able place to explore at leisure – though watch out for stray motorbikes.
8 Getting There & Away
FARE (₹)
DURATION (HR)
Ajmer
express/local 8/7
½
Bundi
117
6
Delhi
ordinary/sleeper 200/300
10½
Jaipur
120
4
Jaisalmer
ordinary/sleeper 240/340
10½
1 Sights
Jodhpur
120
5
Safaris take place in the early morning and late afternoon. The mornings can be very chilly in the open vehicles, so bring some warm clothes. The best option is to travel by jeep gypsy. You still have a good chance of seeing a tiger from the canter, though sometimes other passengers can be rowdy.
DESTINATION
The post office will book train tickets for services out of Ajmer for about ₹15 commission. For around ₹50 private agencies do the same, including transfer to Ajmer.
8 Getting Around
There are no autorickshaws, but it’s a breeze to get around on foot. Another good option is to hire a bicycle (₹30 per day) or a motorbike (₹200 to ₹250 per day, helmet ₹30 per day). Try Shree Ganpati Motorbike Hire (%2772830; Brahma Rd), whose bikes have an all-Rajasthan tourist permit. A wallah can carry your luggage on a thela (hand-drawn cart) to/from the bus stand for around ₹30.
Ranthambhore National Park % 07462
This famous national park, open from October to June, is the best place to spot wild tigers in Rajasthan. Comprising 1334 sq km of wild jungle scrub hemmed in by rocky ridges, at its centre is the amazing 10th-century Ranthambore Fort. Scattered around
Safaris (Indian/foreigner per person in gypsy ₹500/890, in canter ₹425/812; video camera ₹400) take three hours. In October canters
and gypsies leave at 6.30am and 2.30pm; from November to January they leave at 7am and 2pm; from February to March they leave at 6.30am and 2.30pm; from April to May they leave at 6am and 3pm; and from May to June they leave at 6am and 3.30pm. Be aware that the rules for booking safaris (and prices) are prone to change. Seats in gypsies and canters can be reserved on the official website (www.rajasthanwildlife. in). If you book online you will need to pay the balance at the Forest Office on the day of the safari or risk being cancelled. Cancelled seats are subsequently made available for direct booking. A single gypsy and five canters are also kept for direct booking at the For-
est Office (Ranthambhore Rd; h5.30am-7am & noon-2pm). Demand often outstrips supply
during holiday seasons. Direct bookings on
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E ASTERN R A JASTHAN 8 H O R E N AT I O N A L PA R K R A JASTHAN 8 ANTHAMB R
Frequent buses to/from Ajmer (₹8, 30 minutes) stop on the road heading eastwards out of town; other buses leave from the Marwar bus stand to the north. Local travel agencies sell tickets for private buses – you should shop around. These buses generally leave from Ajmer, but the agencies should provide you with free connecting transport. Those that leave from Pushkar usually stop for an hour or more in Ajmer anyway. Be warned that some buses (particularly those via Jodhpur) don’t go all the way; in spite of promises, they’ll involve a change of bus and an extra fare. Some destinations and fares from Pushkar:
the fort are ancient temples and mosques, hunting pavilions, crocodile-filled lakes and vine-covered chhatris. The park was a maharajas’ hunting ground until 1970 – a curious 15 years after it had become a sanctuary. Project Tiger has been in charge of the tiger population since 1979, but the project’s difficulties were thrown into sharp relief when government officials were implicated in poaching in 2005. Getting an accurate figure on the number of tigers comes down to who you believe – the park probably has around 32 tigers, after the relocation of five tigers to Sariska Tiger Reserve (see p131). Seeing a tiger is partly a matter of luck; you should plan on two or three safaris to improve your chances. But remember there’s plenty of other wildlife to see including more than 300 species of birds. It’s 10km from the town of Sawai Madhopurto to the first gate and another 3km to the main gate and Ranthambore Fort. Accommodation is stretched out along the road from the town to the park. The train station is in the heart of Sawai Madhopur, just south of the main bazaar.