Bandhavgarh is situated in the confluence of Vindhya Range and Satpura Range. This region is called Maikal Hills where Achankmar in Amarkantak Hills and Kanha National Park near Mandla all Tiger havens converge here. This region constitutes onne of the finest tiger landscapes in India.

his incidentally is where River Narmada originates besides Son. Son moves towards the Ganges basin and merges into the Ganges River. Narmada traverses almost seven hundred kilometres to merge into the Arabian Ocean at Bharuch in Gujarat.

Throughout its journey Narmada flow in between amazing geological formation the Forest Clad Hills and valleys and some magnificent gorges like at Bhedaghat in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Once lifeline of contiguous forests Narmada and its tributaries now inundate fragmented forests in the Highlands of Central India. Hill Resort Pachmarhi and Satpura Tiger Reserve too are part of these magnificent hill ranges and home to the big cats as well. The forest clad hills make Madhya Pradesh the most forested in India and is referred as the Tiger State.     

These highlands once perfect ecosystems teeming with wildlife have been vividly described by Capt Forsyth in his book named “Highlands Of Central India”. He was a pioneer in discovering many geological formations and wilderness that prevail during his time. Much still remains fragment but well preserved. Bandhavgarh, Achanakmar, Kanha and Pench are the prime tiger reserves that have been turned into protected areas for tiger conservation. Pench and Kanha once contiguous were the settings for Kipling’s Jungle Book a story of Mowgli the wolf child. This is a wonderful tale woven by Kipling creating a classic using both facts and fiction.  

The majestic animals still roam in the reserves albeit in reduce number and the panoramic features described by Forsyth can still be witnessed here albeit in bits and pieces. Mush subjected to biotic and abiotic pressures the reserves are holding grounds thanks to the  management and the conservative initiatives supported by Madhya Pradesh And Central Governments under the aegis of Project Tiger Program. 

Tigers are the prime attraction and the keystone species of these realms. Their numbers after years of depredation are thankfully increasing year by year. This is attracting lot of wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and filmmakers to visit the reserves on safari and expeditions. Holiday makers make a bee line for these destinations in Central India for safari holidays. The main attraction is the tiger but the biodiversity supports enchanting mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. The floral diversity to is extravagant with amazing botanical evolution and tall stands of Sal and Teak are the main hard wood. The mixed forest species and bamboo abound intermixed with the hard wood, shrubs and herbs. 

Thus Central Indian Highlands are the focus of Big Cat Tours in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The popular reserves are Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench and Satpura. These tour can be extended further to other reserves near and far.