Sahyadri Tiger Reserve lies in the northern Western Ghats of southern Maharashtra, formed by combining the Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary across the Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts. Unlike the dry forests of central India, Sahyadri is a landscape of misty evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, plateaus, and deep river valleys fed by the Koyna and Warna rivers. A UNESCO-listed Western Ghats biodiversity stronghold, it shelters elusive tigers and leopards alongside remarkable endemic flora and fauna, appealing to travellers drawn to lush mountain wilderness rather than open savanna.
October to May, with the post-monsoon months of October to February at their most lush and scenic; the monsoon transforms the plateaus but access becomes limited by heavy rainfall.
The reserve spans the Chandoli (south) and Koyna (north) sections, explored on forest routes and plateau trails, with access more restricted than the open central Indian reserves due to the rugged Ghats terrain.
The nearest airports are Kolhapur and Pune, with Karad and Satara as the closest railheads. The reserve is reached by road from Satara or Karad through scenic Ghats country.
New shared safaris coming soon.
Bengal tiger, leopard, gaur, sloth bear, Indian giant squirrel, barking deer, and a wealth of Western Ghats endemics including hornbills, amphibians, and rare flora.
Forest jeep drives and guided nature and plateau treks that highlight the reserve's evergreen forests, waterfalls, and Western Ghats biodiversity.