After two safaris in a single day, we had earned a slightly gentler start to Day 3. This was our third and final safari of the trip. Read about our Somnath Buffer Zone safari → Somnath Safari and our Navegaon Ramdegi safari → Navegaon Ramdegi Safari

We had deliberately chosen Palasgaon Gate for our final safari — and the biggest reason was simple. It is just 10 minutes from our resort. No 4:15 AM departures, no hour-long drives in the dark. We could wake up at a relatively civilised 4:45 AM and still make the 5:30 AM start with time to spare.

Small wins matter on a wildlife trip.

A Quieter Morning Start

We were up, freshened, and ready with time to spare. The resort had packed us breakfast again — this time Methi Parathas and juice, a welcome change from the previous mornings. We left the resort at around 5:00 AM and reached Palasgaon Gate by 5:15 AM.

One thing we noticed immediately at this gate was the safari vehicle — it was covered from the top, unlike the fully open jeeps we had used at Somnath and Navegaon. A small difference, but worth knowing if you’re travelling with young children or are particular about sun and wind exposure.

Tickets checked, vehicle assigned. We entered the forest at 5:30 AM sharp.

Ramtara Lake — The First Surprise

Within five minutes of entering the forest, the trees opened up and we found ourselves at the edge of a large, beautiful lake.

This is Ramtara Lake — and if you’ve done your research on Palasgaon Gate, you may have noticed that it doesn’t show up on Google Maps. We looked for it ourselves and couldn’t find it listed anywhere. But it is very much real, and it is stunning.

The sunrise over the lake that morning was the kind of thing you don’t forget. The water was still, birds were already active along the banks, and the light was the particular gold that only exists for the first twenty minutes after dawn. For a family that had spent the previous morning racing through bamboo forests before daybreak, this felt like a completely different kind of safari.

There’s also a practical reason Ramtara Lake matters: it’s the reason Palasgaon Gate is the only buffer zone gate that closes during the monsoon season. When the rains arrive, the lake overflows and the access tracks become unpassable. If you’re planning a Tadoba trip between July and October, this is the one gate to avoid.

The Peacock That Didn’t Impress

As we drove around the edge of the lake, we spotted a few deer on the far bank. And then, around a bend in the track, we came across a sight that stopped everyone in the vehicle.

A peacock had spread his feathers into a full display — that enormous, iridescent fan of colour that you’ve seen in photographs but somehow still takes your breath away when you see it in the wild. He was dancing, turning slowly, doing everything a peacock is supposed to do when he wants to impress a mate.

The peahen, standing a few feet away, looked comprehensively unimpressed. She watched him for a moment and then walked past.

We kept our distance so as not to disturb him. The peacock, for his part, continued dancing regardless. We can respect the commitment.

Following Veera’s Footprints

A little further along, our guide spotted something on the track and signalled the driver to stop.

Tiger footprints. Fresh ones, leading along the path ahead.

We followed them slowly, the guide reading the trail with the practiced ease of someone who has done this hundreds of times. The prints eventually veered off the main track and into a restricted path — one of the firebreak lines that the forest department maintains specifically to contain and control forest fires. These narrow corridors of cleared land act as barriers between sections of forest, stopping fires from spreading. Safari vehicles are not permitted to enter them.

One vehicle was already parked at the edge of the path, waiting. We joined them. For the next hour, we explored the surrounding area, looking for any sign of the animal. Nothing.

Then the forest department’s own vehicle came through the firebreak. They had found the animal — and after observing for 15 to 20 minutes, they cleared vehicles to enter one by one, with strict instructions to keep a significant distance.

We were first in.

Veera

The tigress was resting under a tree, deep in the dappled light of the dry forest. She was far — very far. I zoomed my camera to its maximum and still struggled to pick her out. She was perfectly camouflaged against the pale, parched landscape of the summer forest. Only her stripes gave her away, and even those you had to search for.

We could see her back. No movement, no face, just the slow, unmistakable outline of a large animal at complete rest.

Our guide told us her name — Veera, a female tigress. She had given birth to two cubs just two to three months earlier. Her cubs, still too young and too hidden to be spotted that morning, were somewhere nearby in the thick cover.

It was a sighting, and we were grateful for it. But it was also honest — distant, partial, and on her terms entirely. That is the nature of the wild.

After a few minutes, our guide suggested we explore the rest of the forest and return later in case Veera moved toward the lake. We agreed and headed deeper in.

The Unexpected Gift — Sloth Bears

We drove through thick bamboo forest for a while before reaching another pond. Our guide had quietly noted we were now in the territory of Joga Moga, a resident male tiger of this zone. We scanned the water’s edge and the surrounding treeline.

No tiger.

But on the far bank of the pond, partially visible through the undergrowth, were two sloth bears.

They spotted us at almost exactly the same moment we spotted them. Within seconds, both had turned and disappeared into the bamboo, moving with a speed that felt incongruous with their shaggy, lumbering appearance.

Our guide smiled. “Seeing a tiger is easier than seeing a sloth bear,” he said. “For this, you need to be lucky.”

We tried to follow at a respectful distance, and for a few minutes we could make out their dark shapes shifting behind the trees. But they were not interested in being observed, and eventually we lost them completely. We waited fifteen minutes and then turned back.

The Indian Roller

Back at the pond, the birds had the stage to themselves. There were plenty to watch, but one stopped me completely — the Indian Roller.

It is a medium-sized bird, unremarkable at rest until you notice the wings. When it flies, it reveals a flash of the most striking cyan — a vivid, electric blue that looks almost unnatural against the muted browns and greens of the summer forest. The bird is named for its acrobatic rolling flight display, and if you catch it in motion, it is one of the most photogenic things the forest offers.

I waited fifteen to twenty minutes for a flying shot. Eventually, it took off — and I got it. That single frame was worth every minute of the wait.

The Return — And a Small Disappointment

With time running short, we drove back toward the spot where Veera had been resting. The journey took twenty minutes — a reminder of how far we had travelled into the forest. By the time we arrived, it was 9:15 AM.

We waited five minutes. The lake glimmered nearby, exactly the kind of water source that might draw a tigress on a summer morning. But Veera didn’t appear.

We headed back to the gate slightly disappointed at not seeing her more clearly — at not getting that full, open sighting we had hoped for. It is the honest reality of wildlife safaris, and one worth saying plainly for anyone reading this while planning their own trip: not every sighting goes the way you imagine it. Sometimes the forest gives you a glimpse and nothing more.

But then, passing Ramtara Lake on the way out, we slowed down for the storks and herons gathered at the water’s edge. A wild boar crossed the track ahead of us, unhurried and unbothered. And somewhere in the distance, a pair of sloth bears were carrying on with their morning, completely indifferent to the jeeps and the cameras and the hoping.

We reached the gate at 9:30 AM sharp and were back at the resort by 9:50 AM.

Practical Tips for Palasgaon Safari

• Distance from resort: Palasgaon Gate is just 10 minutes from most Tadoba area resorts — by far the closest of the three gates we used. If you want a slightly later start, this is the one to book.
• Safari timings: Morning safari runs from 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM, same as other gates.
• Monsoon closure: Palasgaon is the only gate that closes during the monsoon season due to Ramtara Lake overflowing. Plan accordingly if you’re visiting between July and October.
• Vehicle type: The safari vehicle at this gate may be covered from the top, unlike the open jeeps at other gates. Good for families with young children.
• Summer wildlife tip: Animals concentrate around waterbodies in summer. Ramtara Lake is a natural draw — spend time there, especially early in the morning.
• Manage expectations on sightings: Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, and restricted paths like the firebreak lines can limit how close you get. Go in with an open mind and the experience will still deliver.

Final Thoughts

The Palasgaon safari was different from the previous two in almost every way — a gentler start, a beautiful lake, a peacock performance, a rare sloth bear sighting, and a tigress who revealed just enough to remind us she was there.

We didn’t get the full, clear tiger sighting we had hoped for at the end. But we got Ramtara Lake at sunrise. We got two sloth bears disappearing into bamboo. We got a wild boar crossing our path. We got an Indian Roller in flight.

Sometimes the forest decides what the morning is about. And this one, it turns out, was about everything except tigers — and it was still wonderful.