Pench National Park

Pench National Park sits in the rolling teak and mixed-deciduous forests of southern Madhya Pradesh, straddling the border into Maharashtra, and carries a particular weight for anyone who grew up with Kipling. This is the landscape that inspired *The Jungle Book*, and walking the park perimeter or sitting quietly at a waterhole at dusk, it is genuinely easy to understand why.

The forest feels ancient and layered — dense sal and teak canopy giving way to grassy meadows where spotted deer graze in loose, unhurried groups.

What sets Pench apart from the more crowded Bandhavgarh or Kanha circuits is its relative quietness and the diversity of predators beyond tigers. Indian wolves patrol the scrubby edges of the buffer zone, and if you are lucky — and patient — you may spot a pack of dholes, the Indian wild dog, moving through the understorey in that eerie, purposeful way they have.

Leopards are present but elusive, and sloth bears turn up more often than most visitors expect near the rocky outcrops in the south of the park.

Safari zones operate out of the Turia and Karmajhiri gates, with Seoni town to the north serving as the main gateway. Jeep safaris run morning and afternoon; permits are booked through the Madhya Pradesh forest department website and cost around 2,500–3,500 rupees per vehicle depending on zone. Book well ahead for the October to March peak season.

A decent zoom lens, neutral-coloured clothing, and layers for the cold pre-dawn starts will serve you well.

October through February offers the clearest skies and best wildlife visibility; avoid the July–September monsoon closure when the park gates shut entirely.