From Khajuraho to Bandhavgarh National Park

This morning we had a little bit of a bumpy start. We left Khajuraho at about seven for the very long drive to Bandhavgarh National Park. The road wound through some agricultural areas and fortunately, the car traffic decreased. The roads are paved, but narrow, only one car width across, which makes it rather interesting when you pass by a truck, called a “tata.” Some areas are very scarred with potholes and very bumpy. We arrived at King’s Lodge without incident, checked into our room and went for a walk. However, when we returned to the lodge, we discovered that there had been a last minute change of plan. We were supposed to stay at a CC Africa Lodge in Panna, our next stop, but the lodge has not been completely built yet, so they moved us to the CC Africa Lodge here in Bandhavgarh and we will have another lodge in Panna. We were instructed that a car was on its way to get us and we should get our bags. So after eating a quick lunch, we went immediately to the CC Africa Lodge, called Mahau Kothi and then out for a game drive. It was a confusing morning and we felt bad leaving the Kings Lodge in such a rushed manner.

We were very very very fortunate because on our first game drive we saw a tiger! In the area where we were today, there is a mother tiger and three cubs, which are about 16 months old. The cubs are almost fully grown but are still learning to hunt on their own and will remain with their mother for two or two and a half years. We caught a glimpse of the mother and then waited in the same area hoping to catch another glimpse of her. However, a female cub came wandering down to the bank of the creek that we were parked near, had a sip of water, and then proceeded to sit in the water to cool down for a few minutes. She was really very close and we knew we were seeing something special when the naturalists started getting excited. The tigress then got up and just disappeared into the forest. It was incredible. She moved silently, and is pure muscle. The paws are huge. I simply can not describe the experience but it was amazing.

We also saw some other wildlife including langur monkeys, spotted deer, sambur (another large deer species), wild boar and several bird species. There are also some huge spiders here. They are the size of my hand and make webs that are 6-8 feet wide. Thankfully, they are not poisonous. Needless to say, it was an exciting afternoon and our fingers are crossed that the rest of our game drives will be as good.

The hotel that we are at now, Mahua Kothi, is lovely. The service is wonderful – the people have learned our names and when we returned to our room this evening a HOT bath was waiting for us sprinkled with marigold petals. Our naturalist is very good. He has a masters in ecology and is in the area working on a project to re-introduce wild guar (a kind of huge buffalo) to the area. We had a “bush” dinner prepared in a tandor (clay oven heated with a charcoal fire) and on a grill at a table set up in the middle of a field under a tree lit with lanterns. The scene was fantastic. The chef even gave us a brief demonstration on how naan (Indian flat bread) is cooked. There are only two other couples here – one from England and one from Paris – so it is really very intimate. This is my kind of lodge and I could get used to this!

It is now late at night and we start our first game drive at six in the morning so I am off to sleep. It appears that we will have some internet access here but not likely at our next stop at Panna National Park. Enjoy Jon’s great tiger photos!