Sawāi Mādhopur

We arrived at Sawai Villas, our hotel for the next two nights, after a four hour journey from Jaipur.
It was an interesting drive out into the countryside of Rajasthan. The hinterland surrounding Jaipur is surprisingly green and clearly very fertile. Small farms abound and three main crops of wheat, potatoes and guava are grown. Parts of the state are desert, but not here. The population appear in better health and there is evidence of much new building, which is encouraging. There are plenty of ruins also!
Our hotel is less than a year old and fabulous. We were greeted with sitar music, a garland each and a floor petal picture of welcome in the foyer. The rooms are beautiful and boast an indoor and outdoor shower, all arranged in blocks around a glorious landscaped pool.
Lunch was accompanied by lychee and lemongrass tea (delicious) and Lesley has set off to visit the old Rathnambhore fort set high above the park, dating from the 9th century and another world heritage site. Sadly, I have had to miss out, as I know the operated knee will not cope with the 300 steps up and down. I await her return with bated breath and will pass on her thoughts and here they are: there were indeed 300 steps, lots of very inquisitive Langur monkeys, temples, ruined palaces and fabulous views of the surrounding park.
The 5 o’clock rising this morning was unwelcome, but normal for this kind of activity and we were off on our first game drive of the day just after six, before the sun was up. We were driven in ‘canters’ large open top shake, rattle and roll conveyances that afford a good view but minimal comfort! The morning drive was on route 4 out of 5 different routes. Your route is prescribed by the park authorities, and it was up hill and down dale, through the forest and around a beautiful lake. Initially all was very quiet- can’t say I’m surprised, even the animals had more sense than to be up. As the morning progressed so did the variety of wildlife. Crocodiles appeared to bask on the lake shore, deer, both Spotted and Sambhar, large antelope ‘Bluebul’, mongoose and the bird life was prodigious; too many to mention. We were back at the hotel in time for a late breakfast, a few hours rest, lunch and then off again, this time on route 3. This was a stunning landscape and the romantic side of India, as you would imagine it, in your dreams. There were classically beautiful ruins scattered along the route, often sited by one of the many picturesque lakes, crags rise above you and when you stop the silence and peace is absolute, only broken by the sound of the birds and wildlife. This is Kipling’s India; an experience to be savoured and a reminder that this entire area was once the hunting estate of the Maharajah of Jaipur. Deer were everywhere, langurs cavorting around in family groups and peacocks with their mournful cry. A hare appeared out of nowhere, a solitary wild boar snuffling about at the waters edge and more glorious birds. Lesley and I were in our element. Of course the major reason people throng to Ranthambhore is the prospect of seeing its most famous resident and top predator. There are some 45 tigers in the park, plus cubs and we realised that the chances of seeing one would be slim. They are elusive creatures, but our guide did say that we were travelling through the territory of a mother and two cubs. At the very end of the drive we passed a park jeep who told Surinder that a tiger was in the forest a short distance ahead. Our driver put his foot down and if there had been a roof on our vehicle, heads would have hit it! We arrived at the resting place of the tiger together with the world and his wife and initially it was difficult to pick her out amongst the bush, but there she sat staring at us, less than 15ft away. It was a quite unbelievable moment and one I shall never forget. She was incredibly well camouflaged, her stripes blending in with the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. The attendant crowd watched in awe. I can only liken it to an audience with a Maharajah in full jewelled regalia. Eventually, she yawned in boredom, stood up and with a flick of her tail stalked off into the thick bush, clearly tired of this mass of excited humans. Photographs came out with only a degree of clarity. The best in our group was from a lady who had bought a new 1Phone with its updated camera. Lesley and I count ourselves as unbelievably fortunate to be able to see a wild tiger in all her majesty and our visit to Ranthambhore was complete.Read more