Low-cost safari at Tadoba in open-top bus soon

Chandrapur: Soon, you will be able to take a safari inside Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve for as low as Rs 300. Tadoba authorities have offered a bonanza to tourists on World Wildlife Day. The long-awaited bus meant for an economical safari inside the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has finally arrived. Three more similar buses will join the fleet with fortnight.
A single Gypsy safari in Tadoba costs a minimum of Rs4,100 on weekdays and Rs4,600 on holidays and weekends. The park management was considering providing a low-cost alternative in the form of buses since 2013.
“These 22-seater buses would initially run from Moharli gate and tourists would be able to enjoy low-cost safari through them,” said CCF and field director, TATR, GP Garad. He said RTO registration and other related formalities of the bus will be completed on Wednesday and it will be pressed into the tourist services in a couple of days.
This initiative is meant to facilitate low cost tourism in TATR. With rates of safari in open Gipsy scaling high, open top canter bus will offer economical alternative to the tourists. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has provided grants of Rs 59 lakh to TATR for purchase of four canter buses.
A mini bus already plies for safari inside TATR. A ride in mini bus through Tadoba costs Rs 150 per seat during week days and Rs 200 per seat on holidays and weekend. With these buses joining the fleet, this mini bus is likely ply henceforth from Kolara gate of TATR. “We have calculated per seat fare of safari in the bus to Rs300 during the weekdays and Rs400 on holidays and weekends. These buses would be taken for safari only after half the seats (i.e. 11 seats) are booked. Seats in these buses would be offered through spot booking at first come first serve basis,” Garad told. He claimed that entire bus could be offered for bulk booking in coming days depending upon the response from the tourists.