Satpura
National Park
Satpura is among the quietest and least visited national parks in Central India, a strikingly beautiful area that offers a true wilderness adventure.
Satpura National Park Safaris
Satpura is the first national park to offer a full safari experience in India. As well as the usual game drives by jeep it’s also possible to make a walking safari, discover aquatic life by kayak and boat, or walk with elephants and take cover in a nocturnal hide. There’s even the opportunity to spend more time with the domesticated pachyderms.
Taking its name from the Satpura Hills range, it covers an area of 524km² and, along with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi Sanctuaries, provides a total 1427 km² of unique Central Indian Highland ecosystem packed with wildlife.
It’s a striking and beautiful place to spend several days or more, with rugged hills clad in dense forests of teak and sal, criss-crossed by streams and steep-sided nullahs – seasonal watercourses gouged by the monsoons – and broad meadows beside the vast Tawa Reservoir.
However, Satpura is not the best place in India to see tigers, which is probably why it is among the quietest and least visited national parks. There’s only a limited number of lodges outside the park and vehicles within it.
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- Strike out on a walking safari
- Enjoy a traditional safari experience
- Take in the rugged hills of Satpura
- Combine Satpura with Tadoba for tiger fix
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Best Time To Visit Satpura National Park
Satpura National Park is open to visitors from mid October until the end of June and animal sightings are highest in the last few months of this period.
Unfortunately most western travellers find the heat (40 – 50’C) in May and June too much to bear, particularly if you are striking out on a walking safari. April makes a good compromise. The park closes during the monsoon rains of July to September.
The winter months from November to February are the most comfortable time to visit Satpura, with pleasant midday temperatures, but it can still be very cold first thing in the morning and at night so layers of clothing, including a coat are needed.
Best Time To Visit Satpura National Park
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Top experiences in Satpura National Park
Walking safari in Satpura National Park
Explore dense jungle on foot with an experienced naturalist in Satpura National Park, the only national park in India where you can make a walking safari.
Discover MoreOur Favourite Camps & Lodges
The ideal place for nature lovers, Forsyth’s is an environmentally friendly lodge set within 44 acres of rehabilitated jungle.
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Reni Pani is a small lodge is superb for wildlife enthusiasts and avid conservationists. Located in the buffer zone of Satpura Tiger Reserve.
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Denwa Backwater Escape is a small intimate lodge on the banks of the dammed Denwa River on the edge of Satpura National Park.
Learn MoreSatpura National Park (FAQS) NEED TO KNOW
Is Satpura National Park a good place to see wildlife?
Satpura is an amazing place to enjoy Indian wildlife at a leisurely pace, but if it’s only guaranteed tiger sightings you are after you should head elsewhere. Sloth bears are commonly seen here – sometimes drunk on the fallen fermenting flowers of the mahua tree, and this is also a good place for seeing leopard, packs of wild dog and jackal, as well as Giant Malabar squirrel, and mugger crocodile on the banks of the lake. The birding in the national park and the surrounding area is superb.
What is the best way to explore Satpura National Park?
The only way into the park is to cross the Denwa River. The atmosphere at Satpura is relaxed and there’s a peace in which to explore. Vehicles are limited to just a dozen at any one time, and, unusually for India, there’s also the option to explore on foot, by boat and canoe. Night safaris can also be embarked upon in the ‘buffer zone’ immediately surrounding the park.
What is the accommodation like at Satpura National Park?
There are just a few places to stay at Satpura and the small comfortable lodges are run by avid conservationists. All have made huge efforts to work with the local authorities to offer a genuine safari experience in India; it should be on the must visit list of every nature and wildlife enthusiast. We work with a couple of small lodges with excellent naturalists and using a mixture of ways to get around together you can track wildlife through a variety of habitats.
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Into The Wild Brochure
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A print anthology of safari and wilderness travel with over 220 pages of travel inspiration.