Sariska Tiger Reserve

Sariska Tiger Reserve is about 200 km south-west of Delhi via Alwar, a 4 to 4.5 hour drive along NH48 through Dharuhera and Rewari before turning off to Alwar and a further 35 km to the reserve gate; trains from Delhi reach Alwar in roughly 3 hours, with a taxi covering the last stretch. Only Forest Department gypsies and canters are permitted into the roughly 880 square kilometre core zone, and safari slots for the morning or afternoon session must be booked in advance through the Rajasthan Forest Department, since vehicle numbers per slot are capped; the morning safari, departing around sunrise, gives the best chance of sightings as temperatures are cooler and animals more active. Sariska was emptied of tigers by poaching in 2004 and repopulated by relocation from Ranthambore, so tiger sightings are possible but far from guaranteed; leopard, nilgai, sambar, hyena and a rich range of birdlife are commonly seen regardless. Within the reserve, the ruined tenth-century Neelkanth temple complex and the seventeenth-century Kankwari Fort, where Aurangzeb is said to have imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh, are worth the detour and can be combined with an afternoon safari circuit. Food options are limited to the resorts and dhabas around Sariska village near the gate, so lunch is typically taken there between the morning and afternoon safari slots if doing both. October to March is the main season, since the reserve normally closes to safari traffic during the monsoon months of July to September.