Overview

Notably Maharashtra's oldest and largest National Park, the "Tadoba National Park", also known as the "Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve" is one of India's 47 project tiger reserves existing in India. It lies in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state and is approximately 150 km from Nagpur city. The total area of the tiger reserve is 1,727 Sq.km, which includes the Tadoba National Park, created in the year 1955. The Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was formed in the year 1986 and was amalgamated with the park in 1995 to establish the present Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve. The word 'Tadoba' is derived from the name of God "Tadoba" or "Taru," which is praised by local tribal people of this region and "Andhari" is derived from the name of Andhari river that flows in this are
Counted among the largest and finest national parks in Maharashtra, Tadoba National Park is one of the nation's tiger reserves. It is located in Chandarpur District in Maharasthra. This exquisite protected area is no less than paradise for nature lovers as well as wildlife buffs. The verdant beauty of woods and intriguing assortment of flora and fauna in Tadoba fascinates the tourists in no time. Other than a remarkable population of tigers, the park also boasts animals such as bison, hyena, wolf, sambar, spotted deer, chinkara, barking deer, nilgai, langur, wild boar, etc. Without a doubt, every wildlife lover must visit this destination to witness wildlife in the midst of enthralling panorama.
During the jungle safari in Tadoba, on his recent visit in the park on January 2020, Sachin was elated to witness the sight of royal big cats and other wild animals and enjoyed the untamed environment of the enthralling wilderness.

Brief Journey

According to the 2010 National Census on Tigers, there are about 43 tigers in the reserve, which is one of the highest in India. Here are some highlights of the park.

The Tadoba National Park is divided into three separate forest ranges, i.e. Tadoba north range, Kolsa south range, and Morhurli range, which is sandwiched in between the first two. There are two lakes and one river in the park, which gets filled every monsoon, the ‘Tadoba Lake,’ ‘Kolsa Lake,’ and ‘Tadoba River.’ These lakes and rivers provide vital ingredients needed to sustain the park’s life.
The Tadoba Tiger Reserve is rich in flora and fauna. Some of the famous and wildly seen flora of this park include, Teak, Ain, Bija, Dhauda, Hald, Salai, Semal, Tendu, Beheda, Hirda, Karaya gum, Mahua Madhuca, Arjun, Bamboo, Bheria, Black Plum, and many others. Apart from this the list of animals noted in this part include, Tigers, Indian leopards, Sloth bears, Gaur, Nilgai, Dhole, Striped Hyena, Small Indian Civet, Jungle Cats, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Chital, Marsh Crocodile, Indian Python, Indian Cobra, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Peacock, Jewel Beetles, Wolf Spiders, etc.

History

In the year 1955, an area of 116.54 sq km of the Tadoba Region was declared the national park. In 1986, Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was established next to the national park; and in the year 1995, the two were merged to form India’s 41st Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
According to a legendary tale, Taru was a village chief who was killed in a mythological encounter with a tiger. Post which the villagers deified and a shrine dedicated to Taru later known as “God Tadoba”, which now exists beneath a large tree on the banks of Tadoba Lake. The name “Tadoba Andhari” was derived after the name of “God Tadoba” worshipped by local tribes and river “Andhari” passing through this thick woodland. The Gond kings once ruled these forests.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve was functional from the year 1995. As it is home for a large number of Royal Bengal Tigers, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) was formed by combining Tadoba National Park and Andhari Tiger Reserve in the year 1995. It is the 41st tiger reserve in India. According to the National Census on Tigers in the year 2010, it is home for more than 40 tigers.

Tourist Attractions

Tadoba wildlife sanctuary enjoys the beauty of dense forests, the beautiful Tadoba Lake, patches of grasses, and sprawling valley, which are its major attractions. The park is situated in close proximity to Erai (Irai) Dam, Mahakali Mandir (Chandrapur), Urjanagar Lake, Nagpur, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, and Navegaon National Park.

Tadoba Lake

The Lake is a paradise of bird watchers, situated amidst Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. It is home to around 200 species of birds like the Indian pitta, white-eyed buzzard, paradise flycatcher, Indian roller, and orange-headed ground thrush flock near the lake. Located towards the southwest part of the reserve, this lake acts as a buffer between the forest of the park and the farmland which extends up to Irai water reservoir. It's a perennial source of water offering good habitat for the Muggar crocodiles to flourish. Around 195 species of birds with three endangered species are found here. The Crested Serpent Eagle, The Grey-headed Fish Eagle, and the Changeable Hawk-Eagle are few names of raptors existing here.

Landscape

This pristine, wild habitat is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, also referred to as the Vidarbha region. Connectivity to Tadoba is excellent as it is just 2-1/2 hours from Nagpur International airport. A quaint, beautiful jungle with hilly terrain and undulating landscape, Tadoba offers tiger and wildlife sightings galore.
Spread across an expansive landscape of 625.4 Sq.km, Tadoba includes the Tadoba National Park, created in the year 1955. The Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was formed in the year 1986 and was integrated with the park in 1995 to establish the present Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Butterfly Garden In Tadoba

Near Agarzari gate of Tadoba an open-air butterfly garden and information centre have been opened.
This is a great opportunity to learn about butterflies. The garden has several host & nectar plants to attract local species of butterflies.
The butterfly park is on the main road from Moharali to Chandrapur.

Moharli

Located at the distance of 6.9 Km from the Tadoba region, this village is the entry gate to the Mohrali Zone. It is one of the oldest entrances to the park for excursions and private gypsies are always available there for Jungle Safari. Mohrali Gate is 180 Km away from Nagpur.

Mahakali Mandir

The Mahakali Mandir near the Zarpat River is one of the most significant iconic symbols of Chandrapur. The temple gets busy on Tuesdays and Saturdays which are considered auspicious days of the week. Special celebrations are held during Hanuman Jayanthi and hundreds of people from the neighboring towns visit Mahakali Mandir during the festivities. Pilgrims have to reach the sanctum sanctorum through a tunnel which houses a unique idol of the Goddess in a reclining form.
The temple has two doorways, one close to the shrine of Hanuman and the other with the shrines of Ganesha and Shani. The temple is said to have been built in the 16th century by Dhondiya Ram Sah of the Gond Dynasty. Tourists who visit Tadoba Tiger Reserve via Mohurli do not skip a visit to the renowned Mahakali Mandir. The Mahakali Mandir is about 38 km from Tadoba Tiger Reserve.

Safari

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Sanctuary is one of the noted wildlife destination popular for Tiger Safari in India. It is located in Chandrapur district which lies in the state of Maharashtra, India. Its name Tadoba has been derived from the Tribal god honoured in this region Taru or Tadoba and the river that flows through the area Andhari. Tadoba National Park is one of the biggest and oldest national parks of Maharashtra which was created in the year 1955 sprawl over an area of approx 1727 square kms. In the year 1986 Andhari Wildlife sanctuary came into existence and later it was diluted with the area of Tadoba National Park.

Jeep Safari

If you wish to explore the dense jungle of Tadoba National Park then Open Jeep Safari is the most feasible option to travel inside the park. Four wheeler open gypsy takes you to the core and buffer tourism zone of the park. Its bio-diversity is unique and definitely you will love sighting apart from Royal Bengal Tigers and different species of reptiles and mammals. Tadoba is an abode of 74 types of colourful butterflies and more than 190 species of avifauna.

Canter Safari

This is a universal safari in which 22 people can be accommodated at a time.This shared safari or Canter is an open big bus in which there are 2 guides in the canter. Canters are the cost-effective option for safari in the Tadoba National Park. Online booking for Moharli gate can be done well in advance. In Tadoba National Park, Canter safari is available only in Moharali Zone. The most visited zone in Tadoba. The effective visit to Moharli zone via canter safari is priceless as well and it has its own charm. This mini-van will take you to the deep forest and add more value to your Tadoba trip.

Safari Timing : -

Morning Shift :

Summer : 06:30 AM-10:00 AM
Winter : 06:00 AM - 09:00

Evening Shift:

Summer : 03:00 PM - 06:00PM
Winter : 02:00 PM- 05:00 PM

Best Time to Visit

The Tadoba National Park remains open for 365 day of Year, but the ideal time and season for visiting the park is November to mid March. It has been seen that most of the Indian tourists prefers to visit park as per their festival holidays or children school holidays due to which their presence in better in period of October -December and April - June. The best time to spot tigers at Tadoba is during March to May. Other than tigers, other wildlife can be easily spotted all around the year and winters (December to February) are particularly favorite months for wildlife safaris.

Flora and Fauna

Tadoba National Park is mostly covered with dense woodlands with myriad trees. Bamboo and teak are most commonly found here. During a leisurely stroll, visitors will come across ain (crocodile bark), hald, salai, bija, dhauda, tendu, mahua madhuca (crepe myrtle), karaya gum, lannea coromandelica, baheda, and hirda.
Popularly known as ‘The Land of Tigers’, Tadoba National Park is home to a vast number of Royal Bengal Tigers. The most widely found mammals include Indian Leopards, nilgai, dhole, striped hyena, sloth bears, gaur, Small Indian Civet, sambar, jungle cats, spotted deer, chital, chausingha, honey badger, and barking deer. The national park houses the rare Indian Python and a plethora of other reptiles, including Indian Monitor, Indian star tortoise, russell’s viper, Indian Cobra, and Terrapins.
With over 195 species of birds, Tadoba is a delight for visitors fond of bird watching. The most popular commonly found species include orange-headed Thrush, stone curlew, crested honey buzzard, Indian Pitta, crested treeswift, paradise flycatcher, lesser golden backed woodpecker and bronze winged jacana. Grey headed fish eagle, changeable hawk-eagle and crested serpent eagle are the prominent raptors here.

Accommodation

For accommodation in Tadoba National Park, Resorts and hotels are available in all entrance gates but again close to Moharli entrance gate, one can have much more options for different budget category visitors. On the other hand private professional resorts & lodges of all budget categories (Luxury, Standard & Budget) are available at Mohruli gate. Here some of the popular resorts and safari lodges are Irai resort, Tadoba Jungle Villa, Pugmark resort, Serai tiger camp, MTDC Mohurli Resort, Svasara resort, Mahua Resort Tadoba, Tiger Heaven, Tadoba Tiger King resort, Jharna Jungle Lodge etc. They are located in different gates and offering good accommodation facility.

Climate

The climate is subtropical to tropical (depending on elevation) and characteristically monsoonal (i.e., wet-dry), with local variations. India’s southwest monsoonal rains break on the Mumbai coast usually in the first week of June and last until September, during which period they account for about four-fifths of the annual rainfall. Four seasons are normal: March–May (hot and dry), June–September (hot and wet), October–November (warm and dry), and December–February (cool and dry).

Summers (March – Mid June):

Summers are extremely hot in Tadoba, with max temperatures going up to 47°C in May and June.

Monsoons (Mid June- September):

The monsoon starts in June with humidity at about 66 per cent. The forest becomes lush green and is good for vegetation and insect sighting.

Winters (November to February):

Temperatures range between 25°-30°C during day and goes down to 9°C in the night. Weather is pleasant during the day but mornings and evenings are cold.

How to Reach Tadoba

By Air :

Nagpur (140 Km) is the nearest airport from where cabs are available for Tadoba.

By Rail :

Chandrapur (49 kms) and Nagpur (151kms) are nearest railheads from Tadoba Park. Cabs are easily available from these two places.

By Road :

Nearest bus stops are situated in Chandrapur and Chimur and a decent bus service is available to these destinations from a few cities and towns of Maharashtra.

Hotels In Tadoba National Park

No other destination can be better for zealous nature photographers and wildlife aficionados than the exquisite Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra. A wide array of exotic flora and fauna makes it one of the most frequented national parks in the country. Stretched across 1727.6 sq kilometers, Tadoba hold a remarkable population of tigers. To explore its natural vivacity, a swarm of tourists horde this park every year.
To cater this influx, there are many hotels in the periphery of Tadoba National Park. All of these hotels offer top notch amenities and serve to distinguished tourist gates. These snug hotels in Tadoba are Svasara Jungle Lodge, Tiger Trails Jungle Lodge, Camp Serai Tiger, Irai Safari Retreat, Tiger Heaven Resort and Tadoba Tiger King Resort.
This is the best place to get best deals on Tadoba National Park hotels booking. Our affordable and enticing deals and packages lead you to a congenial and enchanting stay within the fringes of Tadoba.