About 4 to 5 hours north of Bandhavgarh lies Panna. The park is located very close to the city of Khajuraho, which is quite a convenient place to stay as there are not many hotels or amenities near the park. In the news a few years back due to the complete loss of tigers, a few tigers were relocated here from other parks. Tigers are of course spotted very rarely here. The low density and the number of gorges where it would be almost impossible to spot them makes tiger sightings very rare compared to the more popular Bandhavgarh.
However there is much more to see in Panna. The sheer number of savannah nightjars we spotted in 2 safaris was fantastic. They must be the easiest ones to spot since they are the only nightjars to call whenever the jeep got close. We did spot a grey nightjar as well which made no sound at all even as a savannah nightjar shrieked away behind it. Other interesting spots were pairs of painted sandgrouses, chinkaras, wild dogs, jackals, pygmy woodpecker, a brown fish owl and grey headed eagles. The landscapes vary and the hills make for some lovely backdrops. The Ken river running through it is an ideal place to find lots of birds. Boating allowed inside the forest in Ken river also makes for a nice change of pace. Leopards are seen often but early in the morning or late evening. We were unlucky not to spot one even as a sambar in front of us kept calling and a distant growl gave us fake hope in the dying light.
The Ken Gharial national park is also a must see. Closer to Khajuraho, we were able to spot vultures and griffons, gharials though were not out. Raneh falls however is a sight to behold. The rock formations of varying colors are beautiful especially when there is less water. We saw photos of the rainy season where the entire area was flooded and except the tip of the rocks, no waterfall existed. Till winter, it turns to a waterfall and as summer sets in, there are only rocks and small puddles. The landscape is different every time you see it.
About 4 to 5 hours north of Bandhavgarh lies Panna. The park is located very close to the city of Khajuraho, which is quite a convenient place to stay as there are not many hotels or amenities near the park. In the news a few years back due to the complete loss of tigers, a few tigers were relocated here from other parks. Tigers are of course spotted very rarely here. The low density and the number of gorges where it would be almost impossible to spot them makes tiger sightings very rare compared to the more popular Bandhavgarh. 
The Ken Gharial national park is also a must see. Closer to Khajuraho, we were able to spot vultures and griffons, gharials though were not out. Raneh falls however is a sight to behold. The rock formations of varying colors are beautiful especially when there is less water. We saw photos of the rainy season where the entire area was flooded and except the tip of the rocks, no waterfall existed. Till winter, it turns to a waterfall and as summer sets in, there are only rocks and small puddles. The landscape is different every time you see it.
No comments:
Post a Comment