Morning jeep drive in the Central range

The Central range is entered at Kohora, a few minutes from Diphlu River Lodge. After the formalities at the gate, the jeep follows a circuit of dirt tracks through tall grass and past several large beels, with watchtowers where you can stop and scan. In the early morning, mist lies over the water and rhinos appear from it, grazing slowly towards the tracks.

Your naturalist reads the signs: fresh dung, pugmarks, alarm calls from deer, and the movement of birds over the grass. Wild buffalo with heavy swept-back horns stand in the shallows, swamp deer gather in herds, and elephants cross the tracks in family groups. Tigers live here in good numbers but are rarely seen in such dense cover; tracks are common.

We book the first jeep slot and private vehicles, so you can stop as long as you like at a sighting. Drives last about two to three hours on track. Most guests do two drives on their first full day and one on the second, choosing ranges by the latest sightings and the light.