Guide to Drive to Kanha National Park
Drive From Jabalpur to Kanha National Park
Kanha national park tour is usually undertaken from Nagpur ( 270 kms) or Raipur ( 160 kms). Nagpur route is through Bhandara Road, Tumsar, Gondia, Balaghat, Baihar & Mukki.
Drive from Raipur to Kanha National Park
Raipur route includes Dhamda, Gandai, Narmada, Salewara, Salaitekri, Birsa, Malanjkhand, Mohgaon, Godma, Bhimlat.
Drive From Jabalpur to Kanha
Kanha national park tour can be undertaken from Jabalpur, if you want to visit Bhedaghat Dhunadhar waterfall & Marble Rocks and boating in Narmada to see stunning marble rocks. Kanha is approximatly 150 kms from Jabalpur. The route is very scenic and enroute you can visit Barghee dam, which is a very big dam on river Narmada, Actually river Narmada is always on your parallel.
First resting point is Mandla, which has a MP tourism Motel, which has restaurant and Bar facilities with Kids play areas, if you are travelling with kids, it is recommended to stop here to have refreshments. It is neat & Clean.
From Mandla, Kanha is approx 50 kms, and jungle just gets denser, in between you see patches of villages and fields and also distant hills, the whole drive is very scenic.
To reach Kanha Khatia/Kisli gate, you need to drive approx 9 kms and there is a barrier for toll for allowing entry inside park, Most of the resorts are located inside the buffer zone. There are many hutments of Gond Tribes in the buffer area.
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Reach Kanha by air
The nearest major airport to Kanha National Park is Nagpur (280 Km).
Reach Kanha by rail
Jabalpur is the nearest railway station to Kanha National Park.
Reach Kanha by road
There are regular bus services from Jabalpur to Kanha.
Holiday Travel offers India wildlife tours to Kanha National Park. To book a tour or for more information, please enter your query in the form.
The park is open daily from 15th of October to 30th June. The opening hours are scheduled to accord roughly with the seasonla variations in climate, as well as with the length of the day at different seasons. There is always a mid - day break, so that employees may eat lunch and rest and the animals may have respite too, The opening timing for Kanha National Park is :
1. 15 November to 15 February - Sunrise to 12.00 noon and 3.00 pm to Sunset
2. 16 February to 30 April - Sunrise to 1200 noon and 4.00 pm to Sunset
3. 1 May to 30 June - Sunrise to 11.00 am and 5.00 pm to Sunset
Bamni Dadar:
Bamni Dadar is well known as the sunset point. This place is quite famous among the tourists and mostly people visit this place to capture a wonderful view of sunset. Animals like Sambar, Barking Deer, Gaur and the Four Horned Antelope can be easily seen here.
Kanha Museum:
Kanha Museum is located inside the park and is amazing place to visit. This is the best place to get information about the topography and different interesting aspects about the park.
Medicinal Plantation:
Medicinal Plantation Conservation Area or MPCA is located at village Boda Chhapri 2 kms from village Mocha and worth a visit. But do remember to ask for a naturalist with good knowledge of plants and do not go on your own as this place is well inside dense forest. Best is to contact the local forest officers for permission and guide
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Day 01 : Arrive Kanha
Upon arrival at Kanha, check into the wildlife resort. Evening enjoy the surrounding nature. Dinner and overnight stay at wildlife resort.
Day 02 : Kanha National Park
Your will get awake with an early morning wake call serve with a cup of tea before departure for the first jungle safari to the Kanha national park. After morning safari return to the resort for fresh -n-up breakfast.
After lunch we will again depart on a gypsy to Kanha National Park for wildlife viewing. Dinner and overnight stay at wildlife resort.
running-tigerDay 03 : Kanha National Park
Morning depart on a jypsy to Kanha national park for wildlife viewing. Later return to the resort for breakfast. After breakfast spend the at wildlife library. After lunch we will take you to the nearby tribal villages, to experience their rich rural life, coupled with tradition, art & culture. Dinner and overnight stay at wildlife resort.
Day 04 : Kanha National Park
After breakfast check out for onward destination.
Kanha National park - An Inspiration for Rudyard Kipling
Kanha is One of World's best Wild life Areas, with stunning combination of Luxuriant meadows, Wooded Slopes and desnse stands of forests with crystal clear streams crfiss-crossing the forest. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book ". The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees, interspersed with meadows. The highland forests are tropical moist dry deciduous type and of a completely different nature with bamboo on slopes (Dendrocalamus strictus). A very good looking Indian ghost tree (kullu) can also be seen in the dense forest.
Type of Wildlife in Kanha
Carnivores in Kanha National Park
Kanha's carnivore population includes tigers, leopards, wild dogs, wild cats, foxes and jackals.
Harbivores in Kanha National park
Among the deer species Swamp Deer or Hard Ground Barasingha is pride of the place as it is the only sub species of swamp deer in India (Cervus duavcelli branderi). The animal is adapted to hard ground unlike swamp deer of the North which live in marshy swamps. Kanha National Park has been instrumental in rescuing the “Swamp Deer” from extinction. Indian Gaur (Bos guarus), belonging to the ox genus, is found in Kanha but seen mostly as winter ends. In summer gaur inhabit meadows and water holes in the park.
Other commonly seen animals in the park include the spotted deer, sambar, barking deer and the four-horned deer. The latter can be seen at Bamni Dadar climb.
Recently, mouse deer have also been discovered in the tiger reserve. Introduction of Black Buck in Kanha Black buck did not originally survive here as the habitat was not suitable. However, Black buck have recently been reintroduced inside a fenced area in the park. Nilgai can still be seen near the Sarahi Gate, while the Indian Wolf once commonly seen at Mocha is a rare sight now. Hyena and sloth bear are seen occasionally. Langurs and wild boars are common, but the pugnacious rhesus macaque is seen less often.
Nocturnal animals
Nocturnal animals like fox, hyena, jungle cat, civets, porcupine, ratel or honey badger and hares can be seen outside the park confines.Reptiles like pythons, cobras, krait, rat snakes, vipers, keelbacks and grass snakes are nocturnal animals, and are therefore rarely seen. There are many species of turtles as well as amphibians found in or near the water bodies.
Reintroduction of Barasingha in Kanha National park
An exciting conservation effort in this national park is the reintroduction of Barasingha. The Gaur will be relocated to Bandhavgarh and some Barasingha will be relocated to Satpura Tiger reserve The objective of this project is to introduce about 500 Barasingha in this national park to eight or nine different locations. There is also a project to capture about twenty tigers and relocate them to Satpura Tiger reserve.Reintroduction of Barasingha: Kanha National
Park – Satpura Tiger Reserve
Important information about Kanha National Park
Area: (core) 940 km²
Terrain: sal and bamboo forests, plateaus, meadows and meandering streams
Best Season: February to June
Morning Visiting Hours: 6:30 am to 12:00 noon
Evening Visiting Hours: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Closed: 1 July to 15 October
The Nearest Airports are at Jabalpur, Raipur and Nagpur (Distances 175 km., 220 km. & 275 km., respectively)
Important FAQ about Kanha National Park
1.Where is Kanha Tiger Reserve Located?
Kanha Tiger Reserve situated in Satpura Maikal Landscape is spread over Mandla and Balaghat Disitrict of Madhya Pradesh State in India with the Head Quarter stationed at Mandla.
2.How do I reach Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Kanha is accessible from Jabalpur, Raipur and Nagpur by road to Kanha through regular bus and taxi services
All the three places are connected by road, rail and air with the major cities in the country.
3.How do I contact the Kanha Tiger Reserve Management?
Contact details are as follows:
Tel: +91 7642 250760 (W)
+91 7642 251266 (F)
Email:fdkanha@rediffmail.com
Website:-http://www.kanhatigerreserve.com
4.Which are the entry points to Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Kanha Tiger Reserve has three entry points, namely, Khatia, Mukki and Sarhi.
Khatia is nearly 160 Kms from Jabalpur (Via Mandla), 250 Kms from Raipur (Via Chilpi - Mukki - Baihar) and 220 Kms from Nagpur (Via Seoni -Nainpur - Chiraidongri).
Mukki is nearly 200 Kms from Jablpur (Via Mandla-Mocha-Baihar), 210 Kms from Raipur (Via Chilpi) and 260 Kms (Via Seoni-Nainpur-Mocha-Baihar) and 260 Kms (Via Balaghat-Baihar) from Nagpur.
Sarhi Gate is nearly 8 Kms off Bichhiya, which is on NH 12 A about 150 Kms from Jabalpur (Via Mandla) and about 220 Kms from Raipur (Via Chilpi-Sijhora).
Currently no logistic infrastructure is available at Sarhi Gate. The Gate supports the Day Visitors only.
5.What is the best time to visit Kanha Tiger Reserve?
the Kanha Tiger Reserve opens from 16 October to 30th June every year.
6.What is the Closed Period at Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Best time to visit Kanha
Tiger Reserve is from October to December and Aril to May.
Kanha Tiger Reserve remains closed for the period from 1st July to 15th October.
7.Kanha being situated in Central India is subjected to extreme and tropical weather.
Month ofJanuary witnesses sub - zero temperatures and frost.
Monsoon arrives in second week of June.
8.What are off days for Park Safari?
The Park shall remain closed to the visitors for both the safaris on the day of “Holi”. All Wednesday afternoon safaris shall remain closed to the visitors.
9.How to book ticket for safaris in Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Tickets for Park safari can be booked in advance
at http://www.mponline.gov.in/forest
. Tickets are also available at the designated KIOSKs, Mandla Office and at all the Gates (Khatia, Mukki and Sarhi) in Kanha Tiger Reserve.
10.Can I visit all the zones with one entry ticket?
Tickets are issued for a specific zone. Safari is permitted only in the zone booked for. Other zones shall remain out of bound for the visitors.
11.How can I cancel and reschedule my ticket for the safari Tickets
can only be cancelled and can not be rescheduled online.
Tickets can also be cancelled and rescheduled at the counters (subject to availability of tickets for the scheduled day)
available at Mandla Office and near the Gates.
12.How many vehicles are allowed in Kanha Tiger Reserve?
13.How many safaris can be made in Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Two safaris, one in the morning and the other during the afternoon are opened for the visitors for the safari. The safaris are from sunrise to sunset with a break during 1200 hrs to 1500 hrs.Timings are subjected to change depending on the season
14.What are the Zones in Kanha Tiger Reserve?
Safaris are made in four Zones in Kanha Tiger Reserve. The Zones are Kanha, Mukki , Kisli and Sarhi.
Kanha is notified as the Premium Zone. Each of the Zones can be accessed from any of the entry points with specific routes and under certain terms and conditions.
15.How much a ticket costs for the safari?
Tickets are available at Rs 1030/ for each safari to Mukki, Kisli and Sarhi Zone and Rs 1530/-- to Kanha Zone. The cost of the ticket does not include the Guide and Vehicle charges.
16.How to get a Guide for the safari?
Guides shall be available at the entry point. It is mandatory to keep a Guide during the Parksafari. C
ost of hiring a Guide will be Rs 200/- for each safari.Guides shall be provided on a asked to accompany the visitors right from the entry point at the time of verification of the ticket.
17.How to get a Vehicle for the safari
Only registered Gypsies are allowed to enter into the Park for the safari. The Gypsies can be hired at Rs 1800/- per safari. The rates are governed by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Corporation and are subjected to vary as per the revisions made from time to time.
.No advance booking facility is available for hiring of Gypsies. No private vehicles are allowed to enter into the Park.
18.How many persons are allowed in a Vehicle for the safari?
A maximum of six persons excluding the mandatory Guide are allowed in a vehicle during the safari.
19.Any exemption for the children inthe safari?
Children up to five years of age shall be exempted from entry fee and elephant ride fee.
20.Where to stay in Kanha Tiger Reserve?
21.What are the activities that can b e taken up in the Core Zone of the Tiger Reserve
Nature trails
What are the activities that can be taken up in the Buffer Zone of the Tiger Reserve
Visitors are allowed to move on open vehicles in the Park. One should refrain from teasing or wild animals.
Getting off the vehicle and moving on foot is strictly prohibited. First
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41.Tiger Spotting in Kanha National Park
We follow a queue for the tiger sighting on first come first basis. Tickets are issued only after the tiger has been tracked and gets localised. The number of tickets to be issued will depend on the availability of time for the safari
Tiger shows on elephant back are conducted only during the morning safari. Visitors are taken on elephant back and are allowed to view the tiger upto a maximum of 10 minutes.
Tiger shows are called off the moment tiger makes a move. Visitors are not allowed to follow the tiger on elephant back and the tickets booked for the safari get refunded
Wildlife (Mammalian Species)
Kanha has some 22 species of mammals. Those most easily spotted are the Striped Palm Squirrel, Common Langur, Jackal, Wild Pig, Chital or Spotted Deer, Barasingha or Swamp Deer, Sambar and Black Buck.
How to Reach Kanha National Park
By Air Khatia (3 km from Kisli) and Mukki are the main entry points to the Kanha National park. From Jabalpur, Kisli is 165 km via Chiraidongri, and Mukki is
203 km via Motinala and Garhi. For travellers from Bilaspur (182km), Raipur (213km) and Balaghat (83km), Mukki on State Highway No. 26 is more convenient.
From Nagpur, Kisli is 259 km via Nainpur and Chiraidongri, and Mukki is 289 km via Balaghat.
By Train Train Nearest airport is at Jabalpur (156 km.), connected with regular flights from Delhi & Bhopal. Most convenient railheads are at Jabalpur and Bilaspur.
By Road Road Daily bus service available for Kisli and Mukki from Jabalpur and back. Taxis are available for hire from Jabalpur, Bilaspur and Raipur.
Vehicles are not permitted within the park after dark.
Best Season Best season February to June, although the cool season is much more comfortable and still very good for wildlife. The park is closed from July 1 to September 30 because of the monsoon. For those planning a visit, a stay of at least three nights is recommended in order to have a good chance of seeing the more elusive animals - although, of course, a brief visit will also be very interesting.