Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan: The best place to sight the tiger

Ranthambore National Park Rajasthan is the state's top natural attraction and the best wildlife sanctuary which India has to offer. Apart from offering shelter to hundreds of animals, reptiles and the 30-odd tigers, the park also houses a decadent fort which adds a touch of history to the place. In addition, the region also has a Ganesha Temple which is pious enough to pull in a hoard of pilgrims.

How to reach Ranthambore: Ranthambore is easily reachable from Jaipur (the capital of Rajasthan) through a car, cab or bus in around 3-4 hours. It can also be reached through train. If you are flying in from some other part of India, then the airport at Jaipur would be your first halt. From there on, you can take a private or public vehicle.

Timings: Ranthambore National Park is open for tourists from the months between October and June. The main park stays shut during the monsoon months of July-September, though one can explore the outskirts if one is so adamant on dropping by this destination. The timing of the park is from the early hours of the morning (a little after sunrise) to the dusk (sunset). Safari tours are available at 7 am and at 2 am. Each tour is of approximately 2.5 hours of duration.

Best time to visit Ranthambore: Best time to visit Ranthambore would depend on your taste. If you want the best weather, then the cooler season of October-March would be recommended. However, if you wish to catch more animals drinking thirstily by the poolside (including that elusive tiger), then the dry summer days of April-June would be ideal.

Top attractions of Ranthambore: The tiger (even though its population is dwindling) is the marquee attraction and the biggest draw for both locals and foreigners. Despite their sagging numbers (only 30 of them are left), this is one forest in India where the sightings are frequent. Other top attractions are leopards, sloth bears, boars, hyenas, sambar deer and chital.

Trivia: Ranthambore National Park India has featured in a number of documentaries and short films made by National Geographic, Discovery and Animal Planet. Many of its tigers have elicited great interest amongst wildlife experts.