Wildlife Sanctuaries
Wildlife & Safari
Sanctuaries and conservation reserves, often quieter and cheaper than the parks next door.
8 places
Karnataka
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, set around the Bhadra reservoir near Chikmagalur in Karnataka's Western Ghats, is a lush tiger reserve known worldwide for a successful, voluntary relocation of villages that helped its wildlife rebound. Its forests shelter tigers, leopards, elephants, gaur and rich birdlife.
Kerala
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kerala's Idukki district near Marayoor and Munnar, is an unusual rain-shadow reserve of dry thorny scrub and deciduous forest, very different from Kerala's usual rainforests. It is known for the grizzled giant squirrel, star tortoise, elephants and a landscape dotted with sandalwood trees and ancient rock art.
Maharashtra
Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary
Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Gondia and Bhandara districts of eastern Maharashtra, is a compact, lake-dotted forest that forms part of the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Its teak and bamboo forests shelter tigers, leopards, gaur, wild dogs and abundant birdlife around scenic lakes.
Assam
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Morigaon district of Assam near Guwahati, is famed for having the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world. Its compact grasslands and wetlands are packed with rhinos and are also excellent for wild buffalo, leopards and migratory birds.
Maharashtra
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Western Ghats of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, is one of the region's oldest protected areas and is known for its population of the Indian gaur (bison). Part of a UNESCO-listed Western Ghats site, its dense forests, plateaus and the Radhanagari Dam support gaur, leopards, sloth bears and rich birdlife.
Karnataka
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, on islets in the Kaveri river near Srirangapatna and Mysuru, is the largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka. Its riverine islands host large breeding colonies of painted storks, pelicans, herons, ibises and cormorants, while marsh crocodiles bask along the banks, all easily seen on a short boat ride.
Rajasthan
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, in the Churu district of Rajasthan's Shekhawati region, is a flat, saline grassland famed for its graceful blackbuck herds and as one of India's finest hotspots for raptors and migratory birds. The open plains make wildlife watching exceptionally easy and rewarding.
Chilika & Rambha Coast
Nalabana Bird Sanctuary
A lagoon island that hosts huge flocks of migratory birds.