Do you want to spend your vacation in a calm environment and get lost in the woods? Then what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and call your travel agent to book your tour package to Pench National Park.
This national park is situated at the heart of Madhya Pradesh in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. This park has been named after the pristine River Pence that flows through the heart of the park. Moreover, Pench National Park is also considered to be one of the most popular wildlife reserves across the nation that has also secured its place in the famous story of 1894 “The Jungle Boo” by renowned English author Rudyard Kipling. This story received worldwide love, appraisal, and acceptance. Thus, this national park became one of the most popular national parks in the World in the year the 1970s, along with being a prominent tourist attraction in India. Since then, thousands of visitors from different parts of the globe tend to visit this national park just to spot the famous characters of the book, Akela (the Indian Wolf), Raksha (the female Wolf), Baloo (the Sloth Bear), and the vicious Sher Khan (Royal Bengal Tiger).
Spread across an area of approximately 758 sq km, this protected area is known to have rich wildlife which provides the visitors an opportunity to indulge in one of the finest wildlife experiences of the country and create some unforgettable experiences. This park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1965 by the Government of India. Since then, this park has been serving to be the cosy nest of numerous wild creatures including the Royal Bengal Tiger, jackal, peafowl, wild dog, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian leopard fox, striped hyena, monkey, gaur, barking deer, four-horned antelope, Indian wolf and many more such spine-chilling species. Later, in the years 1975 and 1992, this sanctuary was recognized as a national park and tiger reserve respectively.
The timing for safari keeps on changing here and is dependent on the seasons. Since the park remains closed to visitors during monsoon, there is no jungle safari available for tourists. The park remains open and accessible for the visitors from 16th of October to the end of June. In the winter season, the morning timing for jeep safari starts from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. On the other hand, the evening safari starts from 3 pm to 5:30 pm.
During summer, the safari timing tends to shift a bit. In the morning, the safari time starts at 6:30 am and ends at 9:30 am. For the evening, the time is from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. It is to be noted that sunrise and sunset play a crucial role in the shifting of safari timing. According to the rules of the forest department, the park opens up 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes prior to sunset.
The environment of Pench National Park is quite diverse and ideal for wild animals to breed. The area comprises a dry deciduous forest that includes trees like teak mixed with other species like saja, bijayasal, lendia, haldu, dhaora, salai, amla as well as amaltas. Moreover, the ground remains covered with a maze of grasses, plants, bushes, and saplings. In some places, bamboo is also spotted. Interestingly, one of the most amazing trees called the “ghost tree” is present and remains hidden among the various hues of green.
There is another tree in this area that is associated with the sentiment of the tribal people inhabiting this region mahua. The flowers of this tree are consumed by mammals as well as birds. Some of the tribal people of this region also harvest this tree to brew beer.
It is to be noted that more than 1200 species of plants have been recorded in this national park which also includes some of the rare and endangered species as well as plants that hold ethnobotanical importance.
The nearest airport to this national park is considered to be the airports at Nagpur and Jabalpur. Nagpur airport is at a distance of approximately 110 km while Jabalpur airport is 215 km away. The connectivity of Nagpur is better than that of Jabalpur because Nagpur airport has better flight options to other destinations such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Raipur, Dubai, etc. On the other hand, the airport present in Jabalpur is a small one with fewer flight options.
The nearest railway station is situated in Nagpur city (105 km). tourists can also opt for Jabalpur Railway station (200 km) which remains connected to most of the major cities of the country such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Sawai Madhopur, etc.
State-owned transport buses are available that run from Nagpur through Khawasa Border (Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra Border) on NH-8. Tourists need to take some vehicle so that they can reach the Turai entrance gate which is home to all major resorts as well as lodges. Turia entrance gate is considered to be the most popular and frequently used entry gate for the jungle safari of Pench National Park.
The timing for safari keeps on changing here and is dependent on the seasons. Since the park remains closed to visitors during monsoon, there is no jungle safari available for tourists. The park remains open and accessible for the visitors from 16th of October to the end of June. In the winter season, the morning timing for jeep safari starts from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. On the other hand, the evening safari starts from 3 pm to 5:30 pm.
During summer, the safari timing tends to shift a bit. In the morning, the safari time starts at 6:30 am and ends at 9:30 am. For the evening, the time is from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. It is to be noted that sunrise and sunset play a crucial role in the shifting of safari timing. According to the rules of the forest department, the park opens up 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes prior to sunset.
Pench National Park is known to offer Jeep and Canter safari online for both core and buffer zones which are divided into a total of seven zones. Tourists can opt for either morning or evening safari. This national park holds the record of offering the best tiger sightings along with amazing nature views.
While planning a vacation, a tourist worries about a lot of things at the same time. Accommodation facilities are one of them. The tourists will be surprised to learn about the number of hotels and resorts available for the tourists in Pench National Park. These are just the right places to unwind after a long time from monotonous life to make the best of the times coupled with a treasure of good facilities as well as amenities. Some of the worth-mentioning hotels and resorts available in Pench National Park are as follows:
The ideal time to visit Pench National Park is from March to June. It is so because, after June, the months of summer start and are all about hot and humid weather, thus making it extremely difficult for the tourists to explore the wildlife to its full. However, some adventure-freak tourists still visit this national park in the scorching heat.
Winter is considered to be the best time to visit Pench National Park. The months of November, December, January, and February are ideal. During these months, the park receives a cool temperature which helps the tourists to visit the park without getting exhausted.
Monsoon is not preferable for tourists to visit Pench National Park because, during this time, the animals undergo breeding, and hence, the park remains closed till mid-October.