The Permit System Will Confuse You the First Time
Every national park in India divides its core zone into numbered safari zones, and each zone has a fixed daily quota of jeeps. Ranthambore, for instance, has six zones in its core area. Zones 1, 2, and 3 sit closer to the lakes where tigers are frequently sighted. Zones 4, 5, and 6 are denser forest with fewer sightings but more leopard and sloth bear activity. The Forest Department releases permits through the government portal (forestdepartment.rajasthan.gov.in for Ranthambore; each state has its own), and peak-season slots, October through March, disappear within minutes of going live, often 90 to 120 days in advance.
