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.