There are several leopard families throughout the park and the chance of seeing them was totally dependant on the leopards being in the same place you were. It was a big park. Our guides were good and spotted leopard tracks in the sand and they were on their radio listening for sightings. We waited at the roadside, at one point, as there had been a leopard spotted heading for the road and our guide said that there was a good chance it would cross in front of us. It wasn’t to be.
Not to be disheartened, our luck changed. When the half day trips left for the morning and before the afternoon safari vehicles arrived, our guide got the call that a leopard was spotted on a rock, not far from where we were. Off we went and sure enough there it was, sitting regally on a rock, in the sun, totally oblivious to us watching from below. Magnificent.
The full day trip also included lunch and we were still all giddy from the leopard spotting when our driver turned off the track onto a smaller track which opened up into a clearing on the beach. Here’s where we had lunch and it was a lovely hour, chilling by the sea before the bone shaking afternoon safari started.
In the afternoon, we moved to another area of the park where there was a large lake. The lake was absolutely jam packed full of birds and other animals. Crocodiles, large deer like animals called Sambar deer, kingfishers, minah birds, storks. It was never ending and so beautiful and peaceful. What a fantastic experience and a superb tour.