Ranthambore Travel

History
The Ranthambore National Park was the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur. It is situated at the confluence of the Aravali Hills and the Vindhyan plateau in the eastern Rajasthan. The Chambal River in the South and the Banas River in the North drain the Ranthambore National Park. Six man-made lakes and many perennial streams add to the beauty of the national park.

The region of Ranthambore is rich in history. This region was under the control of the Rajput King Hamir but was defeated by Ala-ud-din Khilji's army in AD 1301. The history of Ranthambore reached the pinnacle of its glory when Emperor Akbar captured it in 1569 AD. He also took over the control of the fort from the Rajputs. The painters and artists have painted this event in miniature paintings of the Akbarnama. The fort was transferred to the Kachwaha rulers of Jaipur later and remained under their control till 1949 when Jaipur was made the part of Rajasthan. The region is celebrated for several hunting parties organized in this region for dignitaries. One such party was organized in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh in 1949.

The former rulers of Jaipur first felt the need to preserve the area. In 1955, Ranthambore became a game sanctuary and was among the first few protected areas in India. In 1984, Ranthambore Sanctuary acquired the status of a National Park covering almost 400 sq km of area. It was declared as the Tiger Reserve in India, when Project Tiger started in 1972. According to rough estimates, there are more than thousand tigers in the park. The total area of the Ranthambore National Park is 1,334 sq km, which includes the adjoining sanctuaries of the Kaila Devi Sanctuary and the Mansingh Sanctuary.

About
Ranthambore National Park is in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan state.Located at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, this is one of the finest places to view animals, especially as they are used to being stared at here.The park covers an area of Approximately 400 sq Km and if combined it with the area of sawai man singh sanctuary area,it is around 500 Sq km.
Ranthambore national park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". It got it's status of a National Park in 1981.

Ranthambore National Park is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras.There are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants. A huge fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park atop a hill. There are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over the jungle, which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history and wildlife.Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. These tigers are famous for being seen in the daytime too, due to their lack of fear of human presence in vehicles. This lack of fear of humans is excellent for tourists, as they get to see the tigers often.

This National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities. The park remains open every year from October to May.Famous for the exciting and frequent tiger sightings captured dramatically in several books, this park is today affected by ecological pressures and poaching.
In Nutshell, Ranthambore National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities and remains open every year from October to Mid June.

Things to Do in Ranthambore
Ranthambore National Park was established in the year 1957, as a wildlife sanctuary. It was only in the year 1981 that it was awarded the status of a national park. Today, Ranthambore boasts of being one of the most visited national parks in the whole of India. Situated in the Sawai Madhopur District, at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, it serves as the abode of the king of the jungle, tiger. Apart from that, you can find a large variety of animals, birds and reptiles in the park. In this article, we will help you explore what to do and see in Ranthambore.

Wildlife Viewing
Ranthambore National Park is renowned for being home to a rich and varied wildlife. The most popular attraction of this park comprises of its tigers, followed by leopards. Apart from that, you can also spot leopards, striped hyenas, nilgai, macaques, black bucks, rufous tailed hare, Indian porcupines, small Indian mongoose, Indian false vampires, Indian flying foxes, etc. Then, it houses a population of snub nosed marsh crocodiles, desert monitor lizards, tortoise, banded and common kraits, cobras, Indian pythons, north Indian flap shelled turtles, rat snakes, Russell’s vipers, and saw-scaled vipers, as well.

Bird Watching
Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary is considered to be a bird watchers paradise. This is because it approximately 272 species of birds, both resident and migratory, can be seen in the park. Some of the most popular species include graylag goose, woodpeckers, Indian gray hornbills, common kingfishers, bee eaters, cuckoos, parakeets, Asian palm swift, owl, nightjars, pigeon, dove, crakes, snipes, sandpipers, gulls, etc. Malik Talao, the Ranthambore Fort, Rajbagh Talao, Padam Talao and the Jhalra area are the areas in Ranthambore that are best suited for bird watching.

Hot Air Ballooning
Ranthambore is one of the places in Rajasthan where hot air ballooning takes place. As you fly miles above the wildlife sanctuary, the lush greenery scenery surely takes you by surprise. The balloon ride also provides you with an opportunity to take some of the best photographs of the wild animals as well as birds, from above, suspended in mid air. Majority of the hot air balloon flights in Ranthambore take off from the helipad on the arterial road. However, you can also take a flight from Ranthambore Road, Madhopur, or any other destination.

Jungle Safari
One of the best ways to explore Ranthambore is through a jungle safari, which takes you as close to the wildlife as possible. It is undertaken on open-roofed canters (small trucks), which can seat 20 people at a time. These canters move on a network of four tracks that crisscross the park. Apart from that, you can also go on a jeep safari. At any given time, a maximum of three open jeeps are allowed on each trail.

How to Reach

By Air : Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is the nearest airport to Ranthambore. Ranthambore National Park is about 140 Km from Jaipur. You can fly to Jaipur and proceed to Sawai Madhopur by road or rail.

By Rail : Sawai Madhopur which is just 11 Km from Ranthambore National Park is accessible by rail and is on the main route from Delhi to Mumbai. You can arrive at Sawai Madhopur by rail and take a car or bus to Ranthambore National Park.

By Road : Ranthambore is easily accessible by road from all destinations across Rajasthan. If you're traveling by road, there are many options from luxury air-conditioned coaches to private taxis and local buses of the Rajasthan Transport Corporation, in which you can reach Ranthambore National Park.