Best time to visit Bandhavgarh National Park

Time in Bandhavgarh may be at the heart of your Indian vacation, but it's worth bolting on some other highlights while here. Spend a day or two exploring the capital, Delhi, where most trips to Bandhavgarh begin, and consider extending your trip to include Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, or the temples at Khajuraho.

Bring the children. Many African safaris impose age restrictions, but family wildlife vacations running in Bandhavgarh National Parks rarely have a minimum age. In fact, children often get discounted rates. All but the tiniest kids will enjoy a safari here. Accommodation is generally right by the park gates, so no long drives to reach the wildlife, and safaris last three and a half hours, so shouldn't tax a child's patience. While you can't promise a tiger, a host of Jungle Book characters await to charm your children.

Of course you’ll want to capture the magic of Bandhavgarh, but remember to put your camera down sometimes. The best way to enjoy an immersive wildlife experience here is to forget about photography and concentrate on simply soaking up the sights, sounds and atmosphere. Remember, too, that you may only see one tiger on your trip and getting a great photo of it is always tricky; much better to just gaze in awe when and if it shows up.

For a broad taste of Indian wildlife and an excellent chance of spotting tigers, don't limit yourself to Bandhavgarh. Many Indian wildlife vacations combine a couple of national parks, so you experience a range of landscapes and lodges. In contrast to tiny Bandhavgarh, Kanha National Park is a vast landscape of undulating terrain, grasslands, plateaus and dramatic rocky escarpments. Pench National Park is not so well known for its tigers, but is home to leopards and large herds of gaur (Indian bison), chital, sambar, nilgai and wild dog.

If you’re serious about spotting Shere Khan, allow at least two days in Bandhavgarh and never assume you’ll be successful on your first excursion. The park permits game drives between set hours in the morning and the evening, starting at different times throughout the year. It’s possible to take two drives a day, so a two-day stay will allow you to pack in four, which alters your chances of seeing a tiger from possible to probable.

The majority of people on tiger safaris in India are, by far, Indians themselves, so don’t forget about national public vacations and festivals. These dates book up far in advance and are worth avoiding if you can. Big celebrations include Republic Day on 26 January and Diwali which falls in October or November.

“Tiger spotting is not like an African safari as tigers live in dense forests so you have to have a good guide & good luck. If you go once or twice you may well not get to see them.” – Christine Smith

“Enjoy everything about the trip, don’t be hooked up on seeing tigers, they are there and can be hard to find, and when the moment arrives it is magical!!! Pack less than you think (laundry service available), have old clothes for game drives can be really dusty in hotter months and you do get dust everywhere, have something to do for between game drives/evenings as resorts are quite isolated... Embrace the experience, the locals, the wildlife, the sights and the train, you may be surprised!” – Ian Harrison

“Make sure you have really warm clothing for early morning safari drives in December. Wear a hat unless you want to end up with tangled and dusty hair. Be prepared for giving lots of smallish tips to drivers, guides and hotel staff. You don’t need any 'smart' clothes everyone dresses informally.” – Barbara Thompson

“We travelled in March/April and early morning safaris were cold enough to need a blanket (provided by the hotel) at the start and be sunburn hot by the end. We took mosquito spray but only needed to use it a couple of times. The tummy upset pills came home totally unneeded. Take lots of zip lock bags for cameras, binoculars etc as the dust is thick in the air and gets everywhere when on safaris. Be prepared for rough, bumpy tracks in the parks and open jeeps with limited suspension. Buy a dust scarf/gaiter – available at the road side stalls near many of the park gates. Even though temperatures are high in April (40C some days) take thin long sleeved tops to avoid sunburn – jeeps are open and safaris are 3-4 hours. The heat is dry – so not as unbearable as you would imagine – and all hotel rooms had fans and AC.” – Christine Chapman