INTRODUCTION

Ratapani wildlife sanctuary is located in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. This rocky forest with aquatic environment is spread on Vindhya hills. UNESCO World Heritage site Bheembetka rock shelters is present in same forest thus this location is of pre-historic period. It is a forest with lakes, rock shelters, water falls, trekking trails and ideal habitat for tigers. Here tiger density is healthy thus during jungle safaris, we can expect to have tiger sighting and can do tiger photography. This forest area falls under highlands of Central India which covers some parts of Malwa region, Bundelkhand region and Eastern part of Satpura. Here forest type is tropical dry deciduous forest of category 5 and 3. While visiting this forest. we will notice its hot and sub humid climatic conditions with black and red soil thus in surrounding villages, we can notice the farming of wheat, mustard, lentiels etc.
 

HOW TO REACH

Reaching Ratapani wildlife sanctuary by Air

The nearest airport to Ratapani  forest is at Bhopal, which is 65 km away from this location. Airport at Bhopal is very well connected with major cities of India thus reaching Ratapani sanctuary is easy for tourists.

DISTANCE CHART
From	Distance (in Kms)
Bhopal to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	60
Sanchi to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	120
Satpura National Park (Madhai) to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	100
Ujjain to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	195
Omkareshwar to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	250
Pachmarhi to Ratapani wildlife sanctuary	200

Reaching Ratapani forest by Train/ Railways

For visiting Ratapani wildlife sanctuary by train is easily possible. It lies in between two major railway station options. One best option is Itarsi junction where trains from multiple direction comes and take halt thus it is considered as the best option for visiting Ratapani wildlife sanctuary. It has connectivity from all major cities and tourist destinations. Second best option is to consider Habibganj or Bhopal station. Due to state capital city, Bhopal has very good train connectivity and all major trains have their stoppage at this station.

Reaching Ratapani by Road

Ratapani forest lies in south of Bhopal city. It is just 60 kms from Bhopal and well connected by road. Other surrounding cities are like Indore, Betul, Hoshangabad, Vidisha etc. For visiting this forest, we recommend to use tourist cabs as its location is inside from state highway thus by bus, we can travel on state highway but for going inside area, we need support of some vehicle.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Content coming soon....

CLIMATE & WEATHER

Ratapani tiger reserve have moderate climate. Here Winter season starts from November to February during which morning temperature dips to 5°C and day temperature remains as 18°C. From April to June, we can experience the summer season when straight sunlight and heat waves poses challenge in safari drives. In peak summers i.e. May-June, temperature reaches 45°C level. With the end of June or beginning of July, monsoon clouds arrives and pours good rainfall. Monsoon season prevails from July to October. During this time, park remains closed for visitors and get prepared for new beginning. Here at Ratapani, you will experience significant difference in day and night temperatures. Due to straight sun-light effect, here day temperature raises swiftly and after sun-set and in early morning hours, we will experience cold. This difference is well experienced in morning safari drives when vehicle enters just before sunrise and exits after sunrise.

Months	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Minimum (°C)	05	12	18	24	30	30	25	23	22	22	18	10
Maximum(°C)	18	32	35	40	44	42	36	34	32	34	30	20

Above temperature chart of Ratapani wildlife sanctuary is based of past experience. Here we have gathered the average temperatures during each season so that user can get an rough idea.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Ratapani wildlife sanctuary is a versatile tourism destination. Here we not only do jungle safaris but can also enjoy boatride in lake, do nature walks, enjoy bird-watching etc. Thus tourism activities are possible throughout the year. Still major tourism movements has been observed from October to March. It is considered as the best time to visit Ratapani wildlife sanctuary. The major reasons responsible for high tourism are like ideal climatic condition, holiday dates, festivals and wildlife activities.

ACCOMMODATION

Ratapani forest is close to Bhopal city thus while staying at Bhopal hotels, we can undertake a visit to this wildlife sanctuary. If you want to stay close to this forest so that you can enjoy its wilderness and scenic beauty then Ratapani Jungle Lodge is ideal option for stay. Its location on the bank of lake is amazing thus tourists love to spend time here.

NEXT TO

Ratapani wildlife sanctuary forest lies in Raisen district, at south of Bhopal city. Its location is very helpful in tour planning eastern Madhya Pradesh in which we usually visit to Indore, Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandu. In this region, we will not find any popular tiger safari destination as all such tiger reserves are in southern Madhya Pradesh which is a long distance to cover by road.. Under such circumstances, Ratapani wildlife sanctuary is strong contender to claim as ideal tiger safari destination. Here tiger population is healthy thus easily clubbed with any tour plan. We can make tour plan with Ratapani wildlife sanctuary in which we can add surrounding destinations like Sanchi Stupas, Udayagiri caves, Pachmarhi hill station, Satpura national park, Ujjain, Indore, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar etc.