Dense jungles of Satpura

The dense jungles of Satpura seem to lie in a deep slumber, blissfully unaware of their own charm – a rough English translation of a Hindi poem, which tries to describe the character of these forests. Today, Satpura is emerging as one of the popular travel destinations in India, but had remained a mysterious and largely unexplored place for a long while.

The Satpura Hills and the Vindhyan Hills stretch out across Central India and slowly started catching the fancy of nature enthusiasts, only after Captain James Forsyth explored the area and wrote a book called ‘Highlands of Central India’. This region may be called one of the best places for wildlife tours in India as these hill ranges are home to a thriving population of tigers – the figure is estimated to be over 400.

In fact, there are six tiger reserves in the hills here, with Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) being one of these. Quite rightly, Satpura is said to be one of the best habitats for tigers...

The dense jungles of Satpura seem to lie in a deep slumber, blissfully unaware of their own charm – a rough English translation of a Hindi poem, which tries to describe the character of these forests. Today, Satpura is emerging as one of the popular travel destinations in India, but had remained a mysterious and largely unexplored place for a long while.

The Satpura Hills and the Vindhyan Hills stretch out across Central India and slowly started catching the fancy of nature enthusiasts, only after Captain James Forsyth explored the area and wrote a book called ‘Highlands of Central India’. This region may be called one of the best places for wildlife tours in India as these hill ranges are home to a thriving population of tigers – the figure is estimated to be over 400.

In fact, there are six tiger reserves in the hills here, with Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) being one of these. Quite rightly, Satpura is said to be one of the best habitats for tigers in the world. With tigers being an integral element of India’s identity, a trip to Satpura is highly recommended, especially, if one wants to experience a true incredible India tour.

Besides being home to the elusive Bengal tigers, Satpura offers excellent sightings of different big mammals, colorful birds and butterflies. A reservoir, perennial hill streams and dense woodlands make Satpura a haven for wildlife diversity.

A morning drive from Madhai gate first takes visitors to the one and only grassland in the reserve. Here, you may see a big herd of spotted deer – a rare sight in these jungles. The hilly terrain of the jungles also proves to be a wonderful habitat for the Sambar – one of the biggest types of Deer in South Asia.

Beyond the grassland, there is a small hillock, and here one has the option to either take a left or right turn. This spot is often frequented by Sloth Bears and Leopards. A sighting may not be guaranteed, but that’s part of the charm of the jungles. After all, it’s not a zoo. Also, if luck is on your side, you may even spot the magnificent Bengal tiger.

The safari will take around 4 to 5 hours, and during this time, you will also spot a delightful array of colorful birdlife. Make sure to know all about the highly interesting floral life as well, including endemic plants such as the insectivorous Drosera or sundews.

Besides jeep safaris into the jungles, Satpura also offers plenty of other memorable experiences such as canoeing and nature walks. In a nutshell, a visitor will not return disappointed.

Amongst the various inbound tour operators, Le Passage to India Journeys, offers some of the best holiday packages for Satpura.