Ranthambore National Park is the most popular wildlife gem of Rajasthan, located in the district of Sawai Madhopur. The ideal location of the national provides easy access to major cities across the country through an efficient network of rail and road transport. Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, lies at a distance of nearly 175 km from Ranthambore and also serves as the nearest airport. Due to this strong connectivity, reaching Ranthambore National Park is convenient for visitors travelling from different parts of India as well as from abroad.
Ranthambore National Park is counted among the largest protected wildlife areas in North India. Situated in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, the park is known for its rich biodiversity and well-preserved natural ecosystem. The forest is home to a wide variety of wild flora and fauna, including several rare and endangered species. Wildlife safaris conducted inside the park allow visitors to explore the inner forest areas and enjoy close encounters with nature in its raw form. Another major attraction is the historic Ranthambore Fort, located within the park boundaries, which significantly enhances the cultural and heritage value of the forest landscape.
The forest terrain is blessed with remarkable natural beauty and a strikingly varied landscape that leaves visitors fascinated by its untouched charm. The deciduous forest region features a mix of dense shrubs, open grasslands, dry stretches, ravines, valleys, rocky hills, riverbeds, lakes, and natural water bodies. This wide-ranging topography, combined with the wild and rugged character of Ranthambore, makes it an exceptional destination for nature photography and wildlife videography. Adding further appeal are the remains of ancient palaces, forts, temples, and other historical structures scattered across the park area. Ranthambore supports around 7 species of the cat family, nearly 38 species of mammals, over 300 species of birds, about 35 species of reptiles, and more than 400 species of plants.
A large number of wildlife enthusiasts visiting Ranthambore arrive with the primary objective of witnessing the Royal Bengal Tiger in its natural surroundings. While tiger sightings remain the main highlight, the forest offers much more beyond this iconic predator. Several species of flora and fauna found within Ranthambore are rarely seen outside this region, making each safari a rewarding and enriching wildlife experience even without a tiger sighting.
Despite this diversity, the desire to spot a tiger remains the top priority for most visitors. At present, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is divided into 10 designated ecotourism zones to ensure better management of tourism activities. Jungle safaris are permitted in all zones, and safari vehicles are allocated zones through a random allotment system.
Complete Details about the Safari Zones:
Ranthambore National Park has been divided into a total of ten designated safari zones to ensure smooth and well-organised management of tourism activities within the park. This zoning system has been introduced to distribute safari movement evenly across the forest area, rather than allowing excessive vehicle concentration in a few tiger-frequented regions, which could disturb the natural habitat and wildlife balance. The allocation of safari zones is carried out at the entry gate by forest department officials through a computerized and random process. Visitors are not permitted to select or request a preferred zone, as no manual intervention or external influence is allowed in the zone allotment system.
Both types of safari vehicles, including jeeps and canters, operate on the same predefined routes within their assigned zones. As a result, the chances of wildlife sightings remain the same regardless of the vehicle type chosen. Each safari zone has its own distinct charm, offering a unique combination of landscapes, flora, and fauna across both core and buffer areas. Every safari is allowed to enter the core area of the respective allotted zone, and the probability of spotting a tiger remains largely similar across all zones. Safari vehicles are strictly restricted from switching zones during the excursion. However, they are permitted to move freely across the entire network of approved routes within their assigned zone, ensuring a comprehensive wildlife viewing experience while maintaining park regulations.
Zone 01 - Route: Singhdwar, Raipur, Sultanpur, Kalapan
This zone is the territory of a few of the most famous tigers of Ranthambore reserve forest, such as Sultan(T-72), Noor (T-39) and Ustad (T-24). The Singh Dwar is the entry and exit gate for this zone, which is popular among tourists due to better chances of spotting a tiger in this zone. In this zone, Tuti ka Nalla, Sultanpur, Gada Dub, Amreshwar Dang and Peela Pani are the places where there are higher chances of viewing big cats.
Zone 02 - Route: Jogimahal, Jhalra, Kamaldha, Gandhria
With the increased sighting of tigers in this zone, it is considered the best zone for tourists. Due to the many water holes found in this zone, the chances of tiger viewing are higher around places such as Jogi Mahal. The zone is home to famous tigers like Ustad (T-24), Noor (Y-39), Sultan (T-72), Jhumru (T-20), Krishna (T-19) and others. Also, the leopards are seen by tourists in this zone.
Zone 03 - Route: Jogimahal, Padam Talab, Rajbagh
Padam Talab, one of the famous lakes in Ranthambore National Park, is located in this zone, making it one of the prime zones to get a sight of a tiger. This zone is the home to star tigers like Sitara (T-28), Krishna (T-19) and their cubs. Some of the main locations of this park where there are higher chances of tiger sighting are Padam Talab, Jogi Mahal, Raj Bagh ruins, High Point and Mandook.
Zone 04 - Route: Lakarda, Berda, Adidant
Home to the legendary tigress Machli, zone 4 of the Ranthambore tiger reserve was the most preferred zone before the death of tigress Machli. Nonetheless, this area remains a favoured location because it is home to several renowned tigers of Ranthambore, including T-19, T-25, T-28, T-41, T-64, and T-75. Malik Talab, Singh Dwar, Lakarda, Lambi, Adidant, and Tamakhan are among the few places in this zone where maximum tiger sighting is reported.
Zone 05 - Route: Jokha, Kachida, Bagdah, Bakola
The star attraction of this zone is the sighting of tigers like T-17, T-25, T-28, T-74 and T-75. However, the entry gate to zone 5 and zone 4 is the same as the few common places to get a sight of a tiger. Singh Dwar, Kachida valley, Anatpur, Jokha, Baghda and Dhakda are points where one can spot a tiger.
(Zones 6 to 10 are included in the tiger reserve territory much later, so the entry gates of these zones are located far from the entry gates of zones 1-5, on the opposite side of the park. To reach there, the safari jeeps or canters have to go through the old city of Sawai Madhopur.)
Zone 06 - Route: Kundal, Mansarovar, Guda
There are chances of spotting Noor (T-39) with her cubs as she frequently roams in this zone and is spotted by the tourists. Other tigers which are seen in this zone sometimes are T-8, T-34 and T-57. Zone 6 is adjacent to zone 1, but the entry gates are opposite each other. The landscape of this zone consists of large open grassland with the hills in the background. One can also spot the rare species of birds in this zone, which includes endangered Red-Headed Vultures.
Zone 07 - Route: Chidikho, Kushalidarra
It is considered the territory of T-8 and T-34 as they are spotted in this zone a few times. However, this zone has fewer places than other zones where one can spot a tiger, but other animals are also spotted easily in this zone. Places such as Chidikho, Kushalidarra, Jamoda and Rajbagh Naka in the zone have higher chances of spotting the majestic predator, the tiger.
Zone 08 - Route: Balas, Kalibhat, Mahakho
The topography of Zone 8 is almost the same as that of Zone 7, and even the tigers, which are spotted here, are the same T-8 and T-34. The places where tiger visibility is higher are Balas, Kali Bhat, Neemli Dang, Mahakho and Kherai.
Zone 09 - Route: Qualji, Ghati ka Tiraha, Pandu Kho
Located on the bank of the Chakal River, it takes around 45 minutes to drive to reach zone 9 from the Tiger reserve. Considered as the territory of T-42 and T-59, this small conservancy is also known as the home to Sloth bears, Caracals and a few aquatic birds.
Zone 10 - Route: Halonda, Kailashpuri, Devpura
The zone 10 has a natural landscape consisting of hilly tracks, deciduous forest and a few scenic water bodies. The zone is known for the sighting of tigers like T-43, T-13 and her cubs. The T-42 (Fateh) is also frequently spotted in this zone during safari. A few good tiger spotting places in this zone are Kushalipura, Halonda, Bodal, Aantri, Banskhori and Devpura.
All 10 zones are the raw forest and have their own share of beautiful landscape, and are enriched with wildlife. All the zones are tiger territories of the various tigers. The tiger density in Ranthambore is very high, and the area of forest is not enough to accommodate the increasing tiger population of Ranthambore.
There are enough tigers in every zone, but what makes one a good zone is the chances of spotting them. One of the prominent characteristics of tigers is to mark their territory, and they tend to roam and hunt in their own demarcated region. This is the reason the tiger density of the safari zones can be determined. The safari zone, which has a good number of water bodies, offers more possibilities to spot a tiger than the arid lands. Also, the zone that has higher prey density also has better tiger spotting possibilities. So, the zones from 2 to 5 are considered the best zones for tiger spotting. As the previous records say, the tourists have spotted more tigers in these zones than in the other zones. These zones offer slightly better possibilities of tiger spotting it doesn't mean other zones have absolutely no chances of a tiger spotting.
The tourism zones 3 and 4 have many lakes and have a beautiful, lush green landscape, making it the best zone for nature lovers and wildlife lovers as well. The lakes and their surroundings are the best places to spot a tiger. The zone 3 has the three most famous lakes of the Ranthambore, which are Padam Talao, Rajbagh Talao and Malik Talao. The famous world heritage site, the Ranthambore Fort, is located near this zone and enhances the captivating beauty of this zone. The water bodies in any zone are the best place to spot a tiger, especially in the summer season. There is a maximum possibility of spotting a tiger near water holes during a hot day. The safari track in every zone is the same for the jeep and the canter. The different areas of all the zones have been marked as their territory by various tigers, and they rule their territory. The Tigers are spotted in their territory while resting, following their prey, walking or cooling in the water bodies in the summer or basking in the sun in winter. However, the zone is allotted randomly to the safari vehicles by a computer program to ensure fair practice. The change of zone is subject to availability in the zone and fully depends on the forest officials to accept your request or not.
To conclude, there is no specific region marked as the best tigersighting zone. Spotting a tiger during safari is purely a matter of luck. The tiger density is fair in Ranthambore National Park, and therefore, tourists visiting the national park have high chances of sighting them. All the zones offer you an equal opportunity to explore the forest and tiger sighting. So, one may not get the sight of the tiger even in the better zone, and one can easily spot a tiger in another zone.
