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Hunting the hunter

The tension inside our Gypsy Canter car is palpable. We’re waiting at the crack of dawn with bated breath for the Big One at India’s fabled Ranthambore National Park 
in Rajasthan. But he’s been eluding us.

Meanwhile, our naturalist tries to engage us in the surrounding flora and fauna. Peafowls, parakeets, magpies and doves perched on treetops are pointed out meticulously at regular intervals. Ditto partridges, storks and egrets. Binoculars are passed around to help us zero in on crocodiles basking in the sun, right next to a ponderous monster lizard.

During the winter months, the naturalist informs us, migratory birds like greylag, goose, ruddy shelduck, black eagle and pintails also make the park their home. Deeper in the jungle, chitals, sambars, the blue bull and chinkara cross our path. Apparently, there’s no other park in Asia where sambars — the largest of all Asiatic deer — can be seen as abundantly as at Ranthambore. Wild boars, langurs (monkeys) and jungle hare too, are commonly sighted along with leopards, caracal, jungle cat, ratel and a large population of sloth bears.

While we’re feeding the birds, the naturalist gestures to us with a finger on his lips. He has heard a deer’s call followed by a langur’s shriek! This could mean only one thing — the tiger was lurking nearby! Hearts pounding, we hold our collective breaths as the vehicle cruises forward slowly for THE encounter.

“There he is, there he is!” whisper our friends at the back. Indeed he’s there in all his glory — moving stealthily behind the foliage, his iridescent fur glowing against the dune-coloured grass. He moves languidly, sniffing at the ground, eyes glinting like speckled marbles a few feet away from our vehicle. He looks around speculatively for a few minutes before disappearing into the bushes.

But we’ve had our moment. And there’s an impromptu celebration in the vehicle! Thrilled, we head back to The Oberoi Vanyavilas, our abode for four days, a property recently anointed as the world’s best hotel by a Travel & Leisure magazine readers’ survey.

And it’s not tough to see why. The 20-acre resort offers 25 über luxurious tents right next to the National Park. However, the word ‘tent’ appears to be a complete misnomer here as I soak in the accoutrements of my own space — gleaming teakwood floor, colonial style furniture, bathrooms with claw foot tubs, a king-sized four-poster bed flanked by bedside tables, fruit baskets, and a private deck!

I step out onto the sun-kissed private deck and am enveloped in the Zen-like stillness of the natural surroundings. A meandering water body, fragrant mango and lime trees and chirruping birds complete the idyll. Mist-swathed Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges glint in the distance.

The resort’s kitchen — helmed by executive chef Deep Mohan Singh Arneja — is known to rustle up meals worthy of three Michelin stars. Interestingly, the Vanyavilas kitchen offers no set menu. “A fresh menu is crafted every day to incorporate individual tastes and the homegrown organic seasonal vegetables and fruits at our farm,” informs Singh.

In the evenings, as a bonfire crackles under a star-spangled sky, guests enjoy an interactive session with eminent wildlife expert Fateh Singh Rathore known as the ‘Tiger Man of India’. For those with a penchant for pachyderms, there are elephant rides. The Vanyavilas owns two trained elephants complete with regally-decorated Houdahs (seats) and Mahouts (trainers).

Our thrilling, 45-minute ride takes us into the scenic Ranthambore countryside helping us to soak in local flavors. “Madamji, please come for beautiful carpets here,” implores an emporium owner as we go rollicking down the road on the elephant. I wave out to him, gesturing to come back on my next visit.

An integral part of the rural landscape in Sawai Madhopur is Dastakar, a non-profit workshop run by the local women of Ranthambhore.

Women artisans work on ancient rural art forms, stitching vibrant patchwork quilts, jackets, pillow covers and cloth toys. Their work is then showcased at the Dastakar retail store and the profits recycled back for their empowerment and uplift.

Time has gone by in a blur and before we know it our four-day stay is over. However, we’re so recharged and rejuvenated that the prospect of returning to the city suddenly doesn’t seem all that daunting any more!

TIGER, TIGER, BURNINGBRIGHT!

· TheRanthambore National Park & Sanctuary is home to about 40 elusive tiger. The reserve enjoys the unique distinction of recording more frequent tiger sightings than any other tiger reserve in the world. Apart from tiger, the park also hosts more than 300 varieties of birds and about 35 species of animals and hundreds of varieties of flora.

· By the turn of the century, the Ranthambhore forest had become the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. It was declared the Sawai Madhopur Wildlife Sanctuary in 1955. The 300-square km Ranthambhore National Park & Sanctuary came into existence in 1980.

· Due to the dwindling tiger population, the Indian government’s flagship initiative for tiger protection — Project Tiger — is also active in this park, which is also home to 272 species of birds, including the drongo, crested honey buzzard, king vulture and many others. Besides tigers, park visitors can also spot leopards, bears, wild boars, deer and a variety of other fascinating wildlife.

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