Tala is the best known core zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and the gate where most first visits begin. The zone covers the forests around the Bandhavgarh hill and its old fort, with sal forest, bamboo, meadows and water holes where tigers are often seen. Leopards, sloth bears, gaur, deer and many birds also live here.
Tala has the largest share of the core vehicle quota, 28 gypsies in the morning, but it is also the first zone to sell out. Book core permits on the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department portal, forest.mponline.gov.in. The core is open from 1 October to 30 June, with morning and afternoon shifts. Most lodges and resorts are in Tala village, a short drive from the gate, so it is the easiest place to stay for repeated drives.
- Address: Tala Gate, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
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