Waiting at the Rani Tal watchtower

Rani Tal, the queen's lake, is a shallow lake set in tall forest in the eastern part of the park. Reeds and grasses fringe the water, and in the cool months it fills with ducks and herons. A wooden watchtower near the shore gives a good platform over the water and the meadows around it. Few visitors reach it, so you may have the tower and the view to yourself. The drive in passes through tall sal forest where hornbills and woodpeckers are common.

This is an exercise in patience. Mugger crocodiles, recorded at Rani Tal by park surveys, haul out on the banks in winter sun. Spotted deer and swamp deer come to drink in the late afternoon, wild boar root in the mud, and on lucky evenings a leopard or tiger passes along the forest edge. As dusk falls, owls start calling, nightjars churr from the grass and the air fills with the sound of frogs from the reed beds.

We pair Rani Tal with an afternoon drive through the eastern forest and return to Mahendranagar after dark, with the park's permission. Bring a light jacket, mosquito repellent and something warm to drink; the tower is cool once the sun drops. Keep voices low in the tower and avoid bright clothing; animals at the water's edge are easily disturbed. Your guide will judge how long to stay depending on light and movement around the lake.