Set in the Maikal hills of Madhya Pradesh, across the Mandla and Balaghat districts, Kanha is one of India’s largest and most celebrated tiger reserves — sal and bamboo forests, open meadows and rolling grasslands that helped inspire Kipling’s The Jungle Book. It is also a conservation landmark: Kanha saved the hardground barasingha, or swamp deer, from extinction, and the species remains its proud emblem.
The park is open from 16 October to 30 June, with the core zones closed during the monsoon from July to 15 October. October to March is pleasant and green, ideal for general viewing and birding, while March to June is hotter but brings stronger tiger sightings as animals gather at water.
Four core zones — Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and Sarhi — each have their own gate and distinct character, with Mukki and Kanha especially favoured for tiger sightings. Buffer zones open around them.
Jabalpur airport is the usual gateway at around 160 km, roughly four hours away, with Nagpur about 270 km as an alternative. The nearest railheads are Jabalpur and Gondia, with a road transfer onward.
New shared safaris coming soon.
The reserve holds Bengal tiger, leopard, dhole (Indian wild dog), sloth bear and gaur, along with the rare hardground barasingha — Kanha's signature species — as well as chital, sambar and barking deer, and more than 300 bird species.
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris run with naturalists, and permits should be booked in advance. Kanha is one of the best-managed and most spacious reserves in central India.