Satpura National Park is one of fascinating variety and wonderful wildlife, offering jeep safaris as well as kayaking. However, it is still one of the least visited parks in Central India, perhaps due to the difficulty in spotting tigers here. The magnificent Bengal tiger does live here, but we don’t suggest you some here with that as your primary goal, there are many other parks for that, such as Corbett, Kanha and Ranthambore.
Set in the Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh, the park is named after the Satpura Hill Ranges. Its rugged hills are covered in dense forests of teak and sal, dissected by streams and steep ‘nullahs’ (seasonal water sources carved by the monsoons). The huge Tawa Reservoir has broad meadows on its borders, adding to the variety of habitats that play home to the resident wildlife.
As previously mentioned, this is not a great place for those who want to track tigers, despite being a ‘Tiger Reserve’. However, there are some fascinating species deserving of your visit and this is a great place to experience the wildlife in more intimate surroundings. Sloth bears are relatively common and can sometimes be seen drunk on the flowers of mahua trees. Predators include leopard, wild dog, jackal and mugger crocodiles, which frequent the waters. The birding is superb, with hornbills and peafowl most common. You also spot pangolin, black buck, smooth otter, spotted deer, gaur or horned antelope.
Similar more to an African safari park, here you can gain a well-rounded experience of nature expedition. Jump in a jeep and delve into the deep jungles or explore by foot within the core, which can be a thrilling experience, especially if you are lucky enough to spot wild dog.
There are hides set up too, so that you can keep yourself hidden, whilst the action unfolds naturally before you. You can also embark on a kayak safari throughout the Tawa Reservoir.There are few lodges in the area and vehicles in the park are restricted, keeping numbers of tourists low. We like Forsyth Lodge, a stylish and environmentally aware lodge in the dense jungle, and Reni Pani Jungle Lodge, with 12 luxurious cottages, yet with an excellent focus on wildlife.
Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey to India. Please note we recommend a budget of from £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.
