Touted as the one of the world’s best bird parks, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is a haven not only for indigenous and migratory birds but for several species of fauna and flora. A pleasant 176 km drive from Delhi, along the Delhi-Jaipur highway, Bharatpur offers a wonderful escape to nature. Also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, this nature reserve is spread over 29 sq km, including 11 sq kms of marshlands and scrub and grasslands, and is home to more than 300 species of birds. Apart from birds, this is also a sanctuary for the Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Blackbuck, Hyena and Wild Boar.

The major attractions at Bharatpur are the migratory birds, who flock to the park from Siberia and Central Asia. Several species of Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheateaters, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, among others, escape the harsh winters of their homelands by migrating to Bharatpur.

Unlike India’s other natural reserves that began as hunting pleasure of the maharajas, Bharatpur started out as a town that would be regularly flooded each monsoon. In 1760, the Ajan Dam, an earthen dam, was built to protect the town from the monsoon’s onslaught. The depression created when soil was removed to build the dam became the Bharatpur Lake. This lake was developed further only in the beginning of the 20th century as a hunting preserve for the Bharatpur princes and came to be renowned as the one of the world’s best duck-shooting wetlands. After hunting was prohibited in the 1960s, this area was declared as a national park in 1982 and recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1985.

The park has well-defined forest trails, which you can either follow on foot or a cycle or even hire a rickshaw. The rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park authorities and can prove to be a mine of knowledge in bird watching. Early morning and late evening boat rides can also prove to be wonderful experience in bird watching.

And if you are too tired to return to Delhi on the same day, there are multiple luxury, heritage and budget hotels in Bharatpur. You can even stay at the sanctuary itself by booking yourself into the Bharatpur Forest Lodge.