Ranthambore Tiger Reserve Private Gypsy Safari All inclusive

Let's be clear on what this is: This is a booking service from a local who understands what park zones are likely to have tigers. You are paying him to essentially log into the park booking site 30 days before your safari when they become available and try to grab the best slots for you. They fill up super fast, so having someone who knows what they are doing is paramount. I had my heart set on private jeep safaris for just my family of four -not wanting to be in a canter with 20 people in an open air bus. I paid for three safaris and the owner contacted me a few days before alerting me to be ready 30-days out to coordinate what tours would be best. 30-days out he was logged in right when the slots opened up, but said that due to the volume of people private safaris weren't available in the best tiger zones... he told me: I CAN book you a private safari, but it would be better for you to do a canter (group) safari into a zone where you are highly likely to see a tiger. I took his advice and he booked us into two group safaris and one private safari. Taking his advice we saw 5 different tigers -all on the group safaris in zones 3 and 4. He immediately refunded the difference in the price of the group vs. private safari bookings. Our private safari was in zone 10, and while we didn't see a tiger, the terrain in zone 10 is very different and pleasant, though the entrance to that zone is much farther away. I will also share that there are obvious plus and minuses for the canter vs. private jeep -the canters sit higher up and so you might have a better view. Regardless, if you find a tiger it will quickly have many vehicles around it and so being in a lower jeep can also mean you can't see around the canter. The transfers from the hotel to the entrance to the park were on time and communication was very good, with the owner communicating the driver's car info and local contact phone as well as specific pickup time. Very, very happy with this service!

Very busy facility but the pull of seeing tigers in the wild was enough to get us here. Lots of jeeps and larger 20 people holding open buses in a frenzy of getting into park to start with. Very dusty and cool in the morning for our first (of two tours) so would recommend taking a scarf to cover nose and mouth and also a fleece or warmer top until the sun came up. Afternoon tour you needed sun cream and fans as we sat for over an hour at one times watching this blob about 200 meters away that was a tiger sitting by a pool to see if it moved or not. The most we saw of said tiger was his head or ear (with binoculars). Lots of sections in park and apparently section 3 and 4 are the best ones for sitings. Guides quite good and informative. Lots of other wildlife to see including lots of diferent deer and antelope, wart hogs, monkeys, birds, the odd crocodile and mongoose, owls etc. You need to be patient and hope to see tiger. We heard lots of stories about tigers coming up to vehicles but not on our trip. We were lucky to see them however but you needed to be quick and have a bit of imagination. Guides do try to get you close if they see a tiger but the pictures that are shown promoting the reserve sort of lead you to believe that seeing tigers close up is a common occurrence. It isn't! We were glad that we only had 2 tours as some folk on our bus had been going for three days and hardly saw , and in some cases didn't see, a tiger so it is in the lap of the gods if you are lucky. The reserve is very controlled and we had to take our passports with us and get checked in as it were. There are toilet facilities at entrance of reserve but these are not well maintained but useable enough. Take your hand gel with you. Would we go again?? Unlikely. We did however have an incredible experience whilst in India with a visit to an elephant charity (Elefantsatic near Jaipur) where we got up close and personal to a rescued elephant and were able to stroke her and feed her and paint her, then give her a shower! It was AMAZING and perhaps the highlight of our whole tour. This beautiful beast was clam and all knowing and such a privilege to be so close to.

I actually booked two trips with this operator on different days. About a month before, they got in touch and explained there is some kind of lottery system in place for each zone in the park and that they had only been allocated trips in zones 6-10. They suggested I keep zone 6 in the Gypsy for one day and cancel the other trip and rebook it as a 'cantor' which is a 20 seat bus. So we did this and got one in zone 3. They refuned us the difference in price. The trips, both in the cantor and the Gypsy were great for what they were, and we did see lots of interesting wildlife and even caught a glimpse of a tiger disappearing into the bushes near the entrance to the park on the first trip, but we didn't ever get to see a full on view of a tiger sunning itself or hanging around a waterhole. According to the guides, they get to see a tiger about once a week, so your chances of actually seeing one yourself on any single trip are quite slim unless you want to go on a lot of outings. I can't say I regret having taken the trip. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly and we did see some interesting wildlife, but I got the impression that it was all a bit formulaic: Drive about a bit, oh there is a spotted dear, then stop and listen, drive about a bit some more, oh look there is a snake eagle, drive about a bit and exchange some banter with another guide and then all go home and start again this afternoon or tomorrow morning. None of this is a criticism of this operater who actually did a great job. They kept in touch via whatsapp and let me know which vehicle I was going to be joining and when they were going to turn up. It's rather a warning of what to expect. One final warning: early morning safaris in winter are _cold_. Make sure you have a wind-proof jacket and a warm hat and gloves. You won't need them by 11 o'clock but at 6:30 am, they are essential!

We found Laxman on TripAdvisor and it was the best decision for our travels. He organized our drivers, got us entrance for the safaris, and made sure our experience was extraordinary. His agency is efficient, punctual and always available for questions, requests, etc.

Very nice guides and great safari. Saw lots of animals including a tiger. Would do it again. Nice to have a small Gypsy car to get around to the smaller places.

Chilly early morning gave way a beautiful sunrise. No luck, but our driver and guide did a good job searching for tigers.

Many tourists we met were scammed when purchasing their tiger safari tickets. Laxman was very transparent and communicative. We saw 2 tigers and did 3 safaris. Definitely recommend.

Professional communication via WhatsApp. Selection from a very good guide and driver. Organisation of an extra driver to pick us up from the hotel was also at a fair price. Around absolutely recommended. And last but not least: we saw a Tiger Lady and our guide knew exactly where he was running along so he walked right in front of us. A fantastic experience!

Very well arranged tour! Had a seemless trip with an excellent trip to Ranthambor Tiger reserve. We were lucky to have great sighting of the big cat. Not one but 4 .

Great! Excellent rugged inaccessible to canters. Beautiful vistas and dry river beds. Lots of deer. Hilarious guide. Overall great experience. Would recommend. Thanks for everything. Pick up at hotel was much appreciated.