At The Ranthambhore Bagh you have a wide choice of activities. You could go hiking, do nature walks, take a game safari, do birdwatching or visit villages for a taste of rural Rajasthan and an insight into local culture. Or you could take packed lunch and go chill out at some nice spots on the outskirts of the park.
If you are in Ranthambhore national park for a vacation the there is not much point in spending a lot of time in your room and we at The Bagh understand this. A typical day at The Ranthambhore Bagh starts with a pre dawn wake up. At the crack of dawn you head towards out lounge for refreshments and then leave for a wildlife safari to the Ranthambore national park. You return to the lodge in time for a hearty breakfast in our garden. You could then chill out in the garden or head to the Dastakar Kendra or Old city for a dose of the local culture. After lunch you head out again for wildlife viewing to the national park or could go visit the 1000 year old Ranthambore fort. You return to the hotel for evening tea. By sunset our bonfires are lit and thats when life starts getting wilder. There is never a dull moment at The Bagh.
Safari
The national park is open for visitors from the 1st October to the 30th June every year. There are two safaris a day from October to June, one starting in the morning and the other late in the afternoon. Generally speaking, the morning safari starts half an hour after sunrise and the evening safari finishes half an hour before sunset. As a result, the timings change slightly every 2 months or so. Each safari is for a duration of three to three and half hours.
Bird Watching
Ranthambhore has over 330 species of birds and we are still counting. A keen birder can easily net over 120 species in 3 days, like Szabolcs Kokay and his friends did. Though the park is great for birding but the restrictions that are placed inside the Ranthambhore National Park, may not appeal to the very serious birders. There are some great birding spots outside the park and here one can walk around, which you cannot do inside the park. In fact, some of the best birding areas are on the outskirts of the park.
Cultural Activities
Ranthambhore is dotted with ancient ruins, some which date back to over 1000 years ago. Some of the most prominent of these are the Ranthambhore and Khandar fort, the ancient temples at Rameshwaram ghat, the old tantric temple of Kalaji Goraji and even the old city of Sawai Madhopur. A visit to the local villages, which offers an insight into the life of the rural folks, can be very interesting.
Ranthambhore Fort
The Ranthambhore Fort is a 1000-year-old fort at the periphery of the National Park, with a spectacular combination of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The base of the fort is a very good place for bird watching and you can see Parakeets, Doves, Fly-catchers, Peacocks etc, along with a large horde of monkeys. This is also the best place to see the Painted Spurfowl. All around the fort, one can see many old ruins, including palaces, temples, cenotaphs, step-wells and houses.
