Team-BHP - Humbly & Totally Tadoba-ed

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Lovely narration, thanks for sharing. Am inspired to do a trip to Tadoba in the next few months.

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Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 2740004)

Lovely narration, thanks for sharing. Am inspired to do a trip to Tadoba in the next few months.

Thanks for reading Nilanjan.Yes its a place definitely worth going to.Accomodation options are very very limited.With the opening up of Svasara,hopefully some more ones open up,but am keeping my fingers crossed that the hotel & resort scene does not get ugly what with every 100meters a hotel cropping up.Like anybody would tell you,summers are the best time for wildlife sightings,but it can get terribly hot as its Central India and presently the temperatures are pushing 43degrees.

BLR-Tadoba can be done in a day's hard drive with an early morning start from Blore,else can easily be done with a stopover in Hyd.Shouldnt take you more than 15hours.BLR-HYD 8hrs/1hr to cross Hyd(NH7-NH7)/Kompally to Tadoba(Kolara Gate) 8hrs.

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Originally Posted by gd1418 (Post 2739690)

A neat travelogue with some crisp pictures.

Would like to differ. Kakar or muntjac deer is a very small deer; even the fawn of a Cheetal is larger than a full grown kakar. And it is also very shy & fearful. Gets alarmed by any kind of noise and gives out an alarm call. Found in abundance in Corbett, they are known to give calls even when they see a mongoose.

Their call are not a reliable source of the presence of a predator, whether small or large.

In comparison, a Sambhar gives out a call only when it sees a large predator. A sambhar's call is a sure give away of the prowl of a Tiger and coupled with that of a langur perched very high-up in the tree is that for a Leopard.

Thanks for reading and thanks for this detail as well.We would definitely be better armed now for our next safari.

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Originally Posted by joe1980 (Post 2739398)

Could you please share the details with respect to the cost for the stay and for the safari? The rooms look excellent in condition.

Thanks Joe.We paid INR 17K for two nights (inclusive of taxes,all meals,all snacks and tidbits and tea/coffee at any time)IIRC the CP plan was INR 5500(room &bf).We did not opt for the Jungle plan as we wanted to keep our safari options open.The safari is 3000 per safari/per jeep.We did two morning safaris.

www.svasararesorts.com

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Originally Posted by hyd_traveller (Post 2739341)

Do you think that it is more sensible to take the NH7 route compared to Chandrapur route from Hyderabad, especially since many people suggest using Chandrapur route for Nagpur?

The Chandrapur route is lesser in driving distance if one is planning to stay close to the Moharli / Kolsa gates of TATR(Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve) as these two gates are closer to Chandrapur town (Trimulgherry-Siddipet-Karimnagar-Chandrapur).To go to Kolara gate(where Svasara is located and where we were staying,taking the NH7 is easier).Kolara gate was open only in Nov 2011 and is hardly crowded(thanks to awareness being low and lesser number of vehicles being allowed from this gate per day,but very high wildlife density(a fact substantiated by the locals as well)).Distance between Kolara & Moharli/Kolsa is a good 130kms while through the reserve is around 25kms.But the route through the reserve is closed for normal traffic & is pure OTR terrain.There is one MSRTC bus that takes the route through the reserve for the benefit of the two villages inside TATR.Other than that,only the safari gypsies and forest department vehicles are allowed to ply on this route.

Road between Chandrapur & Hyderabad is a state highway and facilities are less as opposed to the NH7 and most importantly this is single laned as opposed to the blissful 4laned NH7.Also fuel and eating facilities(whatever little there is)are slightly better since the NH7 is trafficked 24hours.

Overall I would take the NH7 any day,even if I were to go Moharli or Kolsa or Chandrapur.

Maps for your reference:

Moharli-Chandrapur-Kolara(via the permitted route) approx 130kms

Moharli, Maharashtra to Svasara Resort - Google Maps

Moharli-Chandrapur-Kolara (via the forest restricted route) approx 45kms

Svasara Resort to Chandrapur, Maharashtra - Google Maps

HYD-Chandrapur(Via Karimnagar) approx 380kms

Trimulgherry Police Station to Chandrapur, Maharashtra - Google Maps

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Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar (Post 2739316)

Hi Ranjit
Finally read your travellogue yesterday. Posted a reply but looks like it didn't go through. Great write up, loved the story telling art you have.
Also I now know what Maachan means always thought it meant tree house. Someone runs a resort by the name maachan about 17 kms from Lonavala on the aamby valley road. They have a few tree houses made of steel in the hill side
Cheers :)

Thanks DF:) Lonavla is fast becoming the steel & concrete hillside:)

Nice travelogue. Superb narration. The resort is beautiful, which is bang on the gate.

@ Nilanjan Sir: Do make a visit now to Tadoba. The best time and this year the best sightings going on.

Very detailed and enjoyable travelogue Ranjit.

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Originally Posted by ranjitp1 (Post 2707162)

In animals it is just the opposite of what it is in humans when it comes to beauty!All male species of animals are so very beautiful(am sure we have some arguments here!)be it the Sambar,be it the peacock,be it the elephant!

Perhaps, because animals dont have make-up. stupid:

*Ducks to avoid the anticipated brickbats*:D

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Originally Posted by Subrat Seet (Post 2744461)

Nice travelogue. Superb narration. The resort is beautiful, which is bang on the gate.
@ Nilanjan Sir: Do make a visit now to Tadoba. The best time and this year the best sightings going on.

Yes true Subrat,if there are small kids then the heat could be a killer though.As for the resort,the location like you said is fantastic,almost gives it a look and feel of an African safari lodge in the middle of nowhere.

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Originally Posted by lsp (Post 2744516)

Very detailed and enjoyable travelogue Ranjit.
Perhaps, because animals dont have make-up. stupid:

Thanks Isp:)

@ranjitp1,

Another drive to Raipur is getting firmed up by end of June, is this a good time to do a stop over at Tadoba as well, considering rains might not arrive in central India by this time.

Another question is, if i plan to do the whole drive and directly stop at Tadoba then, is it better to start at night instead of early morning as i am not sure how safe/motor-able/searchable the resort is at night is? Or would you recommend a stop over at Hyderabad and then drive to Tadoba the next day?

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Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2802295)

A note of caution - before planning to goto Tadoba, pls check the availability of jungle entry tickets. I was in Tadoba recently and was told that all the jungle tickets are booked solid till June 14th.

So it would be better to be sure that you will be able to do a drive in the jungle before planning to goto Tadoba.

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Originally Posted by sach.sri (Post 2802311)

A note of caution - before planning to goto Tadoba, pls check the availability of jungle entry tickets.

Called up the resort guys, they said the nightly rate can also include one/two safaris. Shouldn't ticket be included in that? Or am i missing something here?

Is the terrain safe for night arrival?

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Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2802493)

Called up the resort guys, they said the nightly rate can also include one/two safaris. Shouldn't ticket be included in that? Or am i missing something here?

Is the terrain safe for night arrival?

Pls specifically ask them if Safari will be available or not. Also ask them for the gate.

Moharli gate and Kolara gate are the best ones. If you go via these gates you will have the change of seeing - Telia cubs and tigress, Panderpouni cubs and tigress, Katerzari cubs and tigress (here there are 2 families one with 15 months old cubs and other with 5-6 months old cubs), Yeda Anna, Wagdo Male, Additionally if you go via Moharli - you can choose to goto Kolsa range and have a chance to sight Shivaji (the biggest and reigning Alpha male) - Shivaji is said to kill and eat Bisons as a staple diet :)

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Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2802493)

Called up the resort guys, they said the nightly rate can also include one/two safaris. Shouldn't ticket be included in that? Or am i missing something here?

Is the terrain safe for night arrival?

Mayank,presently driving back to Hyd from Mumbai.To answer your questions:

1.Tadoba is closing for the monsoon on June 30th so plan your trip accordingly.

2.If you are booking via Svasara,the safaris would be taken care of by them.Make sure you give them your times and names of persons and ID card number of atleast one person in advance.

3.The mornings safaris are good,sightings are excellent,not hot and less dust.Afternoons are tortuous with the amount of park gypsies and pvt cars,it can get terrible.

4.Let me know if you are intending to go to Svasara.I shall speak to Ranjit there who manages the places and put in a word.No problems on that.Nilanjan Ray from Bangalore is presently there and will return on Saturday I think.He too is staying at Svasara.Let me know and I shall do accordingly.He left Bangalore at 12 in the night and must have crossed Hyd around 7am and reached Svasara by 2-3pm.

5.Night travel between Karanji and Kolara I definitely would not reccomend.You wouldnt find a soul on the route and beyond Warora,its almost jungles and nothing else.Also the resort is in the middle of nowhere and is definitely not easy to find from Chimur

Good travelogue; small , beautiful and crisp. I'm now inspired to do a trip to Tadoba when I come back to India.

Thanks for posting the travelogue. Just for info; is there any other good resorts near Tadoba (if you had checked it); in case Svasara is full?

I came back Sunday late night. Took me 14 hours to go, and 15 hours to come back - with all the breaks, meals, power naps etc.

For me, the afternoon safaris were better in terms of photo opps and sightings,

Going to Svasara is very easy, since it is marked on Google maps. And the directions are totally accurate, except the Warora stretch (there is a bypass that is not so crowded).

It has become cooler in the last couple of days, I understand - due to showers.

My bookings done, permit done, fingers crossed for the drive. Planning to start Friday night, be there by Saturday afternoon. Relax, do two safaris on Sunday and spend the rest of Sunday at the resort.

Continue my journey Monday morning onwards. Hopefully we will see some tigers. Wife almost threw a spanner looking at open jeeps, finally after confirming its safe she has relented.

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Originally Posted by krish3 (Post 2802907)

Tadoba has 3 gates.Svasara is at the Kolara gate which is a recently opened gate.The other gates are Moharli and Kolsa.You would find some places to stay at Moharli.We did not find them satisfactory.Around Kolara there is no other resort.To go from Kolara to Moharli would take approximately 2hrs.IMO,svasara is the best option to stay ofcourse budget permitting.

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Originally Posted by mayankjha1806 (Post 2805899)

Great news.Have fun.Let me know whenever you are passing through Hyderabad.

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Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 2805831)

For me, the afternoon safaris were better in terms of photo opps and sightings,

It has become cooler in the last couple of days, I understand - due to showers.

Great to hear about it.I was speaking to Ranjit at Svasara and he was telling me your sightings are record breaking stuff:thumbs up 12 tigers & sloth bears in one drive is amazing!

Nice travelogue Ranjit but, the pictures arent doing justice to this mystical place. Honestly, this place has been on my wish list for a long time and each year i plan and dont go. Lovely resort that you stayed in too.

Can you share some basic info like below

1. What was the tarrif in Svsara?
2. What is the cost of safaris?
3. How about the food? All meals at the hotel where you stayed?
4. Is a Friday-Sunday afternoon trip enough to justify Tadoba?

Btw, congrats on the Figo. I never knew you changed your car? Is there a ownership thread on the forum?:). What happened to your red maruti?