Nestled amidst mountains and bound by the rivers Chambal and Banas lies the land of tigers commonly known to be Ranthambore National Park. The picturesque forests of Ranthambore are India’s largest dry deciduous forests. Couple that with the easy sightings of the majestic royal Bengal tiger and you have what is easily one of the best destinations for any wildlife photographer to visit.  

There is a beautiful irony in the fact that the vast expansive lands of Ranthambore were once the famous hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Dotted with ancient ruins of empires that once were, Ranthambore is also home to a variety of fauna, such as leopards, caracals, rusty spotted-cats, sambars, sloth bears, jackals and many more. It is also host to rich avian life such as vultures, partridges, sand grouses and more. 

The famous black-maned Alpha male Mara lions are possibly the stars of the Mara show, but cheetah, elephant, kongoni, topi, Thompson’s gazelle, waterbuck, hyena, and primates are all here in abundance. As with the rest of Kenya, the birding is good. There is no settlement within the reserve however; the Mara is in theory owned by the Maasai, pastoralists and, in earlier times, renowned lion-killers. Lodges and hotels offer the opportunity to buy their beadwork, checked cloths and copies of their spears. It is said that if lions scent approaching Maasai on the breeze they move swiftly in the opposite direction.