7-Day Tadoba & Umred Safari Travelogue: A WildTrails Team Member’s Journey
We began our journey from Bangalore in the early hours, catching a morning flight that had us landing in Nagpur by around 8 AM. After a hearty breakfast in the city, we set off in our pre-booked cab towards Umred’s Gothagaon Gate. The drive, taking roughly an hour and a half from our breakfast stop, was smooth and scenic, building up the excitement for the days ahead. Upon arrival, we checked into the cozy Tapanya Homestay — our comfortable base on the edge of the wilderness.
Day 1: Arrival at Tapanya Homestay at Umred Kharadhala Wildlife Sanctuary – Your Jungle Retreat Near Gothagaon, Umred
Our adventure began at Tapanya Homestay, a rustic yet charming accommodation nestled near the Gothagaon Gate in Umred. The air buzzed with anticipation as we prepared for our first safari Umred.
Gothagaon Gate Safari – A Majestic Start at 2:30 PM
We set off early for the 3:00 PM safari, reaching the gate by 2:30 PM. Just 20 minutes into the drive, magic unfolded.F2 tigress and her 5 cubs stepped onto the path ahead of us, her cubs nestled safely within the underbrush. The moment was surreal. We remained in the area until 7:00 PM, soaking in every rustle, every shadow, hoping to glimpse the hidden cubs again though they were scattered, and we couldn’t see all of them together or clearly. Still, we knew tomorrow would bring another chance.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
Day 2: A Morning to Remember – F2 Tigress with Five Cubs
Our day began before sunrise. By 4:30 AM, we were up and ready to catch nature waking up. As the safari gates opened at 5:30 AM, whispers of F2 tigress and her 5 cubs filled the air. We made a beeline for the location, about a 30-minute drive inside the forest.
And then we saw them.
A majestic F2 tigress with her five playful cubs, lounging barely meters away from our jeep. The little ones wrestled, pounced, and played, turning the forest floor into their playground. Cameras clicked, but the memory etched itself deeper than any photograph. After a while, they melted into the jungle, leaving behind stunned silence and awestruck Smiles.
We were lucky to witness the iconic moment of a mother tigress teaching her cubs the art of hunting. This time, their target was a wild boar. The mother could have easily overpowered it, but she stepped back, giving her cubs the chance to try. The hunt didn’t succeed, but it was a valuable lesson — one I’m sure the cubs will carry into their future hunts.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
Day 2 Afternoon: Sirkada Safari Begins
Post-Morning safari at Umred and post Lunch, we journeyed from Umred to Kolara, a scenic two-hour drive that passed in eager anticipation. Our destination was the Sirkada Zone, located about 20–25 minutes from Kolara Gate and approx 2.5 hours from Umred. The forest here felt different — dense, mysterious, and teeming with promise.
We went straight into the safari even without checking into our hotel and did the afternoon safari – beautiful forest but missed all the tigers. After the Safari, we went straight into our hotel in Manas Jungle Retreat at Kolara, an ideal base camp for exploring Tadoba’s vibrant zones.
Day 3: Deep Into the Wild – Sirkada & Alizanza Buffer Safari
Our day began in Sirkada, a zone home to some of Tadoba’s most iconic tiger families: Hina & Cubs, Rani & Cubs, and the elusive Veerappan. Each name carries stories, legacies, and excitement. We were mainly wanting to sight & photograph Rani & her cubs but later learnt that the tigress had made a kill outside the tourism zone and had taken her cubs there and there ends our journey into Sirkada and both unfortunately were dry,
In the afternoon, we ventured into Alizanza Buffer, roughly 20 minutes from Kolara. Alizanza connects with Nimdela and Navegaon Buffer, creating a vast landscape bustling with movement. The network also includes zones like Jharni, Babli, Chanda,Chandani, Chhota Matka, and Naintara. Stories of the Nagzira female and Veer Bhadra sightings are legendary here.
We opted for a half-day safari starting at 12:00 PM and ending at 7:15 PM. It offered an immersive experience, letting us truly understand the pulse of the buffer zone. We got to see Chandha tigress resting in a pond and we also got a glimpse of Chota Matka (which is injured in a territorial fight where it killed the other male tiger but this got badly injured and is taken care by the department for now)
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
Day 4: Alizanza to Madnapur to Moharli – Following the Wild Trail
The next morning took us back to Alizanza, where we were greeted by the magnificent Babli tigress. Not long after, we also sighted the graceful Chanda tigress.
Madnapur Gate, just 20 minutes from Kolara.
Here, we tracked Junabha’s and her two cubs, a thrilling experience that kept us on the edge of our seats.The cubs are big and have become bold and they came out and gave us a great photographic opportunity and they did while their mother was away.
Later in the evening, we checked out of the hotel and we drove to Moharli Gate, a two-hour journey that unfolded like a scenic safari in itself. We checked into Tadoba Van Vilas, our gateway to one of Tadoba’s most iconic core zones.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
Day 5: Moharli Gate Safari Adventures Begin
With new energy and fresh surroundings, our journey at Moharli began. Surrounded by Tadoba’s ancient wilderness, this phase promised more stories, more sightings, and deeper connections with nature. We could sight colorwali but her cubs eluded thai time.
In the afternoon, we embarked on a half-day safari through the Moharli buffer zone, covering Junona, Devada, and Agarzari. And what a safari it turned out to be! We were treated to the sight of the magnificent and powerful Shambhu, a dominant male tiger, who had taken down a massive gaur earlier that morning. The entire day was spent observing him — lounging in the water, resting in the shade, returning to his kill to feast to his heart’s content, and even attempting to drag the enormous carcass as far as his strength would allow.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
We ended the day on a high, with incredible sightings and unforgettable moments of natural history beautifully captured. As the sun set, we returned to the hotel for a hearty dinner, some much-needed rest, and the plan to be up again at 4 AM for yet another day of adventure.
Day 6 : All day in the Junona-Dewada-Agarzari buffer
We spent the entire day exploring the Junona buffer — starting with a morning safari, followed by a mid-day drive, and wrapping up with the afternoon safari. Luck was on our side as we saw Shambhu with his kill, almost finishing it off, and later spotted Choti Madhu with her cubs — a familiar sight from our January 2025 visit. By afternoon, heavy rain poured down, adding a dramatic touch to the day. After such an eventful experience, we returned to the hotel, enjoyed a hearty dinner, and called it a night — ready for another 4 AM wake-up and a fresh day in the wild!
Day 7 : From Moharli’s Morning Majesty to Umred’s Cub Playground
We woke up at 4 AM, got ready, and set off for the Moharli core zone. The safari was absolutely beautiful, highlighted by a sighting of the C7 tigress (daughter of Sonam tigress) — gracefully walking away through a lush green backdrop, only to pause and give us that unforgettable look over her shoulder.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
After returning to the hotel for lunch and checking out, we made the 2.5-hour drive back to Umred for one final safari. As luck would have it, we heard the exciting news that F2 and her five cubs had made a kill earlier that morning and were now relaxing by a waterhole. We spent our last safari watching the cubs play, pester their mother, nap in the cool water, and then resume their playful antics.
As our safari time came to an end, we bid farewell to Umred and wrapped up our incredible seven-day adventure across Umred and Tadoba. From there, we headed straight to Nagpur Airport to catch our 10:20 PM flight back to Bangalore — carrying with us memories that will last a lifetime.
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
👉 Click here to check out our amazing safari sightings on Instagram!
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