At the end of December, Vijay Shah, the minister of Madhya Pradesh Forest in central India, announced a ground-breaking new aeronautical adventure in the region.
Home to the world-famous Bandhavgarh National Park, which is known for its large population of endangered royal Bengal tigers, the region has announced a brand-new attraction to delight tourists and visitors to the park – a hot air balloon safari that will offer guests the opportunity to encounter these majestic cats from the serene comfort of a hot air balloon basket.
It is hoped that this venture will increase national and international tourism to the region. Tours will be organised by the country’s first fully licensed hot air balloon operator and will, for security, be limited to a buffer zone in the park. This is a designated area of dense forest where a large population of tigers can be found. Passengers should also be able to catch a glimpse of sloths, leopards and other Indian flora and fauna that thrive in the buffer zone.
Sky safaris have already become popular among African safaris, but this venture will be the first sky safari of its kind in India. Minister Shah has already indicated a desire to expand tiger sky safaris to other parts of the country to give more regions the opportunity to showcase their fantastic wildlife from the skies.
Closer to home, you can set off on your own hot air balloon adventure. Whilst you may not be able to spot any wild tigers, you can still take in the landscape in the skies over Bath, Bristol and the south west.
