For Booking Ranthambore Safari, Rajasthan's New Fool-Proof Website

Booking a safari to Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve just got easier with the launch of the forest department's new website for Ranthambore -- forestrajasthan.com. The Forest Department had been receiving regular complaints about the earlier booking system, which made it next to impossible for visitors to book a safari.

Under the new website " forestrajasthan.com" guests have to upload their full ID documents -- like a voter ID and driving license or Aadhaar card and PAN card -- for verification. This will weed out people booking with bogs IDs, which was hampering the earlier system from working efficiently.

For foreign nationals a passport must be uploaded. 

Safari bookings will then be issued in the name of the person which will be checked at the time of entry to the forest.

The earlier website had many problems. Visitors complained that as soon as the booking would open it would get flooded by bogus bookings. Tourists and hoteliers then had no choice but to go to agents or touts to get a ride in the forest or book for clients staying with them.

The site also allowed the use of unrelated IDs for entry. Limitations of one ID per day in some cases also made it difficult for hotels to book their guests a safari.

Balendu Singh, a hotelier and a conservationist from Ranthambore, said: "There was no transparency in the earlier system. For a resident of Ranthambore like me, it was impossible for me to get a booking myself. Certain people would block all the bookings. I don't know how they did it, but if I wanted to organise a drive for my guests I would then have to go to these agents to book a vehicle for the forest."

These people, he said, would sometimes charge upto Rs 1000 extra for the booking as a commission. 

Also, most people couldn't manage on their own because the earlier system was too complicated. "You had to go to the Forest Department website, then navigate to booking a safari, create an ID... it was too complicated and lengthy. We welcome this new website which will facilitate genuine visitors to enter the forest hassle free," he added.

Last-minute travellers had it worst. 75 per cent of tickets or more would be sold online creating a crunch situation. 

The Chief Conservator of the forest, Arijit Banerjee, told NDTV that the new system will ensure higher degree of transparency and efficiency. It also keeps up with technical practices globally. 

As of now, the new website has been launched for the Ranthambore Tiger reserve alone. But from October 1, the Forest Department hopes to make bookings easier for safaris to all parks in Rajasthan in a similar manner. 

With more than 70 tigers and strategically placed water holes in a dry deciduous forest, the Ranthambore National Park has reported some of the best tiger sightings in the country.

The sparse undergrowth -- especially during the dry season -- makes it an excellent reserve to spot tigers and that's one reason why Ranthambore is so popular.

Located close to Delhi, it is a popular weekend destination for travellers from the national capital.