On early morning safari in pursuit of the elusive tiger)

The next dawn saw us at a railhead called Sawai Madopur, base for an excursion into Ranthambor National Park, one of the few preserves of the Indian Tiger. We were woken up at the crack of dawn and herded into special vehicles called ‘cankers’ (left), similar to the open-roofed Landrovers used on safari in Africa. Though we were warned about the steep drop in temperatures in the midst of the Thar Desert at night and had dressed accordingly, we were still taken aback by the chill of the air in that uncertain hour between midnight and daybreak. Though tucked in the warm folds of blankets provided thoughtfully by the personnel of the Palace on Wheels, we were, nonetheless, frigid as we made the hour long ride to the entrance of the National Park (below left).

The main objective of this early morning expedition was to catch a glimpse of the elusive Indian tiger, an almost-extinct species, thanks to the rampant hunting and poaching that has taken place over the last two centuries. This majestic striped cat once roamed freely over the Indian plains seeking out its favorite food—the Indian sambha or antelope—and trying to remain concealed behind the grey vegetation that clothes the Aravalli Hills, its natural habitat. Despite the fact that an experienced tracker attempted to pursue the creature, we did not see a sign of a tiger that morning. We had to remain content with frequent glimpses of langurs (black-faced Indian monkeys), jackals and cheetal (Indian spotted deer), peacocks and peahens and twin owls.

Still, I have to say that despite the disappointment of not having caught sight of a tiger, I was thrilled at the thought of having traversed the virgin miles of the Rajasthani bush for, were it not for this specific aim, I would never have set foot on this wild and rugged terrain, never seen for myself the gay abandon of protected Indian creatures or known what it felt like to awaken to the sounds of wild birds such as raucous parrots and spotted owls. For these reasons alone, the tiger safari was, for me, at least, an amazing experience and, the cold notwithstanding, I returned to the train fully exhilarated.

(To continue traveling with us on The Palace on Wheels, please click on the Chittorgarh link).

Bon Voyage!