Ranthambore Tiger Zones

(Foolishly perhaps....) I am looking at booking online for Ranthambore safari. I understand that wild animals probably don't take a lot of notice of zones, but (recently) which zones are getting more sightings?
I also read that if you book Zone 3, it doesn't mean your vehicle will go into Zone 3. It may be another. Is that correct? I can get gypsy seats on my dates for Zones 7,8,9. Would taking one of those mean I could get the preferred zones 1-5, or just 6-10?
(and then I have to try and actually book it....)

(Foolishly perhaps....) I am looking at booking online for Ranthambore safari. I understand that wild animals probably don't take a lot of notice of zones, but (recently) which zones are getting more sightings?

The park has 10 zones. Zones 1-5 are in the core area, while the remaining zones 6-10 are in the surrounding buffer area. Tiger sightings in the buffer zones are usually rarer than in the core zones, although the conventional wisdom is that they have improved a lot in recent years as the increasing tiger population has spread out across the zones. I read a couple of reports of 'good' sightings in zone 6 throughout 2018.

I also read that if you book Zone 3, it doesn't mean your vehicle will go into Zone 3. It may be another. Is that correct?

Yes - inasmuch as the safari zones are allocated "randomly" to the Jeeps and Canters by the forest officials (supposedly) using a computer generated allocation prior to entry to the park to manage the number of vehicles in each zone.

I can get gypsy seats on my dates for Zones 7,8,9. Would taking one of those mean I could get the preferred zones 1-5, or just 6-10?

My understanding is that if you book in the buffer, you will get the buffer. Very unlikely that you would be 'upgraded' to the core zone.

The two exceptions to all of this are:

1) paying an additional 10,000 INR per jeep / per safari might ensure you are allocated the core zone.

2) the recently introduced half-day and full-day safaris are regarded as 'access all areas'.

Thanks. I gave up. Booking through a hotel.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.