Earn Your Tiger Stripes in India's Best Safari Parks

Ironically India's national park system has its roots in royal Indian hunting grounds established under colonial rule; for after the British left in 1947 the land became public parks. Given that there were an estimated 40,000 tigers at the turn of the last century, and today some 1,400 tigers exist (in 2009 there were 86 reported tiger deaths by poaching), there has never been such an important time to view this animal in its natural habitat.

The rest of India's fauna is equally impressive, with leopard (and snow leopard), bear, rhino, elephant and wild dog to name a few. While most parks are closed during monsoon (June-October), the best time to see tigers is late spring (late February-mid May), given the sparseness of foliage and crowded water holes.
Favoured by wildlife photographers, and once the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur, Ranthambore NP is one of the country's largest (1,334 sq km) and best known. Dotted with ancient ruins and frequented by tigers and leopards, you can also hope to come across macaques, sloth bear, caracal, civet, langur, crocodile, python, striped hyena and jungle cat. Sher Bagh is a pioneering, luxury tented camp neighbouring the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. With Edwardian campaign style furniture, their 12 hand-stitched canvas tents perfectly evoke the style of the 1920's. Our other recommendation is the excellent Aman-i-Khas, where guests can expect to be treated like a maharaja, with sumptuous air-conditioned tents in the Moghul style, spa treatments and your own private valet.

Sher Bagh pool

Sometimes considered the most beautiful of India's Parks, Kanha NP in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, is a mix of forest and grassland and was allegedly the inspiration for Kipling's The Jungle Book (120 years old in 2014). Remote and abounding with large open meadows, the chances of spotting tiger, leopard, jackal, mouse deer and swamp deer are strong here. Eco-minded Shergarh Tented Camp has six forest-based high luxe tents with private balconies close to the realm of the tigers.

Spread over 100 sq km, Bandhavgarh NP (Madhya Pradesh state) is home to more than 50 tigers, as well as leopard, wild bear, blue bull, bison, sloth bear, hyena and mongoose. Known as the land of the white tiger, though to our knowledge there are no longer any here, this is said to be one of the country's easiest places to spot tigers on either jeep or elephant safaris (especially between April and June). We stay in Taj Mathua Kothi in handsome village huts with private courtyards, set in 40 acres of Edenic land close to the park's entrance.

Jawai Leopard Camp

Located in Assam in north-eastern India, World Heritage site Kaziranga NP sits in a landscape of forest, elephant grass and marsh. Two thirds of the world's one-horned rhinoceros live here, as well as wild elephant, buffalo, monitor lizards and water birds. The best way to see them is by private jeep tour or on the back of an elephant. Surrounded by lush forest Wild Grass offers private palatial villas immersed in nature as wild elephants trumpet through the grounds.

Opened at the end of 2013, Jawai Leopard Camp sits in untrammelled wilderness north of Udaipur, its eight luxurious tents encircled by craggy granite formations, kopjes and winding sand riverbeds. Accompanied by a naturalist on a 4x4 safari, your chances of seeing leopard over an average three-day stay are a healthy 75 percent, for there are at least 30 in the immediate vicinity.

Beatrice is Destination Specialist for the Indian Subcontinent at Red Savannah. Bea's interest in the region began whilst travelling extensively through India. Since then she has taught English to Tamil children in Sri Lanka before becoming a specialist tour operator. Her experience in the luxury travel industry has taken her to India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal on a regular basis. Contact Beatrice for more advice on India holidays on +44 (0)1242 787800.