four zones are

• Mukki Safari Zone
• Kilsi Safari Zone
• Sarhi Safari Zone
• Kanha Safari Zone

Each zone has a different speciality in terms of Kanha National park safari. Mukki has the biggest concentration of tigers while Kanha Zone offers jeep and elephant safari trips. Mukki entry point tickets are often booked in advance because of it being so popular among all the tourist places in Madhya Pradesh.

All the luxurious Kanha National Park Hotels are located around Sarhi Safari Zone. You can choose the camps according to your preference while making Kanha National Park bookings. Most of the travel companies providing Madhya Pradesh tour packages, book your ticket in advance so that you can experience a safari without any hassle.

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Best Experiences of Kanha National Park Safari

Elephant Ride

Experiencing Kanha is best when you are riding an elephant. Kanha National Park Safari is offered on jeeps and elephants. Riding an elephant is a more majestic way to travel in the forest. As the elephant passes through the beautiful grasslands, you find yourself enjoying the best views of the surrounding area.

Booking an elephant safari is easy. Every Kanha National Park Resorts provides this safari as a part of their travel package.

Jeep Safari

While elephant safari is on a higher side, the jeep safari is a better, cheaper and a closer way to meet the animals in their habitat. Usually, jeep safari is included in your package with your booked Kanha National Park hotels, but one can take additional safaris depending on the mood and budget for better experiences in the jungle.

Safari timings: Morning – 6 am to 11 pm, evening – 3 pm to 5:45 pm

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Also Read:Explore Adventure and Exotic Terrains in India’s Best National Park Safaris

Explore the birdwatching trails of Kanha

Apart from the traditional safari, you can also go on the famous bird watching trails of the forest. Kanha National Park booking also offers a visit to some of their famous bird trails. These colourful beautiful birds have made this park their home and are always in sight. Anyone with a love to see birds needs to pay a visit to Kanha Kisli National Park.

It is said that there are more than 300 species of birds in this park. Some of the most famous ones include –

• Storks
• Teals
• Pintails
• Herons
• Egrets
• Peafowl
• Jungle Fowl
• Partridge
• Vultures

Winter season is the best time to see the birds in abundance.

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Suggested:Kaziranga National Park – A Complete Travel Guide

Kanha is the only National Park in MP where tiger sighting is possible all year round. The winter season the best for the gorgeous views along with a nice weather. During the winter season, the Kanha National Park hotels and resorts are booked days in advance. So you need to keep the availability of the hotels in mind before making Kanha National Park Bookings.

The summer season is perfect for tiger sighting as the beast walks out of the dense forest in search of water bodies. Although, the summer season doesn’t make the conditions appropriate ideal to be called as the best time to visit Kanha National Park but wildlife lovers will certainly find a treat of their life.

Park usually doesn’t entertain guests during the monsoon season because of the muddy roads and inaccessible zones. This time is not suggested to travel in Madhya Pradesh because of the heavy rains and unpredictable weather.

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How to visit Kanha

Air: Kanha National Park location is closest from Jabalpur. The airport is located at a distance of 170 km and it takes around 4 hours to reach the forest area.

Apart from Jabalpur, Raipur airport is also a good option to visit Kanha National Park via flight. The airport has a better connectivity from major airports of the world and it takes about 5 hours to reach the Kanha National Park booking counter.

One can also take a flight till Nagpur and then continue with the road journey. Most Kanha National Park resorts provide a pickup and drop to all the airports.

Train: Jabalpur is the nearest and the most convenient railway station to visit Kanha. It is connected with major stations of India and a short journey takes you all the way to the national park. If you have booked one of the Kanha Resorts in advance then you can also contact them for a pickup service as it is safe and secure.

For the travellers coming from Mumbai, a better and convenient option to reach Kanha is by stopping at Gondia. Kanha National Park’s Location is just 3 hour away from here.

Road: Being one of the popular tourist spots of Madhya Pradesh Tourism, Kanha is well connected with via road. Important places of interest, including, Jabalpur (170 Km), Khajuraho (445 Km), Nagpur (270 Km) and Raipur (219 Km) provide easy access to Kanha.

Kisli Gate is accessible via Jabalpur while the Mukki Gate can be reached through Nagpur via Gondia. Regular bus and cab services are available from all important points. Most of the Kanha Resorts also provide the facility of pick and drop.

Taking a private car from airport or railway station is always suggested because the buses in Madhya Pradesh are unreliable and often late.

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Stay options in Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park provides many stay options ranging from luxurious hotels, resorts and camps. One can choose the best Kanha resorts or hotels as per their convenience. The luxury hotels and resorts also provide packages and facility of Kanha safari tour packagebookingin advance.

Most of the hotels in Kanha provide pick up services from airport and railway stations. Their trip packages also include a visit to sunset point, palaces, along with a jeep and elephant safari. Depending on your budget and the kind of package you go with, your booked hotels in Kanha will make proper arrangements for the best travel experience.

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Guidelines and Fee for Kanha Safari Booking

While Safari is included in the hotel packages, you can also make additional bookings from the Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s authorized booking counters. One can also make bookings through mponline.gov.in.

Jeep cost –INR 2000 with six people maximum.

Hotel Pickup – INR 300 to 600 depending on the location of your hotel or resort.

Kanha National Park entry fee depends on which Kanha National Park location you are entering from.

Core zone entry fee – INR 1550

Buffer / Peripheral zones – INR 1250

Apart from Kanha National Park entry fee, you’ll have to pay a guide charge of INR 350 or INR 500 depending on the zone.

Canter Safari with shared seats are also available for INR 550 per person

Since Kanha National Park is a protected sanctuary, the visitors are prohibited from carrying plastic bottles or packets inside the park. Most of the resorts and hotels promote ecologically friendly tourism to keep Kanha a naturally sustainable place. As a visitor, you should avoid throwing garbage carelessly, and avoid the use of plastic once you are in the zone.

A unique travel experience with Thomas Cook

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