Bandhavgarh National Park earned its Tiger Reserve title in 1993 and it is divided into two primary zones–Core Area and Buffer Area. Buffer Area is developed in any national park to keep the human activity nominal at Core Zone so that, wild animals can enjoy a peaceful and blissful stay in their natural habitat. Core Area of this national park is again subdivided into three zones–Tala, Magadhi and Khitauli. Tiger Safari trips on jeeps are arranged in all these three core zones.

Tala is the most primitive core zone of Bandhavgarh and therefore most tourists try to book a jungle safari in this part of the park to relish an unmatched wildlife experience. Till the year 2010, Tala was the only core safari zone in Bandhavgarh and therefore it is not very hard to imagine why nature-lovers consider this zone as the soul of Bandhavgarh National Park. Undeniably Tala is the most popular safari zone in Bandhavgarh because tiger sighting has been recorded very regular here. The best time to spot tigers in Tala is from March to June and from October to February. Bandhavgarh Fort also comes under Tala territory. Tala jungle safari also gives you the opulent scope to enjoy the beauty of nature and nature's other creations. When you are roaming at Tala core zone, get ready to meet many tigers along the trail.

Magadhi is a comparatively newly assigned core zone at Bandhavgarh National Park. After Tala, it is the Magadhi zone that tourists prefer to book a jungle safari trip for. The Magadhi zone is located just beside the Tala zone and it comprises the south-

If you can afford it, then always buy a good quality binocular. You will thank it, particularly if you are planning for a Bird Watching session.

Always pay attention to what your safari guide is telling. Don’t dare to try something ridiculous to have more fun.

Bandhavgarh is surely a lifetime experience when you are thinking of meeting the Royal Bengal Tiger. As per the recent report, the tiger count in this national park is approximately 44–49, and this number is still going very much strong. Thanks to such a large tiger population, they say, “In any other Park, you are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don’t see (at least) one.” This article offers useful information on all three core zones, and now it is time to decide at which zone in Bandhavgarh you want to see the tigers.

eastern portion of the Tiger Reserve Area. Tiger sighting is very regular here and this part of the jungle also allows people to spot many other wild creatures including a leopard, a deer, a jackal and an impressive variety of avian species. This zone is often referred to as Gate No.2 at the Jungle Safari Booking counters. The main purpose of introducing Magadhi as a core zone after Tala was to reduce the excessive tourist activity at Tala. This new zone not just shared the load of the Tala zone but also opened the new opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts to explore another mesmerizing side of Bandhavgarh.

Khitauli is the youngest among the lot when we are talking about the core zones in Bandhavgarh. Khitauli came into existence very recently (in the year 2010). Therefore, this area is not that much exploited by tourist activities like the other two core zones are. Khitauli core zone is the right place to head for if you are interested to enjoy solitude in the lap of nature. This zone is popularly called as Gate No.3. Khitauli zone is positioned just opposite to the Magadhi zone and encircles the Western part of the Tiger Reserve Forest. Unlike Tala core zone, this zone is more flattened and doesn't feature any hilly terrain. Forest is thick and dense here. This part of the jungle is a particular favorite among bird watchers. Apart from hundreds of rare and uncommon bird species, Khitauli is the grazing ground to several types of herbivorous animals. So, watching mammal species like Nilgai, deer, wild dogs, sloth bears in bulk is not a problem here. Summer (March to June) is the best time to explore the Khitauli zone.

Book your safari trip at Bandhavgarh well in advance as peak tourist season leaves no room for on-the-spot booking.

Always keep your ID proof ready with you as you will need to show it for verification purposes at the entry gate.

When you are going for a jeep jungle safari in Bandhavgarh, it is best to choose the time slot between dawn to 10 a.m. or between 4 pm to dusk as, during these hours, wild animals remain most active.

Carry your water bottle as the outdoor temperature will make you feel dehydrated and exhausted soon.