Travel
TRAVEL WELL with Kate Springer
Photo: Vincent van Zalingevia Unsplash
EARN YOUR STRIPES Thousands of travelers head to India every year for a chance to see a tiger in its natural habitat - a feat that’s easier than ever before, thanks to a rebounding tiger population. According to the World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum reports, the country’s tiger population is firmly on the rise, jumping from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,891 in 2016. The progress is a long time coming: India introduced a series of conservation policies beginning in the 1970s to combat plummeting populations (a result of hunting and habitat destruction). Designated as India’s first tiger reserve in 1973, Ranthambore Park is one of the top parks for tiger spotting. Roughly 10 percent of the park is open to safaris, where opentopped jeeps patiently trawl around dirt pathways looking for signs of Royal Bengal Tigers - the warning call of a deer, or remnants of a footprint in the sand. After coming up empty on my first safari, I booked a second outing the next day. It’s a good thing, too: An hour into the drive, we spotted three tigers (a mom and two cubs) limbering toward a cluster of jeeps, as if to pose for photographs. Even if you don’t see a tiger, the experience is well worth the 6am wake up call - most travelers will spot colourful birds, crocodiles, deer, monkeys, bears, and leopards in the picturesque park. www.ranthamborenationalpark.com.
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PSST... While you’re there, stay like the Maharajas of Jaipur, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who set down their luggage at Taj by Vivanta, a royal hunting lodge turned luxury hotel. From $2,000. Ranthambore National Park Road, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan 322001, +91 07462 225155, vivanta.tajhotels.com.