Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park is in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan state.Located at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, this is one of the finest places to view animals, especially as they are used to being stared at here.The park covers an area of Approximately 400 sq Km and if combined it with the area of sawai man singh sanctuary area,it is around 500 Sq km.

Ranthambore national park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". It got it's status of a National Park in 1981.

Ranthambore National Park is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras.There are many water bodies located all over the park, which provide perfect relief during the extremely hot summer months for the forest inhabitants. A huge fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park atop a hill. There are many ruins of bygone eras scattered all over the jungle, which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history and wildlife. Tigers at Ranthambore National park have been known to even hunt in full view of human visitors. These tigers are famous for being seen in the day time too, due to their lack of fear of human presence in vehicles. This lack of fear of humans is excellent for tourists, as they get to see the tigers often.

This National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities. The park remains open every year from October to May.Famous for the exciting and frequent tiger sightings captured dramatically in several books, this park is today affected by ecological pressures and poaching.

In Nutshell, Ranthambore National park is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer's dream. It offers excellent accommodation and internal transportation facilities and remains open every year from October to Mid June.

Wild animals & birds in Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National park contains a huge variety of animals, birds and reptiles within it. Primarlily the population consists of...

Animals: Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Fivestriped Palm Squirels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose.

The amphibian species only consist of the Common India Toad and the Common Frog.
The park is most famous for it's diurnal tigers.
The park also has a large number of marsh crocs Reptiles: Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chamaeleon.

Ranthambore, due to its varied terrain and abundance of water bodies, has an excellent population of birds, resident and migrant. In total, a list of 272 species have been documented. Some of the best locations to watch birds at, and from, are Malik Talao, the Ranthambore Fort, Rajbagh Talao, Padam Talao and in the Jhalra area.

Flora in Ranthambore National Park

The vegetation in the park is mostly of the dry deciduous type with a large variety consisting of nearly 300 species. The majority of the tree cover is however mainly made up of :

1. Am (Magnifera iIndica)
2. Imli (Tamarindicus indica)
3. Babul (Accasia nilotica)
4. Banyan (F icus benghalensis) 5. Ber (Zizyphus mauritania)
6. Dhak or Chila (flame of the forest){Butea monosperma}
7. Dhok (Anogeossis pendula)
8. Jamun (Syzygium cumini)
9. Kadam (Authocephalus cadamba)
10. Khajur (Phoenix sylvestris)
11. Khair (Accacia catechu)

The forests of Ranthambore have a lot of contrasting vegetation

12. Karel (Capparis decidua)
13. Khejda (Prosopis specigera)
14. Kakera (Flacourtia indica)
15. Mohua (Madhuca indica)
16. Neem (Azadirachta indica)

Map of Ranthambore National Park

Sports in Rishikesh

Encompassed by hills on three sides, Rishikesh is perched on the banks of river Ganga, at its conflux with the Chandrabhaga rivulet - one of the sacred pilgrims center in the foothills of majestic Himalayas. Rishikesh, the land of ashrams and yogis is located in the state of Uttranchal in North India. The pristine atmosphere, lush green vegetation, flaming of fragrant sticks, gongs of temple bells makes it a perfect sight for meditation and devotion.

It has come out to be one of the renowned centers, for schools of yoga and meditation along with its diversified adventure sports. Rishikesh is also significant as the trekking base, to the Himalayan shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Trekking Thrill
The trekking in Rishikesh begins from Thalisain via Pauri, most beautiful hill station, showcasing a scenic vista of the snow-capped peaks of Himalayas and sunset- a worth sight from Kondolia, 5 km from Thalisain. The entire trek trails through the forest is rich in deodar, silver, fir, pine, oak and wildlife.

Kedarnath Vasukital Trek: Covers -Rishikesh - Gaurikund - Kedarnath - Vasukital - Gaurikund - Rishikesh. It's a mild trek usually undertaken for 6 days during the summer months.

Kalindikhal Trek: Covers Gangotri - Bhojwasa - Nandanvan - Vasukital - Khara Patthar - Kalindi Base - Rajparav - Ghastoli - Badrinath. This is high altitude high trek undertaken for 12 days in the month of July to August.

Rock-Climbing/Mountaineering
This adventure is conducted at George Everest House Phoolchatti near Rishikesh. There are proper provisions of trained instructors who assist in climbing, equipment required for mountaineering/rock climbing with transport facilities and Camping/ Catering and First Aid.

Camping
Experience vacations with a difference at the exotic Tented Camp. These camps offer with the excitement of the outdoors and the spill of White Water Running. Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas 16 km from Rishikesh, the campsite is set up amidst scenic splendor by the holy Ganga River and is girdled by a thick Sal forest. Tourist can experience the diversified adventures taken up during the stay in the camp like- Rafting, Rappelling, Nature walk, Bird watching in the surrounding areas, Kayaking on a peaceful stretch near the camp, beach games like volley ball, Frisbee, water polo etc.

River Rafting
One of the popular energetic stretches of 150km is from Rudraprayag to Rishikesh an idle place for River Rafting. The starting zone to this sport adventure is little ahead from the main town of Rudraprayag. The route is a 4-hour run through calm stretches, a series of rapids and frigid temperatures. The rafting become little hazardous when the water level drops down as prickly rocks and stones at the surface can tear a raft apart.

Besides many private rafting operators, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and UP Tourism also offer river runs along the stretch.

Other Attractions
Besides adventure other attractions of the town lies in the world famous ashrams like Swarg Ashram, Kali Kumbliwale, Parmarth Niketan embellished with statues of gods and goddesses and the Gita Bhavan with its Ayurvedic dispensary. The Triveni Ghat, an absolute banks to bath in the holy waters of the Ganga. The Bharat Mandir situated near the Triveni Ghat is the oldest temple in Rishikesh and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu presiding in a black stone Vishnu. About 2 km upstream over river Ganga is the old footbridge called Lakshman Jhula and a new bridge Ram Jhula - one of the biggest attractions of the city.

Reaching Rishikesh
Being a main center of meditation and yoga the town of Rishikesh is well connected with Air, Rail and Road Transport to all parts of India.

Adventure sports in Gulmarg

Gulmarg is located 56-km south west of Srinagar, Gulmarg is a mountain shelf which nestles under the protective 4124 metre height and 5 km spread of Mount Apharwat. From here it has a view over the valley of Kashmir to 8126 metre Nanga Parbat and other distant peaks. Gulmarg, one of the ultimate skiing hot spot for intermediate skiers, is in the western extremity of Pir Panjal, one of the six ranges which make up the world's highest peak Himalayas. The place gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in India and has earned the distinction of being the best ski resort in the Himalayas. This resort was established in the year 1927 by two British Army officers who set up the first skiing club in Gulmarg. Festivals like Christmas and Easter are occasions for organized skiing races here.
The 3.5 km long and up to a km wide valley of Gulmarg which is about 3-sq-kms in area stands at an altitude of 2,650 meters. Known as Kashmir's premier upland hill resort, the gentle undulating meadows of Gulmarg are carpeted in a thick layer of snow. The resort has one T-bar lift, three very modern ski-lifts and a chair-lift. The ski school, Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering located here conducts 10 day and 21 day short ski courses for beginners and advanced skiers. Gulmarg is considered to be the cheapest in the world to learn skiing.
Gulmarg's slopes are all natural slopes. Among the multitudes of slopes, a few gentle slope of ski runs ranging from 200 m to 3kms are specially suited for beginners. Ski lifts and chair lifts take skiers up to the top of the ski slopes from where skiers can choose the beginners, intermediate or more advanced slopes.
The best and longest skiing in Gulmarg is accessed by the Gandola Cable Car Lift, which allows a ski run of 2,213 m. Designed by Poma of France, gondola ascends extends almost to the peak of Apharwat, at an elevation of 3980 metres above sea level, providing lift served access to 1330 vertical metres of vast snow riding terrain. Due to the setting-up of Gandola Cable Car Lift from Gulmarg to Apharwat top, Gulmarg holds a position as one of the highest lift-served ski resorts in the world.
The gondola terrain is divided into two sections, i.e an upper and a lower section. The first section is 2,350 m long and rises 450m vertically from Gulmarg ski resort to slopes at 3300m up the side of Apharwat Mountain.
The newly built second section runs to over 4,000m, just below the peak of Apharwat. From the top station, it will take a 30 minute walk to reach the peak. One can glide from there, in either direction over a couple of kilometers, before descending the mountain's multiple ridges, faces and bowls. The gliding from the northwest direction includes magnificent and consistent advanced slopes to distant parts of the Gulmarg meadow. The southeast direction provides a total ride of over 1700 vertical metres of serious off-piste terrain. The gliding from gondola's top to mid stations provides a superb array of high alpine slopes for advanced and expert level skiing.
Presently, only the first section of the Gandola, from Gulmarg to Kongdori is operational, giving a downhill ski run of about 3.5 kms. The gentle slope area, with plenty of gigantic pines and firs, served by first section or stage one of the gondola provides well protected riding in all weather conditions.
The poma slopes which are a few hundred metres walk from the gondola, provides an excellent variety of wide open beginner and intermediate practice terrain. The area is the venue for Gulmarg's ski school and race clinics
The skiing season in Gulmarg usually commences before Christmas (around middle of December) and continues till middle of April. Trained instructors are available for guiding the tourists and also casual skiers. Good quality equipment, including skis, boots, sticks, gloves and goggles are available on hire on the spot from the Government-run ski shop. Toboggans and snow scooters are also available on hire.
Heli-skiing is also possible at Gulmarg which is an ultimate winter sports thrill for the adventure sports lover. In heli-skiing, helicopters lift the heli-skiers to the high, snow-covered peak of their choice from where they can ski down the slopes.

Adventure Sports in Andaman & Nicobar

India is a vast country in the terms of religion, culture and also in geographically in the costal side we can look the Andaman and Nicobar, is a cluster of more than 500 islands stacked together neatly. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful lagoons in Asia, these islands provide options for some splendid adventure activities. The islands have a hilly terrain with coastal areas of white sand beaches and coral reef. Its pristine shimmering water offers its visitors an excellent water sports adventure. Not only is water sports like Scuba diving and Snorkeling a possibility here, one can also indulge in pulse racing, and at the same time soothing experience of trekking in the lush green hills. The best time to visit these islands for adventure sports is between November and April. December and January are the peak seasons to come here.

Scuba Diving
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are brimming with its rich under-water treasures. The best way to explore great diversities of its marine life, of resplendent fishes and unique coral reefs, is to indulge in scuba diving. There are many institutes run by government that organize Scuba diving in the crystalline lagoons of Andaman and Nicobar. There are also certified private divers who assist you in taking up this sport.

Snorkelling
Snorkelling is among the most popular adventure activities in the lagoons of Andaman Islands. This is one sport which does not require you to be a trained and is as much fun for novice as it is for professionals. However, it is advised that if you are a starter, indulge in snorkeling only with the support of a trained professional. The best places for Snorkeling in the Andaman Islands are the Wan door National Park-Jolly Buoy and the Red Skin Islands. With splendid coral life, Clique islands are also highly favored islands for snorkeling.

Trekking
Andaman and Nicobar Islands has some splendid hills that are perfect for beginners as well as trained. One can go trekking through the nature trail from Mt. Harriet to Kalapathar and enjoy the rare forest life, flora and fauna. There are other trekking routes also at places like Chidiya Tapu.

Andaman Water Sports Complex
Situated in Port Blair, Andaman Water Sports Complex has become one of the major attractions of the town. It offers safe water sports such as Rowing Boats, Paddleboat, Kayaks and bumper boats. Besides this, the complex also facilitates adventure through Water-skiing, Water scooters, Gemini boats, Para-sailing, Sailboats, Wind-surfers, Speedboats, Glass-bottom boats, etc.

Adventure Tourism in India

Angling in India
Immortalized in the stories of Jim Corbett and Rudyard Kipling, huge dark shadows of a great fighter have lurked, in the deep waters of the mighty rivers of the Indian subcontinents. The Mahseer, found only in India, is the toughest fresh water fighting fish in the world. Weighing over a hundred pounds, four varieties inhabit the Indian river waters: the Golden Mahseer, the Silver Mahseer, the Silver Grey Mahseer and the Black Mahseer.
Today, in India, the sport of angling is combined with conservation. As per the existing Indian protection laws, the fish is allowed to be caught, but must be released within a stipulated time period. The average time taken to land a Mahseer is in ratio to its weight--5 minutes to 5 lbs. With just enough time to record its weight, and preserve your moment of glory with the prize catch of film, before the fish is revived-you have to be really quick or else it could just end up as one of those fishy stories of, "the great one that got away."
Trout fishing in the rivers and ice-fed mountain streams is a great sport. You may put your wits against the wily trout--both brown and rainbow--and catch the excitement of hooking a rainbow. Solitude seekers can spend hours in quiet contemplation, of the beauty around.
The fast flowing clear water streams and high altitude lakes of the upper Himalayas are excellent for trout fishing. The challenge and thrill of an encounter with the Mahseer attracts anglers from all over the world. It offers a holiday with a fish, which not only rules the Indian waters like the tiger does the jungle, but also fights the way, no one can.

Camel Safari in India

Adventure Holidays in India
Thar Desert Camel Safaris of India are now one of Asia's fastest selling adventure holidays. These include camel treks ranging from short rides around Jaisalmer to extensive trips that remind you of Lawrence of Arabia on his epic journey across the Sahara, Marco Polo, on the historic silk route, a medieval trader leading his caravan through the hostile spice route or a royal caravan serai heading for one of the medieval kingdoms of the Thar desert- without many of the hardships of course! They are a great way to see the desert and to enjoy a novel and adventurous holiday.
The Great Indian Desert may not have great expanses of sand dunes and incredible spaces of wilderness as large as those of the Sahara and Namibia, but more than makes up for it with some glorious citadels and extremely colorful and unspoilt villages. Its sand dunes are more easily accessible from airports and railway stations than those of many African countries.

Camel Safari Circuit in India
The Camel Safari Circuit in India comprises of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, all in Rajasthan. They were the princely kingdoms in the desert belt of India Rajasthan. Each was comparable in size to many modern nations of Europe. All the former capitals prospered from trade with the camel caravans that traveled from West Asia and Europe to Mongolia, and were impressively fortified to protect these riches. The result was a wealth of palaces built for royalty, havelis or courtyard mansions built for merchants and nobility and intricately carved temples for the subjects. Materials used were normally sandstone, which was easily available and provided a better medium to the silavats who specialized in making stone resemble lace.
A camel safari is a great way to see the desert - visiting the villages, seeing wildlife, and riding across the open desert sands. Typical camel safaris organized around Jaisalmer take in the architectural ruins of Lodurva which was the former capital of the Bhatti Rajput desert kingdom before the founding of Jaisalmer, the Anasagar oasis, the sand dunes of Samm and the water source of Moolsagar where village women gather with pitchers at dusk. Night halts on basic safaris are at villages on the way or temporary bivouac camps in the desert scrub where camels are hobbled and let out to browse.

Camel Safari in India -Travel Kit
The climate is extreme in the desert-afternoons may seem much hotter than the actual 26-30 degree temperature may suggest. Night temperatures may drop below zero on the dunes. It is essential to stock both woolen and cotton clothing. Shorts and skirts are comfortable wear for camel safaris but remember some of the off beat routes visit villages that have not seen many tourists and locals may look askance at ladies who do not wear ankle length clothing and men in shorts. Sun hats with large rims or cotton caps that can be dipped in water when it gets too hot around midday, are essential preferably with a balaclava or scarf for covering the neck and forehead. At Jodhpur you can buy umbrellas that are quite convenient for camel safaris. Sunscreen cream, moisturizers and lip salve area must. A water bottle can be comfortably slung on the camel saddle and it is practical also to carry tangerines as even on a deluxe safari it may not be practical to dismount each time to drink from the carted water supply. Bottled mineral water is available at Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Find out if the baggage is being transferred by camel cart or vehicle. In case of the latter, a small handbag can carry the essentials you are likely to need on the way.
If prone to sickness, carry suitable medication against the swaying gait of the camel. A torch, penknife an even cutlery will be required. Finally patience is an important piece of baggage on a camel safari as it takes time to get to grips with camel travel and to reach destinations that may be on your travel priorities.

Rock Climbing in India
It is not quite easy to define rock climbing, but it is not difficult too. Anyone who claims to be a rock climber has his own version of the game. Rock climbing for some is to challenge their spirits and explore new heights, to give a fillip to their unbounded imaginations; for others, it is a way telling the world that he/she has finally arrived. For many of the professional rock climbers, it is not a sport. Can you call a mission to moon a sport or pastime? If not, then why should rock climbing be called a sports is the argument. For them, rock climbing is an adventure of the greatest magnitude; it is a fight against self, against the elements, and the ultimate goal is to reach the summit and return back alive.
Rock climbing is a test of strength, concentration and coordination as well as skill and technique. A climber learns from experience that the mountain must not be taken for granted.
It can be rough and antagonistic to those who venture to come to grips with it. Nevertheless, as a sport, climbing continues to offer a thrill and challenge that is compulsive.
In India, rock climbing, as most other adventure sports, is a relatively new sport. However, in a short span of time, it has become the most popular adventure sport. Because of the good distribution of great climbing rocks throughout India, coupled the element of excitement involved, rock climbing has become the sport to participate in for the young and the old alike.

Scuba Diving in India

One of the greatest adventures in life can be to explore the totally unknown and unexplored world under sea. The joy of floating inside the sea like a fish where every creature is your friend and every new sight is a discovery can be immense. In addition, the sheer thrill of watching the rich flora and fauna of the sea in their natural habitat is unparalleled.
The curiosity to know the underwater world of the sea is not a new phenomenon for human civilization. We have so many stories from the epic Ramayana describing the world beneath the sea when Hanuman was crossing the sea to reach Lanka. The origin of many mythical characters and objects are related to the sea. There is a legend about Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) that tells us that the sea was churned around a hill known as Meru with a snake (Sheshnag) around it. The gods pulled one end of the snake while the other end was pulled by the demons.
Many amazing things came out of this exploration-an elephant called Airavata that became the property of Indra, a tree called Kalpavriksa that could grant anything, a cow known as Kamdhenu that gave milk everyday, the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi, the god of Ayurveda Dhanawantari, the Visha (poison), and Amrit (nectar).
Scuba diving and snorkeling as sports came with the Europeans who saw the vast expanse of the Indian coastline. Besides, many Indians who experienced this unique adventure also brought with them a new and exciting option for their fellow countrymen.
Stretching many thousand kilometers, the Indian coastline spans the mighty waters of the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Dotted with the finest beaches, cliff promontories, mangroves, backwater, jewel-like island groups and marine life, there are wide diving possibilities. While there are many popular easily accessible sites, many more can be explored which are not at all known.
The sight of the smashing waves creating foaming breakers on the coral reef, which enclose azure lagoons whose crystal clear waters wash the fine grained white sands of the palm dotted low islands, is one of the few marvels of God's creations left untouched by the encroaching hands of industrialization and progress.
The underwater city is a unique and diverse collection of colorful and weirdly patterned sea animals. Corals take pride of place in these reef cities. Rich in variety and color, the thousands of types of corals range from tall sea fans to small hydroids, from languidly waving sea anemones to glassy jellyfish.
Danger there is, but only enough to add to the sense of adventure and thrill. This fun is multiplied many times over as you don the scuba gear. This gear has been especially devised for the deep sea diver and gives an opportunity for thrill and adventure unparalleled and unimagined by ones who think of the sea as nothing but a large saltwater lake.
India is fast becoming the adventure tourism destination of the world; and scuba diving and snorkeling as well as other water sports are going to be an integral part of this. If you have not had adventure in India, you do not know what adventure is all about.

White Water Rafting in India

Be swept along a rushing river in a rubber raft, tumble over rapids, plunge over waterfalls and feel the icy spray splash on your face, as your raft races along a mountain river in India. Experience the thrill of white water rafting in India along tumbling snow-fed Himalayan rivers in summer destinations in India.
River rafting in India is an exhilarating experience that you can enjoy on your Indian Holiday. One of the best regions for river rafting in India is the stretch upto Rishikesh in Uttaranchal. White water rafting on Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga rivers is a popular adventure tourism activity in summer in India. For the more adventurous traveler, white water rafting tours in India can also be organized on the Indus River in Ladakh and Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh
White water rafting in India on the Alaknanda River is the most easily accessible white water river rafting stretch from Delhi. We drive from Delhi to Rishikesh and further north to Devprayag, where the Alaknanda River and Bhagirati River combine to form the Ganges, a river considered holy by Hindus in India. Further North is Rudraprayag, where the Alaknanda and Mandakini Rivers combine. The white water rafting Alaknanda tour, consists of an approximately 130 Km long stretch from Rudraprayag to Shivpuri near Rishikesh in Uttaranchal, India.
You will be given training by experienced river rafting instructors and guides. You will travel in groups in rafts, with an instructor at all times. Life jackets and other essential safety equipment are provided. You can stay overnight in luxury tents, pitched on beaches alongside the river, as we halt each night. You can also enjoy campfires and bonfire nights on river rafting tours in India. As you swoop and tumble over the rapids with exotic names such as 'Roller Coaster;' 'Crossfire' and 'The Wall' you will feel the excitement and heart-racing thrill of white water rafting in India, on adventure tours to India this summer, with Indian Holiday.