Indian Adventure 9

This year, WILDFOOT’s Simon took part in an Indian adventure. He documented his journey throughout for you to read on the WILDFOOT blog. In his latest update, Simon spends the day at the Keoladeo Ghana National Park.

Part 9

After spending the night in Agra to see the Taj and the Red Fort, we travel by road to Bharatpur, where I took the train to Ranthambore. We stop at the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. The Park attracts a huge amount of UK and worldwide birders every year, so I am keen to get inside and explore for myself.

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After a short journey to the National Park, we meet our birding guides, who spoke very good English on the whole. If you are a keen birder, this activity is a must – even more so if you have two or three days to spare. The park is open throughout the year, including during the monsoon season, while the peak breeding period is between August and October.

I was particularly interested in finding out more about the Siberian crane, but unfortunately, the last sighting of this species in India was in the winter of 2002. The migratory paths for this species included Afghanistan, where it is thought that these birds will have been hunted. As well as that, Keoladeo Park has experienced terrible droughts in the recent years, and it is thought that this was another factor as to why the birds chose not to return.

On a more positive note, you will find around 350 species of bird at Keoladeo and if you are a keen birder, the WILDFOOT team recommends that you enjoy at least a two-night stay here to take in everything on offer. There are many routes within the park, including boat trips around the shallow lake that takes up over a third of the 27 square kilometres of the park.

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The park is open from 6am to 6pm, and it is very easy to hire a good guide at the entrance of the park. Of course, on my journey, a guided tour was organised by WILDFOOT for my convenience, which made the outing all the more enjoyable.

In the next instalment of Simon’s travels, he will spend a night in a hotel close to Keoladeo Ghana National Park, and then begin his journey to Ranthambore by train. To find out more about taking part in your own Indian adventure, get in touch with the WILDFOOT team today.