Tadoba National Park is home to 43 Royal Bengal tigers, making it one of the best national parks for tiger sighting. The tiger reserve is among the most beautiful jungle for animals, with varied flora and fauna. It covers a huge area of 1,727 sq km, of which only 30% is open to the public for safari.

Teak, Tendu, Arjun, Bamboo, Ain, Semal Bija, Dhauda, Hald, Hirda, Salai, Beheda, Karaya gum, Mahua Madhuca, Bheria, and Black Plum are some of the wildly seen flora in the forest. Other than wild cats, some of the animals that are spotted here include spotted deer, Barking Deer, Chital, Sloth Bear, Leopards, Gaur, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Bison, Marsh Crocodiles, Wild Dogs and Eagles.

Entry Gates at Tadoba National Park

There are 23 gates to enter the jungle divided into 3 Zones which are further divided into core and buffer.

The buffer zone in Tadoba National Park has equally good/sometimes even better tiger sighting than core zones. This jungle is very different than other national parks. There is a perception that core is better than buffer. But this forest it is different. Always check with your hotel or safari center about the movement of tiger before booking.

Core Zone Gates

• Moharli Zone (Moharli Gate, Khutwanda Gate) – The two most popular and best sighting gates in the reserve in the core zone.
• Tadoba Zone (Kolara Gate, Navegaon Gate)
• Kolsa Zone (Zari Gate, Pagdandi Gate)

In core zone you are only allowed to be in a specific area you have selected. Therefore, selecting gates are extremely important

Buffer Zone Gates

There are multiple gates to book for safari in Buffer safari. The first three highlighted below are preferred gate.

Agarzari Gate, Devada Gate, Junona Gate, Ramdegi, Madnapur Gate, Mamla Gate, Pangadi Aswal Chuha Gate, Zari/Peth gate, Sirkada gate, Palasgaon Gate, Kesalghat Gate, Kolara gate, Nimdela Gate, Kesalghat Gate, Belara Gate, Alizanza Gate, Adegaon Gate.

The best thing about Buffer zone is all the entire forest is interconnected and you are allowed to go anywhere. But it is better to choose your gate according to movement of tigers. The buffer zone is quite big and it will take a lot of time to reach the tiger sighting spot. And you also have to exit from the same gate you entered.

My Best Tiger Sighting Ever

It has been a year since I visited a national park or safari. Though I did visit a couple of national parks in the States but that’s not exactly my definition of a national park. The thrill of sitting in the open gypsy, the search for pugmark, and running after the calling from other animals is what is Safari for me. And I was missing that.

And finally, the day had arrived for our Jungle expedition after a yearlong wait. I was excited to visit the most awaited national park I have ever wanted to visit – Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. We planned our trip during the peak summer month of June as the jungle is dried around this time. So, the chances of sighting animals are high.

We booked three Safaris, 1 in Moharli core and 2 in buffer zone (Devada and Junona). Upon reaching, I expected it to be super-hot, but we were lucky that the weather was pleasantly pleasant.

Safari 1: Moharli Gate (core zone)

Our first Safari was in Moharli Core. As the Safari started, the excitement filled in. We spotted many animals and birds like Monitor Lizard, Bisons, Spotted Deer, barking Deer, Mongoose, Eagle to name a few. We also had a tiger sighting, but he was far off. I wasn’t happy with this kind of sighting as I wanted to see a tiger at a near distance, not that far.

But overall, it was a nice start.

Safari 2: Devada Gate (buffer zone)

On our second safari, it was sunny in the afternoon, but by the time we reached the buffer gate, it started raining. And I was like, there will hardly be any animals out, as the weather got pleasant, they will prefer to stay inside the jungle. But we were lucky. We got beautiful sightings of Bison, Wild Boar, and the much-awaited Tiger. Although Y-Mar (the tiger) was sitting in the water the whole time but it better than the previous sighting.

Safari 3: Junona Gate (Buffer Zone)

On our third safari, I wished to see Tiger more closely. And my wish was granted. We had an amazing Tiger sighting that day. The moment we entered the buffer zone gate, we got to know the Tigress “Collarwali” was nearby, and we stopped at the gate. And then we saw the Tigress walking on the road fearless. Her walk was so graceful, delightful, and powerful simultaneously.

And after some time, she walked into the jungle. We got a good sighting of her crossing the path inside and later sitting behind the bushes.

Somebody has rightly said “the more you get, the more you want”. After getting such a beautiful sighting within a few minutes of our safari, we wanted more – ” yeh dil mange more”. And that day, all our wishes were granted. God said “ja jee bhar ke dekh le”.

We got another beautiful sighting of the bold Tiger “Shambhu”. Oh my god, I don’t think I have words to describe him.

Safari at Tadoba Tiger Reserve was one the best Jungle Safari and Tiger Sighting. Technically, we saw a tiger in all three of our safaris, but the last one was an out-of-the-world experience.

It is delightful to watch the rawness of nature, the jungle, the flora and fauna, the animals in their natural habitat, the home of the wild.

Important Tips

• Carry a separate DSLR to click pictures. Mobile phones are not allowed to click pictures inside the jungle. You will have to keep your phones in switch-off mode. Taking pictures/videos from a phone will invite penalties.
• Wear comfortable clothes and colors that camouflage the jungle (green, brown, khaki, grey). Avoid wearing bright colors, especially red and pink.
• Book the safari first, and then book your hotel/flights. The safaris get booked in no time. Book at least 60 days in advance in order to get good gates/zones. It is unlikely to get safari bookings at the last moment/or at the counter.
• During Summer, protect yourself from heat stroke and dehydration. Apply a lot of sunscreens, wear full-sleeved clothes, cap, and sunglasses, and drink a lot of fluids.

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