Jaipur is a place for stunning palaces, royal forts, undulating hills and also a great place for shopping. This Pink City is the doorway city to the remarkable state of Rajasthan. Here one can find a long list of attractions that are simply spectacular. The city is full of color and winding streets which will mesmerize you with a blend of aromatic infusion of the old and new culture in the air. Speeding buses dodge leisurely camels, while slow cycle-rickshaws ply the roads here. One of the best places to visit in Jaipur is the Jhalana Safari Park.
Image via TripAdvisor
Located just off Malviya Nagar, this is a forest right in the heart of Jaipur. On one side you can find the rocky hills of the Aravalli range and on the other side, the dense forest along with evergreen deciduous trees stretching out forming a great boundary.
Jhalana Safari Park is a unique natural attraction in Jaipur where you can get up-close and personal with all sorts of wild animals including the ferocious leopards! Tours are conducted in open-roof jeeps which take you deep into the forest to experience the wild unlike ever before. This 2.5 hours safari will also allow you to get glimpses of blue bulls (nilgai), Panthers, peacocks, spotted deer, and other wild animals. As the park isn’t as big as the other national parks around the country, your chances of spotting a leopard are pretty good too as there are more than 30 of them roaming about.
Image via Hindustan Times
Bird lovers have something to look forward to as well. If you visit Jhalana during the winters, you will be able to spot dunlins, flamingos, cranes, bar-headed goose, egrets, and cormorants. Apart from these, you can find over 100 different species of birds and many kinds of raptors such as the white-eyed buzzards and shikras. You might even end up spotting one of the 9 species of snakes that reside in this forest.
The best part about the safari here is that it can be undertaken by all, including senior citizens. This makes it a great place to head to with your family as well.
You may have to book your tours in advance as only 10 jeeps are allowed in two different shifts of the day to enter the forest. This was done to make the safari as eco-friendly as possible.
While the park is open all year round, this place is heavenly to visit during the monsoons. This is the time when the forest is at its prime and it is common to see tourists flocking to the place to witness its beauty. However, due to excessive rainfall, the safari may not happen as well. So it’s a better bet to visit in the winter months. Hence, the best time to visit this park is from September to February as the weather remains cool during this time. No visit to Jaipur is complete without exploring it’s ‘wild’ side!
