20/12/2025
The Jungle of Ranthambore 🐅🌿
What was meant to be a 4-day Jaipur–Ranthambore trip had to be downgraded to a weekend escape, thanks to office commitments. So the plan became simple — just Ranthambore, and make the most of it.
We traveled from Mumbai to Sawai Madhopur by August Kranti Rajdhani, with hi-tea and dinner covered in the ticket — a smooth and comfortable start. Since hotel check-in was only at 2 PM, we booked a retiring room to freshen up before heading to our resort.
Our stay was at The Earth, a lavish resort that truly impressed us with its food and hospitality. The menu celebrated local Rajasthani flavors — ker sangri, gatte ki sabzi, daal baati churma, Jodhpuri chicken and laal maas. While daal baati wasn’t a hit with everyone, the preparations were absolutely lip-smacking.
We stayed in the Tejas category rooms, featuring open-to-sky bathrooms — luxurious and thoughtfully designed. The resort also had a large lawn, swimming pool, indoor games (carrom, table tennis, foosball, chausat) and a souvenir shop (though slightly overpriced and underwhelming).
Our safari was booked well in advance through the government website, which helped us save a good amount. We chose a Canter to ensure Zone 3 access, as Gypsy confirmations were uncertain.
👉 Did we spot the tiger? Yes.
Not just that — we witnessed a tiger hunting wild boars. Ironically, I could only see it through the camera lens while my friends spotted it with their naked eyes. So yes… lucky, but not that lucky 😄
Returned to our resort - TheEarth Resorts, Evenings were freezing cold, but the resort arranged local folk dance performances with multiple campfires. Sitting under a starlit sky, warmed by fire and music, was magical. Later, music at the amphitheatre turned into a full Punjabi playlist takeover — campfire, laughter, and hours of fun before finally calling it a night.
The next morning, we checked out and headed to the Women Handicraft Village for local shopping — great finds and authentic souvenirs for family back home. Our cab driver then took us to a local eatery where we had the best daal baati churma of our lives — started with one plate, ended at four.
By evening, we boarded the August Kranti Rajdhani, and by Monday 9 AM, we were back in Mumbai — tired, happy, and full of memories.
Travel tip: When in Ranthambore, don’t miss the Indian guavas — incredibly sweet and juicy. I packed a few kilos for my family too.
