Rathambhore National Park

I left Jaipur by train in direction of Southeast to Sawai Madhopur - just a day before I finally could secure a tatkal ticket on Cleartrip to and fro as well as a hotel. Short after 8 pm I reached and the hotel sent an auto-rickshaw wallah to pick me up. A short drive later, I was at Hotel Tiger Safari where I got a nice room, dinner and a booking for the safari next morning.

Hotel Tiger Safari

From 6:30 am I was waiting in the lobby - around seven one of the numerous canters (truck with open top and 20 seats) stopped and I boarded. Several pick ups later we made it to the entrance gate where the flying sellers already awaited us to buy hats, shirts and fleece jackets.

Entering the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

Another gate to pass

We headed for Zone 4 & 5 on our tiger hunt and came across 3 of the 4 different kinds of deer:

• Nilgay: antilope looking a bit like horses and the favorite food of the tigers. They can live 4-5 days from that. 
• Samber: normal deer.
• Dotted deer: with white dots and the males with antlers. 

Samber deer

dotted deer

Samber deer

I also saw an owl, peacocks, a crocodile and many birds. Only the tigers were hiding somewhere else. The afternoon safari was not any better.

Peacock

Banyan tree

monkeys

Believers on the way back from the temple

At the end of the second safari, I asked the guide how often he saw tigers and his answer: 2-3 times a week out of 14 safaris. I did not have the time to stay longer and go looking for the tigers, so I left with the evening train. I might have to go to Africa to see the tigers.