Wednesday

Tadoba National Park: Visitors Experience


Dear Friends,

It's very important to have the feedback from Visitors of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve- TATR (who came in contact with me for various reasons like accomodation, gypsy, proper suggestions & guidance, information, safari arrangements, my sincerity regarding transactions and the care I taken) to help decide other visitors if they should ask for my help or not.

Your feedback is also Important to improve myself & my service standard. Also it will help me to make future visits to TATR, by other tourists, their lifelong unforgettable experience and became a Tadoba-Lover.

As a Part of my Conservation efforts in TATR, my ultimate aim behind these all activities is to increase the Tourists traffic in Tadoba and to create & provide affordable wildlife gaming facilities.

I expect, your comments should be clear and enough detailed to help others.

It will be most welcome, but not compulsory, if you will provide your contact details in your comment.

Comments from those people whom I assisted in exploring the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve ( Tadoba National Park), with me or my help, only will be published under this post.

Hope this will help the people who are willing or planning to visit Tadoba in future.

Feel free to contact me at: tadobatiger@gmail.com

You can also Call me on: +91 9372069911 and +91 9420303020

28 comments:

Nishikant Panda said...

Words fall short when I start to describe my experience at Tadoba. This was my first visit to any National Park, and as one would expect I had lot of expectations from the place. But When I returned from the safari and was heading for hyderabad, I started recollecting my experience at Tadoba. It was only then I realised, that what I had experienced during my short stay at Todaba, was much more than what I could ever ask. Todoba had much more to offer than what you can expect. Having visited the place now- "Yeh dil Maange more". I will surely visiting the place again, but how many times, even I dont have an answer to that.

muralivp said...

My first (of possibly many more to come) visit to Tadoba has been a very successful trip. We went without much expectations, since it is very difficult to see wildlife in the wild. But in our short trip we were lucky to see a lot of animals and birdlife.

Shalik was a great help in arranging the safari trips, accommodation at Tadoba in short planning the whole journey.

Henry Gonsalves said...

In March this year I rang my friend Ritul who lives in Bombay and as usual our topic was National Parks. Tadoba came up and we decided to give it a try. Another friend, Leslie also from Bombay wished to accompany us to Tadoba.
Where were we to start? We knew that it was near Ajni mbut where was Ajni. Then Ritul remembered that he had read a posting on Tadoba in India Nature Watch so he went into the site and saw Shalik's name mentioned and contacted him.
Shalik was most helpful and offered us the services of his Gypsy and driver to enable us to tour the park.
We met him in Chandrapur andover lunch he told us that he had arranged with the forest house for our stay.
The four of us got into his converted Gypsy which had raised seats at the back which offered an excellent view ahead. An hour's drive and we arrived at the gates and after a refreshing cup of tea were shown to our rooms.
That afternoon we did a trip with Shalik as our guide and were fortunate to see Bison,Sambur,Chital, Wild Boar and numerous species of birds. This success continued for the next 4 days. We were more than satisfied with all the sightings which were only made possible through the expertise of Shalik's jungle knowledge.
Shalik, thanks for a very memorable 5 days
and we will be back.

Shalik Jogwe said...

Dear Henry,

My whole the Tadoba trip experience with u, Ritul and Leslie is very exciting. Ritul told me on phone that you are coming from UK but he didn't told me that u are 72. The Spirit you hold even in this age is literally awesome. Your fishing skills, our discussions about wildlife tourism, and that of everything we had here in our discussions will definitely help me in future.
I hope to see you again in this park so as to get some benefit from your experience for the cause of wildlife conservation, protection and wildlife tourism development in Tadoba.

Govind said...

We visited Tadoba during the long weekend of Gudi Padwa. This was our 2nd time there and Tadoba is proving to be quite a place for surprises.

The first time I was here (last summer), we sighted a tiger within half an hour of entering the park and that too at a very close range. We spent close to half an hour with the tiger taking some nice pics. This time, we sighted sloth bears - a couple once, once a single one and the third time, a female sloth bear with 2 cubs on her back!!! We sighted tigers too but not as good or clear as I would have liked it to be, though I'm most thankful. And of course, we saw wild dogs too. I just missed a leopard sighting by a whisker.

Thanks, Shalik. you were most helpful. In fact, your concern in making sure that we were comfortable - in spite of the limited options for accomodation - was very evident. The guides you organized were excellent and knowledgeable.

One thing about the staff at the places - they are very simple and nice people - eager to please guests - except that perhaps more grooming will help.

I also got to meet some fellow wildlife lovers who were meeting up w.r.to conservation efforts (of course shalik was among them). I was made aware of the threat to Tadoba forest from the Adani mining project. This was quite sad to hear. We need to take steps and mobilize public opinion so that the conservation efforts dont go in vain. I've started doing my bit by sending out an email to some friends, for starters.

In all it was a very eventful trip. I am raring to be there again.

Unknown said...

we visited tadoba from 29th april to 1st may..the trip was mind blowing..i was doutful of the success of the trip..but shalik jogwe ensured we had a great time..from booking the room to arranging safaris he did it all..he even joined us for the 1st safari and coz of him we could actually spot 2 tigers!!..2 tigers in 1st safari was unimaginable for me coz i had 10 safaris earlier(5 in corbett and 5 in pench)..but no luck..thanks shalik bhai..he is the man in TATR..he has great knowledge and insight into the world of animals..even though he was unable to come again with us for the next 3 safaris due to prior commitments he arranged a perfect guide for us..and hold ur breath we could spot 9 tigers in 4 safaris altogether..the efforts shalik is making is laudable..even u have visited tadoba before dont forget to take shalik the next time u r goin there..coz u will have a different experience altogether..remember..100 safaris with an improper person will not yield any result..even 1 safari can be fruitful if u have a person like shalik..and i am already checking out my schedule which would allow me to go to tadoba again..shalik bhai thanks a lot for the wonderful experience u have given me..am itching to come as soon as possible..

arati said...

We went to TATR in the last week of April. Since we all were going to Tadoba for a first time, bookings and arrangements was one big question-mark. Luckily, I happened to speak to Shalik and he readily agreed to do all arrangements for us including the MTDC booking.

We went for 7 rides in the TATR and had a great time. The 3 tiger sightings that we had were AMAZING - to say the least. Shalik also accompanied us on a couple of rides and that was great because he knows the forest so very well.
Also, he arranged a very knowledgeable and senior guide for us, Neelkanth, for our rides. What we were surprised about was Shalik and Neelkanth and also our driver were as excited and enthusiastic as us to spot the wildlife .... and that was really something to be appreciated.

As the person above me rightly commented .... 1 safari with the right person makes a lot of difference .... So, thanks Shalik for making our Tadoba trip a memorable one.

I'm going back soon....

arati said...

And yes...i forgot to give the link to my pictures taken at TATR...
http://hemant.baandal.in/Tadoba-2009

Ronak Shah said...

Tadoba can be described as the hidden jewel of India’s wildlife. When we (Me, wife & my 8 year old niece) decided on this place (after going through Shalikbhai’s & one more blog) most of our relatives & friends had never heard of this place although many of them have visited Corbett, Ranthambore, Kanha (the more famous national parks as compared to Tadoba). Accommodation at MTDC Moharli, pick up & drop to Chandrapur & safaris were all arranged by Shalikbhai. If you are planning a visit to Tadoba he is the person you should contact.

Generally we plan our wildlife outings in peak summer for better sightings & this time was no different. We took a total of six safaris (four from Moharli gate & two from Katizhari gate) & the sightings were beyond our expectations. We spotted three tigers from close by, another three from a distance & one was a near miss. Other mammals spotted were Sloth Bear (our first in wildlife – three sightings), Wild dogs, Bisons (plenty of them), Jungle cat (very rare sighting – sad could not capture her in camera), spotted deer, barking deer, Neel gai, plenty of monkeys etc., unfortunately we missed out on Leopard sightings but other cars did saw the beast. We also saw crocodile basking in the sun from a distance. Bird variety was also good. We spotted Serpent Eagle, Indian Pitta, Peacock, Jungle Fowl (don’t remember other names but another 10 – 15 species). During one of the safaris there was heavy rainfall & thus we could get a glimpse of how Tadoba would be in rains.

Shalikbhai (did five safaris with us – Shalikbhai, thanks for the same) & Ranjan (our guide) used all their experience in tracking animals & poured their heart out in making us comfortable. A small concern in Tadoba is that entry for Pvt. Vehicles is allowed which sometimes becomes hindrance in animal sightings since the drivers are not habituated driving in a jungle & they rush their cars too close to an animal after which the animal runs away. I am sure concerned authorities would be working on the same to eliminate this problem.

Another trip to Tadoba, of course yes, would love to go there during monsoons & also to see Leopard, the only big mammal we missed out in Tadoba.

Somak said...

It was a pleasure being with you in the park Mr. Shalik. I thank you for all the arrangements you had made for us and at the same appreciate your kind jesture to meet us in the airport. I believe all success that we had in this trip is just because of you. I still can not forget the way you three (You, NeelKanth and Santosh) spotted the big male. It was indeed amazing. Tadoba is a very good park and I support your efforts to make it better. I believe it has to improve a lot infrastructure wise and people needs to be sensitized about wildlife. Having said that, once again I thank you for all your help..!!

Yuwaraj Gurjar said...

I planned Tadoba in August as it is only Tiger Project which is open for tourists in Monsoon and i dont want to miss that. Frankly we were prepared that we will see only GREEN forest and feel the "feel" and we know that in this season the tiger or other mammal sightings will be too rare. but what a surprise we saw 8 tigers, 3 sloth bears, 2 wild dogs and many more... Thanks to Shalik who orgasied so well that we didnt have to run here and there for our other arrangements. One thing now sure - what ? of course my visit to Tadoba in May 2010 and in August 2010. Yuwaraj Gurjar - www.yuwarajgurjar.com

kedar said...

it ws mi first trip to tadoba when id gone to nagpur fr mi work... i ws freee 1 day in btw so i calllld shalik n met him ther... did 2 safaris.... it ws may so i ws keeeping high expectations with good sightings... ivent seeen the whole jungle obviously... only mahurli and lil bit of tadoba range... let me tel u MINDBOGGLING place... it has its own beauty and charm... we followed lot of alarm calls with Shalik jogwe and his team...they r gud with d jungle...its just i cant imagine how beautiful its goin to b in and after monsoon.. so yeh wating to go ther... its nt yet so one th9ing i hate it ws alll d diesel vehicles can enter d jungle which is very disappointing.. noicy atmosphere with lil bit of nuicense of uneducated ppl... overalll its awesum. thanx shalik. c ya sooon

Somnath the Tiger Lover said...

We started on 24th Dec. 2009 from Kolkata & reached Nagpur on 25th noon. Mr. Shalik's driver Raju was waiting for us & he took us to Maharli Gate via Chandrapur. On the way we were alert to see Ms. Katrina, the famous tigress of Tadoba but we were not that lucky.
The MTDC accommodation was ready & all credit goes to my friend Mr. Shalik. Last time I visited Tadoba, it was not so easy for me to get a suitable car at Nagpur station. But this time with the help of mr. Shalik we got the nice Indigo & the journey was very nice.
Next day onwards we took total 5 nos. of safari & all were very good & too much of excitement etc etc. Mr. Shraban was our guide & Mr. Mubarak was our driver. They were very good, experienced & helpfull also. On our very first Safari we saw the tigress & all credit goes to Mr. Mubarak. His friend Mr. Shabir called from Kosla area near enburi & he took us to that place like Kartikeyan's speed car. We were also lucky when Mr. Shalik came with us in two of our safaries. He knew the area & his all tigers and their exact path of regular movements. One morning we followed the pug marks of the king, the big male ruling the whole area & another afternoon we waited near a kill & even heard the sound of movement with the kill but were not lucky enough to see the movement of the tigress with kill, shifting positions with the kill to a nearer position of the lake. Last safari morning on 28th Dec. we went to the Jamunjhora area to see the tigress with 3/4 very small kids but couldn't find her. That area was closed to the visitors during Sat & Sun to avoid the massive crowd. Thanks Shalik for all your guidance. Now I have a total idea about the whole area, including total tiger nos. their age limit, sex ratio etc etc. Next summer if I don't go to Corbett again I will be going to Maharli again. Thanks Shalik for all your efforts & help. Thank you so much. Hope your dream comes true as early as possible & I want be your first guest over there.
God bless you & your Tadoba.
If you need any help, I am redy for that.
See you again at Tadoba either in summer or in monsoon.
Thanks & Regards,
Somnath Sinha Ray
Kolkata
M-0-9748700816

Unknown said...

i went to tadoba with not much expectations of sighting a tiger ,and i had a only one aim ,,,to spot a tiger in the natural environment( a view point i have changed after tadoba), though when i went to khanna sanctuary i was shown a tiger on an elephant back with a tracking devise ,which did not give me the ultimate raw feeling, it seemed like going for a planned guaranteed trip something like a modified zoo, and tooo many tourist all around u, took the fun out of a raw jungle feeling ,
anyway on the 2nd day after 3 trips i finally spotted a tiger the hard way ( the way it was supposed to be ) , and after going to tadoba i felt that there was more to the jungle than the tiger or the leopard , the sights and sounds are amazing and the other animals are also plenty to admire if u take that mental block of only the tiger , and u will appreciate that more because fewer people at tadoba(i have noticed 80% of people come without the passion for the jungle ,its more a picnic trip with no passion for the wild life,its more of an irritant for the passionate tourist who want the time and space to get a good pic or a good sighting )than the more famous wildlife sanctuary people go often, and to add to this i was previlaged to have the crazy passionate and fanatic wild life lover mr shalik j , he has it all to be the man behind the future of wild life in tadoba and i hope the whole of india soon , he changed my mind that wild life is not only tiger its every thing even just the sight and the colors and smell of the forest,amazing experience , i sure will go there again with my gang for friends balaji and manoj .special hanks to shalik on behalf of us

Sripad Sridhar said...

My friends and I had come to Tadoba in mid November,though we did not see tigers during the trip, we did see other inhabitants such as the Sloth Bear and Dhole.At 7Pm we caught the Grand Trunk Express from Chennai and reached Chandrapur at 9am the next day.The stay was very good and the food was above expectations, we loved the curd so much that we missed it, when we came back.Shalik was most accommodative and made all arrangements including the pick up and drop to the station which is just a 45 min drive from the Sanctuary.I would recommend people to visit the sanctuary,you can be assured that you will not be disappointed .

Sripad Sridhar.

Unknown said...

2010 is rocking.As Sripad commented,our trip to Tadoba in winter ended up seeing no Tigers.But,our resent visit was splendid and exceptional.We were showering with Tiger & Sloth bear sightings.Shalik Bhai organised everything exactly the way we wanted.
The Air-cooler set up @ mtdc was something gr8.
All i can say is "T for Tigers, Tigers for Tadoba"....
Have nice Tiger watching....

Abhijna Desai said...

Tadoba is a very special place for me,obviously because I sighted my first wild tiger here. Thanks a lot Shalik, it was a great trip. Well organised and perfectly managed :) A big hurray to Shalik from all the three of us.

Arjun D J said...

My trip to TATR was thrilling.....
Tadoba is a great place to see tigers cooling off in the water....
And a big thank you to Shalik Jogwe who helped us organise everything and made all our bookings for us !

Arjun Deep Juneja

Dev Babu said...

Shalik's passion for wildlife is so great that it drew me into finding him on the web with no one referring me to him. His blogs are full of life and character that show he cares deeply about his work. His meticulous planning, deep contacts and respect he commands in the area give you complete confidence when you are at Tadoba. Shalik is the king of his domain and no one will be disappointed when he shows you around Tadoba and her rich flora and fauna.

Aravind GJ said...

When I decided to visit Tadoba along with my family during this Christmas, I found that very little information was available for Tadoba.

It was then I found Shalik through blogs. I started with my enquiries on emails and all of them were promptly responded.

Shalik helped us in arranging stay at MTDC resort at Mohrali and the Safaris in the park.

Sighting wildlife depends on luck. But the driver and the guide also play a very important role. We got very knowledgeable guide and driver.

The only regret I have is that I stayed only for 2 days in Tadoba. Looking at the wildlife there, I must have planned for few more days. But I will be back!!

Thanks Shalik for all your help.

Roshan Kanga said...

We decided of visiting Tadoba after reading a write up in a local paper.I tried to get more information about it on the net.and came across Shalik's blog. I rang up Shalik and found him very helpful.Without any delay we were in Chandrapur on 3rd July. I called up Shalik again from Chandrapur and he immediately arranged for a car to take us to Moharli.Here we met Shalik for the first time. His face radiated his love for nature and his enthusiasm, honesty and willingness to help and guide other nature lovers.He arranged for our 3 safaries and mtdc accommodation.All our appreciation and sincere thanks to him for making our stay in Tadoba so pleasant and memorable. Nature was at its pristine glory, with uninterrupted greener for miles and miles.No words can express the joy of listening to the harmonious music of nature in the song of birds, the sound of the rustling leaves and the movement of animals. The serenity and the purity of atmosphere makes you feel one with God. This place is a heaven on earth! To make this picture absolutely perfect we also met the queen of this forest walking past our safari gypsy in her royal splendour.We were in her land and at her mercy, but unlike humans she would never harm her human friends who love her and respect her and come to meet her.This visit to Tadoba will always be engraved in our hearts as one of the most memorable and best time of our life!

Ritesh Kadam said...

Tadoba has been the best thing that could have ever happened. Tadoba is the first place where the iTravel group really got coined. The wilderness is simply amazing and the wildlife varied. Shalik and the team make sure to add that cherry on the cake with their fabulous service and knowledge. A memorable place one can never forget. this is one of the best places for wildlife. Make sure to visit there at least once.
Ritesh Kadam
The iTravel Group

Soumya Sarker said...

Visiting tadoba at monsoon was a great experience for me. As i have visited different national parks before, but visited them in the summer or winter. So i was excited to visit tadoba this time of the year.
But as it is very difficult to spot wild animals specially tiger at the monsoon many people told me that i've choose a wrong time for tadoba and that too i only had 2 days there. So we thought of taking 4 safaris, but for some natural disasters those 4 trips came down to only 2....so i was very upset. We did a safari in the morning and saw some rare birds. Though it is not wise to expect to spot a tiger every time we visit a national park, but back of the mind i do expect it all the time.
We went for the 2nd safari and while coming back my wish was fulfilled. a healthy tiger was sitting on the main road and it blocked the our path. And it just started giving different poses to us. It was awesome.The male tiger was there for a long time and we had a great time to watch that incredibly beautiful creature .
Though only the main road is open at this time , still we were very lucky to spot the big cat on the main road .
While we were planning for the tadoba trip we had no clue as to how we can arrange our safaris. Then with the help of Facebook i came to know about Shalik Jogwe. I contacted him and he helped us a lot. Shalik helped us in arranging the safaris. We got a good guide and driver.
Thanks Shalik for the arrangements.
The only regrets is we were there for a very short time. Hope to visit tadoba again.

Abhijit Sathe said...

My first visit to Tadoba has been an awesome experience. I had been planning to visit Tadoba for the past three years, and what a dream come true it was. I had taken along my parents and in-laws, who were first-time visitors to a wildlife sanctuary. And they had such a wonderful time there, that on the return journey itself I was being pestered for planning the next trip ! The tiger sightings were of course a highlight, as any tiger sighting anywhere is, and more so when you get to see the largest male in tadoba sitting on the track, and also when you get to see a tigress with her four ciubs ! However, Tadoba also has a lot to offer even for those who might be unlucky enough to not get a glimpse of the strped gentleman. Shalik Jogwe was of immense help in arranging the safaris, and it was a real pleasure meeting and talking to him. He is very knowledgeable about the jungle and its inhabitants, and the work he is doing as an eco-conservationist is invaluable. It was very inspiring to learn about his work, and to understand more about the challenges faced by the forests and its inhabitants as also the villagers. Thanks, Shalik Jogwe and Sandeep Desai, for a really wonderful trip, that not only went beyond my expectations, but also turned my family into enthusiastic wildlifers. Tadoba is a hidden jewel, that is only now starting to be discovered. I hope and pray that Tadoba continues to flourish and prosper, and hope to come back to Tadoba as many times as I can.

Zeynep said...

I had moments which I will never forget in Tadoba...seeing a tiger just near me, hearing the voice...now I know how all these feel like and I will not stop coming to Tadoba and enjoying ur trips Yaar! You are an expert and I am glad and happy that I met you!

Shridhar Mhatre said...

lovely place .... Tadoba National Park

Sonia said...

My visit to Tadoba in the monsoons was just amazing. Yes, Tadoba is a tiger reserve but being a jungle it is also so much more than that. We spotted wild dogs, bisons and a variety of beautiful birds which includes a huge eagle and an owlet near our room.
The walks in the night were exciting. The thought of spotting a tiger or a leapord is in itself so thrilling! And so were our walks in the night!
I came back from Tadoba to visit again, and again!
Thanks Shalik 

Kyamas said...

Having travelled to various Tiger reserves in India I will mention with conviction that Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve(TATR) is the best reserve for viewing/photographing tigers and other wildlife.It is one of the better managed reserves and the fact that animals aren't as shy of human beings proves that they are well protected and feel safe.The flora is also varied and there is rich cover of trees & grasslands.My second trip to Tadoba was during early March this year with my wildlife enthusiast friends( who were visiting first time) and all our arrangements incl. pick up at Chandrapur stn and drop off at Nagpur airport,our stay at Serai Tiger,all our safaris were impeccably handled by Mr.Shalik Jogwe of Vidharbha Wildlife.Shalik himself is a great environmentalist and was most cooperative & helpful with all our requirements.I wish him lot of success.