I am in the land of Mowgli at Pench National Park. The woods are dark and deep, and the forests are wrapped in a dense fog of mystery. My date with the jungle begins in the wee hours before dawn. Century-old trees stand as guardians of the forests. As the first light of dawn seeps in through the lattice of leaves, the forest reveals itself, painted in shades of greens, yellows, reds, and browns. Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book comes alive in the moist teak and dry deciduous forests with clumps of trees like mahua, palash, sal, neem, and a plethora of fruit trees beside a smattering of grasslands and clusters of bamboo forests.
It is mesmerizing, and enchanting as well. Surrounded by hills, the River Pench flows through the woodlands, creating murmuring brooks and gushing forest streams, lakes, and reservoirs adding to the magical landscape. Amidst the mist, the ghost trees add to the drama. No wonder Kipling’s Mowgli was reluctant to leave his wonderful wild family and return to what we, humans call civilization. In many ways, I feel a bit like Mowgli, wanting to stay in the jungle and meet the endearing characters like Bagheera, Baloo, and of course, Shere Khan.
As a child, I was obsessed like most kids of my era with The Jungle Book, but it has taken me this long to be in this land that inspired Rudyard Kipling to create the immortal characters. And as I soak in the moment, I present to you a brief Travel Guide to Pench National Park.
Travel Guide to Pench National Park
This is my first experience at the spectacular Pench National Park. I have only been to Panna National Park and Sanjay Dubri Wildlife Sanctuary, but I was hoping to explore more of the national parks in Madhya Pradesh soon. However, I feel that two days is not enough to appreciate the vast natural wealth of any wildlife sanctuary, but I have created an easy and simple travel guide to Pench based on my adventure here with indian tiger safaris.
The heartland of tigers was declared a National Park in 1983 and almost a decade later, as a tiger reserve. Along with tigers and leopards, the forests are home to large numbers of animals like barking deer, spotted deer, nilgai, and sambar, besides sloth bears, gaurs, langurs, wolves, and hyenas among others.
There are also 285 species of birds, including the four endangered species of vultures. In fact, it has always been the birds that had beckoned me to the forests. As an avid and amateur birdwatcher, I have always been fascinated by the winged species. But this time, I can feel the excitement of a possible encounter with Shere Khan himself.
Pench Tiger Reserve – Bordering Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Pench Tiger Reserve is unique as it is spread between the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. While the larger tracts of the national park are in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, the rest are across the border in the Nagpur district of Maharashtra. Named after the Pench River that flows through the Satpura – Maikal Range of Central India, the picturesque verdant woodland occupies a core area of 411 sq km and a buffer zone of around 768 sq km in Madhya Pradesh.
The Mowgli Pench Wildlife Sanctuary occupies about 118 sq km and it is included in the core zone, although it is not yet opened for tourism. This post is more of a travel guide to Pench in Madhya Pradesh. I haven’t explored the Pench Tiger Reserve Maharashtra across the border as yet.
Which Zone is Best in Pench National Park?
The first things that most wildlife travelers familiarize themselves with are the various core and buffer zones in each national park and the many gates. The zones and gates are essential to plan a trip to any national park and here is a travel guide to Pench to help you plan your safaris.
There are totally seven safari zones and eleven gates, of which five are in Madhya Pradesh and six in Maharashtra. The core zone in Madhya Pradesh has three main gates – Turia gate, Karmajheri gate, and Jamtara gate. The other buffer zones are called Rukkad, Teliya, Khawasa, and Kumbhpani-Tekadi. Both Rukad and Kumbhpani-Tekadi buffer are close to Karmajheri gate and offer night safaris as well. The other gates are Saleghat, Kolitmara, Chorbahuli, and Surewani. Morning jeep safari starts at sunrise and ends at 11:00 am, whereas the evening safari begins at 2:30 pm and ends at sunset, and the timings may vary slightly depending on the season.
Which Gate is Best for Safari in Pench?
Most wildlife resorts are located around Turia, which is located at the cusp of both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Sillari and Khursapur, located near Turia Gate, are located in Pench Maharashtra. We are however staying at village machan resorts with tiger Safaris, which is located close to the Karmajheri gate. And our wildlife safari begins as we drive through the portals of Karmajheri with our naturalist Vishal Sharma. A forest guard jumps into one jeep, and the adventure begins.
The Safari Experience
The safari for me feels like being on a treasure hunt. Sometimes it is a wild goose chase. But the excitement is in the tracking and trailing. The jungles are both mysterious and magical. Invisible eyes watch us as the hunter becomes the hunted. With the lush thicket of trees whizzing past me, I am a little enchanted like I am in the wooded territory of the Jungle Book. The dense canopy of teak forests greets us as we look for the elusive tigers and leopards. This used to be the haunt of the legendary Collarwali, who made Pench National Park her home for years. Many tigers and tigresses have come and gone, but every story revolves around this late tigress whose spirit still lingers around the jungles.
The jungle finally starts to reveal itself to us as the denizens slowly come out to say a reluctant hello. In the beginning are the deer, the spotted, and the sambar variety. In great hordes, skipping, frolicking, and playing. We see gaurs and boars, rustling amidst the woods. The silence is occasionally broken by the bird calls as we squint through the mist and haze to spot them, especially along Sita Ghat, which is parallel to the Pench River.
How Do I Book a Jeep Safari in Pench?
I was hosted by indian tiger safaris but they book safaris for all their guests as well. Most resorts and lodges will book your safaris. However, if you want to book a jeep safari on your own, you can book online as well through the website: mponline.gov.in.
How Much Does a Pench Safari Cost?
Pugdundee Safaris at Pench Tree Lodge charges around Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,500 for both Indian and foreign guests who stay with them.
If you are booking through the government website, you will have to pay separately for a ticket and then hire a jeep and driver. The total cost would be in the range of Rs 7,000-Rs 9,000.
Pench National Park ticket price can be around Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 for Indians and Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 for foreigners.
Dos and Don’ts for Safaris
- Carry your ID – Aadhar, cameras, and lenses. Put your phone on silent mode. Pench allows mobiles unlike Tadoba.
- Wear neutral and muted colours that can camouflage with the forest hues. NO bright reds or oranges.
- Carry your cameras, binoculars, and if you are a bird watcher, a bird book as well.
- The temperatures are extreme. So, if you are visiting in winter like we did, wear adequate winter clothing.
- Wear ample sunscreen and carry a bottle of water.
- If you are going on a walking trail, ensure that you wear good walking shoes as well.
- Be careful while taking photos. NO taking selfies with animals or getting close to them.
- Do not throw your trash or litter the National Park.
Pench National Park Activities
While morning and evening jeep safaris are the main attractions, here are some other experiences:
- Go for a nature walk around the Runi Jhuni Walking Trail.
- Cycle around Rukkad Sanctuary or go for a day trip that includes safaris as well.
- Plan a night trail or night safari along the buffer zone.
- For those who like to explore tribal hamlets, you can go for a village walk
