Satpura National Park Overview

A.We visited Satpura National Park (SNP) in June 2015.B.We took a train from Delhi to Bhopal, which is at a distance of about 140 kms from the Madai entry gate of SNP. C.A taxi (for Rs. 2500/-) for drop off at Madhai. We drive through Bhopal Habibganj Obaidullaganj Budni Hoshangabad Babai Semri to reach Madhai.D.SNP has access from Madhai entrance gate. Booking for safari can be done on line at MP online website.E.12 JEEPS ARE ALLOWED FOR THE MORNING SAFARI & SIMILARLY 12 JEEPS ARE ALLOWED FOR THE AFTERNOON SAFARI.F.Tiger sighting is very rare at SNP. But sighting of Leopard and Sloth Bears are very good at SNP.G.Since the tourist inflow to SNP is less (as compared to Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Ranthambore etc) very few resorts are available near the Madhai entry gate.H.ONE CAN ALSO STAY AT THE MADAI FOREST REST HOUSE (FRH) or CHURNA FOREST REST HOUSE. The booking for the FRH can be done through the MP Forest department at Hoshangabad. The facilities are basic in nature. I.The jeep safari can be done in 3 Routes.a.KERIA ROUTE the safari in this route is spread over 14 Kms. The jeep safari charges for Keria route are Rs. 2750/- (Rs. 1250 for entry of jeep into forest & the tourists entry charges, Rs. 300/- for the forest Guide, and Rs. 1200/- for hiring the jeep). The charges indicated are for Indian Nationals. Charges for foreign tourists are much higher.b.LAGDA ROUTE the safari in this route is spread over 20 Kms including the complete Keria route. The jeep safari charges for Lagda route are Rs. 3050/- (Rs. 1250 for entry of jeep into forest & the tourists entry charges, Rs. 300/- for the forest Guide, and Rs. 1500/- for hiring the jeep). The charges indicated are for Indian Nationals. The View Point at Lagda is very beautiful. Tourists are allowed to get down from the jeep at the View Point where one can see water stream amidst rocks.c.CHURNA ROUTE - the safari in this route is spread over 30 Kms including parts of the Keria route. IT IS A FULL DAY TRIP & IS CONSIDERED EQUIVALENT TO 2 SAFARI. ONE CAN OPT TO GO FOR THE TRIP FROM 6 am TO 6 pm (combine the morning & afternoon safari) The jeep safari charges for Churna route are Rs. 6700/- (Rs. 2500 for entry of jeep into forest, Rs. 700/- for the forest Guide, and Rs. 3500/- for hiring the jeep). The charges indicated are for Indian Nationals. J.The timings for the safari vary from season to season. The morning safari lasts for 3 ~ 4 hours while the evening safari lasts for 2.5 ~ 3 hours. The start / end of the safari are dependent on the sunrise & sunset time.K.The park is closed from 1st July to 15th October because of the monsoon rains.L.Do remember to take along your camera, sunscreen lotion, moisturizer, cap and sunglasses for protection from the sun.M.We saw Leopards, Sloth Bears, Indian Wild Dogs, Indian Gaur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Serpent Eagle, Shikra, Greater Racquet Tailed Drongo, Indian Roller, White Breasted Kingfisher, Black Ibis, Green Bee Eater, Wooly Necked Stork, White Breasted Water Hen, Grey Hornbill, Black Hooded Oriole, Grey Fish Eagle, Peacock, Rufous Treepie, Grey Francolin, QuailsN.One can opt to go on a JEEP SAFARI or a BOAT SAFARI or ELEPHANT SAFARI (on the periphery of the forest) or TREK / WALKING SAFARI (in the buffer forest). SNP has many options.O.It is very hot in the summer months (May & June). The temperatures can soar up to 45 / 46 Degrees Celsius. P.SNP is very beautiful during the winter (November to March). The Sloth Bear sightings are good during the winters (especially February and March). Q.During the winter months, the minimum temperature can be around 7 Degrees Celsius). Do remember to take along winter clothing (sweaters, jackets, gloves, mufflers, shawls etc) for protection from the chilly early morning wind as you drive along in a jeep

Don't go chasing tigers here. They are a rare sight. What's more likely is you might meet its smaller, shyer cousin, the leopard. Or maybe a bear with cubs, or maybe nilgai or barking deer or chausingha, or black buck or a few of its 300+ avian inhabitants. We saw 100+ birds on our summer visit and nearly all of the animals mentioned above. The little speedboat ride across the Denwa river to get to the sanctuary makes it a little more exciting. Then, there are the options. The traditional jeep safari, a canoe safari to look at the birds occupying the mud flats along the river, a speedboat ride for the same purpose, or an elephant safari (which was cancelled when we visited because a young tigress had just been brought into the reserve), a night safari in the buffer zone. This is a beautiful forest with delightful scenic pockets to break your fast in the middle of a safari and all in all seems rather well run. A good addition to any bucket list.Summers are scorching so carry plenty of sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat. Wrap-around sunglasses might help keep the dust out of your eyes. Drink plenty of water to ensure you don't get dehydrated.

I and a couple of friends were in the vicinity of the park with family. One day out of the blue someone suggested, we visit Satpura National Park. We started early in the morning and reached by 11 am. We were driving through the park with a forest guard when we asked us to stop the car and avoid making any sound. A few minutes later we saw a Tiger with her cub crossing the road. We were stunned for a few minutes. I'll say its was one of the best moments of our lives.