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Ranthambore National Park sounded perfect in the brochure. It has been a tiger reserve since Project Tiger started in 1972 and was formerly the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur in Eastern Rajasthan. I have been on several safaris and there is nothing I enjoy more than sharing a drink with wildlife, with a gin and tonic in my sticky hand sitting in a lodge, watching large cats partaking in their equivalent of tiffin at a water hole. I have, however, never seen tigers in the wild, despite having been to India in the past, so I booked a five-day visit to Ranthambore, as part of a two-week trip to Rajasthan.

There are about 40 tigers and 40 leopards in the Tiger reserve and it is claimed to be one of the best places to view them in the wild. The total area of the park is 1,334 sq km surrounded by mountain ranges and with two rivers running through it and several man-made lakes, it has an incredibly diverse selection of wildlife species including sloth bear, jackals, jungle cat, monitor lizards and hundreds of species of bird. To add to the wonderful scenery, flora and fauna there are also many ruins of a fort built about 1,000 years ago. Lake palaces and fortifications being gradually reclaimed by dense deciduous forest make a wonderful backdrop for wildlife viewing.

Travel in India is not easy and can be dangerous. On my previous business trip to India I was involved in a total of four minor car accidents: A bus, two cars and a motorbike. The driver didn't even stop for the bike, but spent ages being shouted at by the enormous number of people who got off the bus. Ranthambore is, however, relatively easy to get to and we didn't have a single accident. We even had seat belts in the cars. We were picked up by a driver in Agra and driven to Bharatpur Junction railway station, stopping off at Fatehpur Sikri for a quick tour of the royal palace and temples, which is certainly worth a visit. We took the Nizamundin Kota Express from Bharatpur Junction to Sawai Madhopur. A pleasant safe journey compared to going by road, although not as good as the very best business trains in India, which are fantastic. On arrival we were pounced on by porters who would not take no for an answer and ran off with our bags, much to our annoyance. We had packed light and didn't need help. We got the bags back once the appropriate ransom had been paid.

A jeep from the Sher Bagh "Hotel" came to collect us from the station and dropped us off near our "room". It may claim to be an hotel,

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