Where Kanha and Bandhavgarh consist mainly of sal forest, Pench is mostly teak, making for a slightly different atmosphere and range of wildlife. Uniquely among the parks, it has a big lake at its heart. When the other water sources in the park dwindle over the summer, all you need to do is turn up here and a whole Noah’s Ark of animals might appear. Deer, antelope, gaur, nilgai, boar, hyena – not to mention Indian peafowl, junglefowl, vultures, kingfishers and egrets. Tiger sightings are also pretty good, though not as common as in Bandhavgarh, and you’ve a fair chance of spotting leopards or wild dogs, too.

One drawback of Pench (or a plus, depending on your point of view) is that it’s very accessible. Close to Nagpur in Maharashtra, it attracts a lot more domestic tourists than the other Madhya Pradesh's parks, making for a less than peaceful experience – especially on weekends and holidays. At one time there were even swan boat rides on the park’s central lake, which isn’t exactly the naturalist’s dream (thankfully, these are now a thing of the past).

If you’re looking for a more secluded experience, you might consider making the journey to Satpura – or you can simply head to the far side of Pench, where there are fewer lodges and more of a sense of local community.