Full Day Safari Permit for Photography

Introduction

Full Day Safari Permit for Photography are available in National parks of Madhya Pradesh or M.P. (Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench National Parks) and also a few others like Tadoba. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve used to have Full & Half Day but has recently stopped these permits.

This is a special permit for photography in addition to the regular morning and afternoon safari permits. These are the same permits the BBC, National Geographic etc use for their filming.

These permits allow a maximum of 5 jeeps to stay inside the forest from sunrise to sunset and have zone-free access across the entire park.

Full-day safari permits are more expensive than regular safari permits, but they offer several advantages (listed below) to serious photographers and filmmakers.

If you can afford it, it is recommended to consider booking a few full-day safari permits to maximize oppurtunities on Tiger Photography Safari in India. It is a truly special experience to spend a whole day exploring these amazing parks and searching for wildlife.

Advantages of Full-day

There are some advantages of a Full day Safari Permit for Photography. Below have listed some that I feel makes it special.

Prime Extra Time

Full-day safari permits give you more time to track tigers and other wildlife throughout the day. In the parks of M.P. like Bandhavgarh National Park, they also allow 15 minutes of early and late exit. This is Prime time as animals are often most active early in the morning and late in the evening. When you are the first vehicle to enter the park there is a good chance to see many animals including the tiger on the dirt track. Just 5 mins with a tiger, when there are few or no other vehicles, can be very useful for photography.

With a full-day permit, you won’t have to leave an interesting subject just because time is running out.

No Route or Zone Restrictions

With a full-day safari permit, you can go anywhere in the park that is allowed for tourism, while with a regular safari permit, you have to follow a pre-assigned route/track in a pre-booked area/zone. This means that if you expect tigers in a particular area, you can go there with a full-day permit. Also These special permits give you zone-free access, which means you can go in any area of any zone in the park. This is a huge advantage, especially if you have a good sighting in one zone and want to stay and follow it regardless of the area or zone the animal happens to move around.

Same Driver and Vehicle

With a full-day safari permit, the driver and vehicle of your choice can be reserved. (Same driver and vehicle is a paid option on regular safaris in Ranthambore National park.)

Having the same driver and guide helps as they know your preferences and what kind of images you have already taken. A talented driver can position your vehicle in a good angle for some nice photography. This helps to plan the safari and maximize the chances of good sightings.

Getting the Permissions

Full-day safari permits are not guaranteed. The forest department has the right to accept or reject applications. This is because the number of full-day permits is limited (usually 5 vehicles per day).

If you are interested in booking a full-day safari permit on a particular date, it is recommended to apply well in advance. Change of date or Rejection is also possible (so make sure you also book a regular safari just in case).

Booking Process

The booking process involves submitting an application letter to the forest dept office with details of the people including their ID copies. A full advance is needed by Demand draft (DD) in Forest of M.P.

Other methods of payment may work in other parks.

In parks like Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Pench, one permit is issued in the name of one single photographer along with 2 non-photographer assistants.

Cost of Full-Day Permit

The cost of the Full-day photography permit varies depending on the National Park.

A full day in M.P. forest is approx Rs. 64000/- plus vehicle charges, guide charges, processing fees and other fees. This adds to approximately Rs. 90000/- INR per day (Very High)

After 7 days the cost is reduced. (this is helpful for filming crews)

In Tadoba the rule and fees are slightly different. Cost for foreigner is approx Rs. 52000/- INR, Plus some other fees, regular permits is also needed.

(The above fees is for foreigners. Indian may have a slightly less cost. This may be changed by the forest dept anytime).

Conclusion

In short, Full-day safari permits give you the ultimate Freedom and Flexibility to track wildlife along with much needed Exclusive Additional Time. The drawback is the high expense that is not feasible for most people.

For those who can afford it, Winters are the best times for Full Day Safaris as the light is beautiful for longer periods, while the weather is pleasant during the entire day and animals are also active for longer duration. During Summer it may not be worth more than a day or two as the temperature in most parks is very high and after 10 a.m. the animals just rest in the shade. Of course, when there are Tiger Cubs it compensates to see them play and run around especially when the family visits the waterholes. For Photography the harsh summer light is not preferred, however the ability to track the tigers during the day makes it easier to find them during the evenings when the light gets better.