national parks – VAGABOND IMAGES

Time back to travel! Madhya Pradesh opens its National Parks today

Upendra SwamiJune 15, 20201108 Views2

For all those with travel lust and right now feel like being chained in their homes due to COVID19 situation, there is a trickle of some good news. Among the first states to do this, Madhya Pradesh has reopened its State Tourism Development Corporation Hotels, resorts and many private hotels at tourist destinations for tourists and hoteliers. A tiger at Panna Tiger reserve in Madhya Prdesh Among the efforts to promote domestic tourism state is now allowing all tourists from within the Country. Not just that, another big news is that Madhya Pradesh Forest department has also issued a circular regarding re-opening of its National Parks from 15th June 2020. Buffer zones in these national parks will remain open during monsoon season as well. Normally, all the national parks a...

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Everything you need to know for planning a trip to Eravikulam National Park

Upendra SwamiOctober 29, 2018988 Views1

Earlier, I had planned to include all this vital information in my previous post about Neelakurinji trail in Eravikulam National Park. But then I stopped myself, as it would have made the post very long. I would have to either reduce the number of images from that post or cut short on the information. I didn’t want to do any of these. Hence, I decided to do a separate post and try to give every layman information possible to plan a trip to Eravikulam National Park. Read: On the Neelakurinji trail at Eravikulam National Park Landscape around Eravikulam National Park Reaching: Eravikulam National Park is 12 kilometres from Munnar town on the Munnar-Udumalpet road. It takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to reach there on the winding hilly road. Road is good and safe. You can travel by ...

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On the Neelakurinji trail at Eravikulam National Park

Upendra SwamiOctober 28, 2018685 Views2

It was heartening to see the long queues even if it meant long waiting for us to board the bus that takes you inside the Eravikulam National Park. It was after all good to witness tourists returning in large numbers to Kerala just weeks after devastating floods, said to be most fierce in last almost hundred years. Indeed, most of the tourists might be locals or from nearby places as that was the long weekend because of Dussehra falling on Friday. Initially, I had planned this visit for August. As, the only motive was to document the blooming of Neelakurinji flowers, hence the visit was timed as per their expected blooming. Strobilanthus kunthiana, commonly known as Neelakkurinji (Blue Kurinji), grows in colonies stretching to acres and acres across the Neelgiris – a name ascribed...

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The giant turtles of Keoladeo national park

Upendra SwamiOctober 29, 2017832 Views2

Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur has been the earliest and most popular of bird sanctuaries in India so much so that until few decades back whenever plans to visit a bird sanctuary will come in mind, name Keoladeo used to prop up almost instantly. But this park, popular for its cranes and once a critical wintering ground for endangered Siberian cranes, is also known for its giant soft shelled turtles. Park has seven species of turtles. The number of turtles is very good, in few hundreds. There are many myths and folklores associated with these turtles, but indeed there lifespan is very good. In that sense many turtles here are said to be living here for more than couple of hundred years. Now the catch is that this park doesn't have perennial source of water. It depends lot on m...

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Shh… Tiger is here!

Upendra SwamiJuly 29, 2016591 Views5

Its International Tiger Day and tigers are all over in the news for last few days. From missing of tiger Jai in Maharashtra's Umred Karhandla wildlife sanctuary to debate of inflated tiger count in India's tiger reserves... but for the tiger lovers, there is nothing like a good sighting of a tiger in the wild. But there are times when in wild you know that tiger is there around you but you are not able to see it. Those are the very thrilling but also very frustrating moments. A look at such moments, when tiger sighting ends in agonising wait or... extraordinary thrill. With a pug mark so fresh... you know you have missed the tiger just by... but then who know that. He or she might be still around, watching you! When, all you have to remain contented with is these marks on the ...

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Panna Tiger Reserve : Few images sans tigers!

Upendra SwamiMay 10, 2016694 Views14

This is last post from my visit to Panna Tiger Reserve and National Park last month. And this one is not about tigers. I had always enjoyed wild, whether there is sighting of a big cat or not. Wild is always beautiful. Wanna Tiger Reserve and National Park has a beautiful topography and it owes much to the beautiful Ken river flowing through the reserve. It works as a lifeline for the forest and the wildlife here as you can see in the image below. A pair of Nilgai, no jungle in India is complete without them! A male sambhar crossing the road. This is one of the favourite foods of big cats. Something I captured for the first time- a spotted deer making a mating call to his partner. Novices will often misjudge a deer's mating call as an alarm call for the tiger sighting....

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Two cubs on play at Panna – a photo essay

Upendra SwamiMay 3, 2016356 Views10

Tiger is a solitary animal, it likes to be alone in its territory along with his female partners. Often tigers get injured, many times fatally in territorial fights. Even two brothers will search for different territories once they are adult enough to hunt and feed for themselves and hence eventually their mother will leave them. As I mentioned in my last post (Read: Returning to the tiger in Panna) I was fortunate to watch two cubs on play. Mother was around but we couldn't see her as she was down in a nullah at a cooler place. Cubs don't look like cubs as they were almost more than a year old, but were still with their mother. We and the few other tourist vehicles located this family on a grassland right on the banks of the Ken river. Ken river flows through Panna Tiger reserve. So he

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Spot the tiger in this wild image!

Upendra SwamiApril 30, 20161871 Views6

However close you watch a tiger in a zoo, you won’t get that excitement. But you won’t be able to contain your anxiety on the thrill of watching a tiger in wild, in its own territory- however distant it might be. Am I wrong? You won’t say so, when you see satisfied faces coming out of tiger reserves after end of every safari, especially in India- home to most of the tigers in world in wild. Its different every time- the thrill, as I have felt in my all sightings of tiger in wild. This one was no different. So, can you spot the tiger in this photo below, taken on my very recent visit to Panna tiger reserve? Have a closer look- Tough, isn’t it? Spotting wild cats in the wild, especially the elusive ones, need a sharp pair of eyes and a powerful camera to shoot. But even a 400mm tel...

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On Lion Trail – A photo journey

Upendra SwamiOctober 29, 2015486 Views4

When it comes to big cats, undoubtedly they sway all the enthusiasm of tourists in their favour. Thats the reason that although forests themselves hold inherent beauty with all important fascinating wild life other than the cats, but when one goes to a sanctuary there is a single point motive of seeing a big cat in wild. If you don't see a big cat in a safari than you will hang your head in disappointment at the end. In this respect, we were fortunate enough to get a good sighting of an adult lioness within first half hour of our safari in GIR national park of Gujarat, only home to Asiatic lions in the world. This lioness was alone and perhaps looking for her cubs (thats what our guide Aasif said). But she remained around our vehicle for more than ten minutes, giving us an eyeful. Have ...

IndiaInternationalPromotions

Land of dreams on a digital mission

Upendra SwamiSeptember 16, 2015508 Views0

USA has always branded itself as a ‘land of dreams’ for travellers around the world. So much so that it even launched a music video ‘Land of Dreams’ by Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal to market itself in potential markets. Interestingly four years after the launch this song still continues to be best showcase for Discover America. But now the dreams are being disseminated digitally as well. At least, that’s what the fourth annual Brand USA mission to India promised. Starting this year, Brand USA, the agency that looks into the marketing and promotion of destination USA in international markets, will commence direct consumer campaigns in the Indian market. These campaigns will be more “digital” in character, with focus on young travellers and undoubtedly many of these campaigns w...