Canter Safari

With the hike consistent hike in jeep safari prices, canter safari is the best safari option for low budget wildlife lovers. It is a sharing mode of safari in open bus. It is a 12-seater open bus, available at jungle safari entrance gates of Kanha national park. In this mode of safari, we will do the park visit in open bus, just like what we do in Jeep safari drives. Still both the safari modes have some differences which should must to known to tourists, before proceeding for booking safari tickets. This mode of safari is booked on the spot basis which means no advance booking is possible.

Although Canter safari is always a treated as second best option but in some context, it has some advantages also. Some of the good things about Canter safari in Kanha are:

• Ticket Probability: Here in Kanha national park, ticket blackmarketting is a major problem due to which genuine tourists face problem in getting safari ticket. Due to this problem, large number of tourists do not visit this national park. Although Buffer zone safari tickets remain available but tourist want to visit Core zone only. In such case, Canter safari is like a boom as it offers chance to walk-in tourists to get core zone safari experience. Canter safari tickets are not offered online thus is it offered only to walk-in tourists thus better probability to get the ticket on first come first basis.
• Cost-effective: Canter safari is offered on per person per seat basis thus it is good for low budget visitors. If you are 1,2,3 tourists, then it is good to use canter safari option.
• Togetherness : If you are in small group of 08 to 10 person then Canter safari is best way to enjoy jungle safari with all members together in same vehicle.

When it comes to the choice of safari vehicles, Jeep safari is still the first choice of tourists. Those who have experienced both Canter safari and Jeep safari, have given clear verdict that Jeep safari is better than Canter safari option. This fact is also established with the sales record of both safari modes. Jeep safari tickets are always first to get sold out and Canter safari tickets remains available till end. Let us understand what are the problems associated with Canter safari:

• Occupancy Condition: Canter safari is operated when minimum number of seats are booked. If you are 5-7 person only for canter safari and their is no other visitor, then it is possible that Canter safari will not be operated or they may wait for some more time for other visitors to come, causing late entry inside the park.
• Visibility: Jeep is a small vehicle in comparision to Canter so we can see on both the sides of vehicle for animals, birds, trees. Canter is a large vehicle with more height which restricts visibility for both the sides, front road or back side road. This restriction of visibility felt more when you would like to take photographs or look for some wild mammal species. Wildlife photographers never use canter safari option.
• Communication Problem : Although 2 safari guides are available in one canter to share wildlife information with each other but still we can't enjoy that level of information exchange what we can enjoy in Jeep as driver remains untouched from visitors, many times we can't pass quick message to driver to stop vehicle for some sighting or photography etc.
• Track Limitation: In compare to jeeps, Canter have some track limitation, due to its size and geographical conditions. Jeep is a small vehicle so they can frequently change the safari tracks, get close to waterholes, may enter in narrow lanes.

Canter safari in Kanha national park is operated only from 2 entry gates i.e. from Khatia gate and Mukki entrance gate. It means, canter safari is not available in Sarhi entry gate for Sarhi zone. It is mainly introduced to cater the safari requirements of those guests who have reached Kanha national park without any prior permit booking. As per demand and geographical conditions, these two entrance gate are decided for canter safari. At present, Sarhi gate is not having this facility as here hotels are very few thus visitors are accommodated through jeep safari options.

Canter safari booking is possible from ticket counter at Khatia gate and Mukki entrance gate. Its online booking or advance booking is not offered, unless you are staying at MPSTDC resort. These booking restrictions are maintained to reserve the permits for walk-in guests. It is very good option for those tourists whose budget is less or who are small in number or who are in large group and looking for cost effective way of safari. Here you have to note that as if now, canter safari is not offered for buffer safari zones.