Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Fancy a leopard sneaking into your garage at the dead of the night? Mind you, this is not happening in a forest rest shed situated in the heart of a wildlife reserve such as at Corbett or Kanha, but close to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is also known as the Borivali National Park. It borders the hustling and bustling metropolitan city of Mumbai. In fact, it is so close to Mumbai that you can go there on any weekend. Just plan a visit in the morning, and you could be there soon. The Park lies on the northern fringes of suburban Mumbai. It covers an area of 104 square kilometers. You will find wild animals here in their natural habitat. Sanjay Gandhi National Park is one of Asia’s most visited National Parks. More than 2 million visit every year.

It is just the reverse of the conventional zoo. Here animals roam free while people are driven in caged vehicles to view them. For instance, if you take a 20 minute Lion Safari ride inside the Park, you will be driven in a Green Bus. It is fully fenced from all sides as a safety measure against accidental attacks. The vehicle is slowly driven around a pride of lions located not far from the tarred road within the Park. You can view the lions from the safety of the bus. Or try the Tiger Safari. The precaution is even more here as tigers are even more aggressive and possessive about their habitat.

There are a lot of predators in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Visitors love the Park also because of its natural environment. The undulating green lands and distant hills make this ‘next door neighbor zoo’ a great place to visit on any weekend.

How to reach: There are many ways to visit the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. You can take a bus or train. Local trains that travel between Churchgate and Borivali will take you there. You can drive your vehicle too. But of course, this will take longer because of the traffic.

There is no reason why you should want to stay close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It is extremely close to Mumbai. So don’t search for resorts in Sanjay Gandhi National Park and hotels in Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Visit the park from Mumbai.