India

Panna

Of all the national parks in India, Panna is one of our favourites. A varied landscape of deciduous forests and open grasslands, traversed by the Ken River and punctuated by rocky hills, plateaus, gorges and ravines — it’s beautiful, and yet still rarely visited, even though the World Heritage temples of Khajuraho are only half an hour’s drive away.

Back to all places in Mumbai & Central India

We suspect that most casual tourists skip Panna because it’s neither the most famous, nor the easiest to get to, nor does it offer the highest likelihood of the ever-desirable tiger sighting. A few decades ago, tigers had been poached virtually to extinction here, the local authorities ignoring the problem because they could make more money from the region’s diamond mines than from tourism. But the reintroduction of three tigers to the reserve in 2009 was a great success, and at the time of writing tiger sightings in Panna have actually been rather good. It’s thought that there are now over 40 tigers here, including some cubs, so it’s definitely possible to catch a glimpse.

Tiger sightings are far from the only delight India’s wildlife has to offer. At Panna, it’s about the whole experience, and you can trust us when we say it’s worth it. Staying in a beautiful safari lodge, heading out in a Jeep as the sun sets the morning mists alight – it’s about immersing yourself in the landscape. We’ve had some incredible sloth bear and leopard sightings here, but there are also wild dogs, langurs, nilgai, porcupines, crocodiles (both thin-snouted gharials and the chunkier marsh variety), plus several types of deer.

It’s in its bird life, however, that the park particularly excels. Great flocks of vultures fly on thermals in the morning, grey herons stalk fish in the river shallows, reddish-brown francolins hide in tall grasses, junglefowl scurry through scrubby undergrowth, and tiny, long-tailed Indian paradise flycatchers flit between trees. Among these are many species that are difficult to spot in other national parks, making Panna one of the best destinations in India for bird lovers.

Other destinations in this region

India

Ahmedabad

Gujarat’s biggest city has it all – including World Heritage status – plus a little extra Delhi doesn’t have: a bit of peace and quiet.

India

Aurangabad, Ajanta & Ellora

Known for their rock-cut temples built over a millennium, the caves of Ajanta & Ellora are among the greatest masterpieces of the ancient world.

India

Bandhavgarh

Smaller and busier than Madhya Pradesh's other national parks, Bandhavgarh is hilly, rugged, beautiful – and has the best rate of tiger sightings in India.

India

Bhopal

One of our favourite unsung cities, Bhopal’s lakeside setting, Islamic old town and history of feisty female rulers are just a few of its draws.

India

Bhuj

Mughal palaces and sunbaked desert are the backdrop to laid-back Bhuj, where old-fashioned workshops produce some of the finest textiles in the world.

India

Gwalior

Just a stone’s throw from the Golden Triangle, little-visited Gwalior boasts one of the most ostentatious palaces and the finest pre-Mughal fort in India.

India

Kanha

Kanha is absolutely magical. Covering a huge swathe of Madhya Pradesh's highlands with sal forest and grassy savanna, it’s one of our favourite national parks in India.

India

Khajuraho

A collection of World Heritage temples dating back over a thousand years, remarkable for being covered from top to toe in stunningly intricate carvings.

India

Little Rann of Kutch

A unique salt desert with diverse wildlife, engrossing local culture, and a history stretching back to the Indus Valley Civilisations.

India

Maheshwar

Stay at a converted fort with the descendants of a famous Maratha queen, and enjoy the magic of the Maheshwar countryside's ghats and riverside temples.