Exploring “The Land of leopards”

Do you know why you should never say no to exploring? Because there are a number of possibilities that you might come across and still wonder if such things exist in this world. Jawai is becoming a popular destination with the amount of wildlife and culture it holds. However, Jawai Leopard Reserve is not limited to just safaris in Jawai. There are various other activities that you can explore on your visit here. There are these top activities in Jawai that every guest who visits Jawai yearns for these moments twice and more!

LEOPARD SAFARI

The major activity and of course the most famous one; probably the only activity you’re visiting Jawai leopard reserve for. Personally, I have spotted 64 leopards in this area & I can’t stop exploring more. The unbelievable stories of leopards that I believe in and see these happen myself, leave me speechless. Leopards have an aura around them. Their acts of hunting, courting, relaxing and fighting can leave you bewildered. Jawai gives a wider chance to spot leopards in India, particularly Rajasthan. Jawai gives everybody a 98% chance to spot leopards in their lifetime. No guest can be disappointed after taking a safari to the wild and spot the big cat!

 BIRDWATCHING

Do you miss the sound of sparrows in the city? There is a huge bunch of sparrows here! Birdwatching in Jawai is another major activity. The area around the Jawai Dam goes by the name, “The Land of flamingos”. You can see various other species of birds flying around such as bar-headed goose, Sarus Crane, Indian Eagle-Owl, Ruddy Shelduck and many more. The sound that these birds make is the most melodious music one can hear in their life. The water is calm and gives a feeling of restfulness. There are more than 100 species of birds around here. The Jawai Dam is blend of the complete landscape of Jawai. Everything can be observed in one view.

CROCODILE SIGHTINGS

Jawai Dam can also give a great view of the water monsters living inside the lake. Yes, Crocodiles! One of the laziest creatures on earth can be seen in Jawai from your Gypsy at a proximate distance. There are, approximately, 300+ crocodiles known to live in the lake. Their crystal eyes are known to reflect light from the moon and the stars, which is why these eyes glow at night. These crocodiles, might be lazy, but are still one the most dreadful creatures on earth. So, on our expedition to Jawai Dam, be careful and do not get down unless you’re allowed.

JUNGLE SAFARI

Jawai might be a land of leopards, but that doesn’t mean it lacks wildlife. Jawai has a huge amount of wildlife species to spot. On your visit to Jawai, you’ll spot Striped Hyenas — Leopard’s enemies, which are known to kills leopard’s cubs. There are various stories known. You’ll also observe huge packs of Indian Jackals, Mongoose blabbering messages to each other, the dazzling & shy Blue Bull (Nilgai), mother-sloth bears carrying their babies on back, hedgehogs crawling around and many more. Just explore the wilderness inside you and come on this journey for an unforgettable experience.

LEOPARD TEMPLES VISIT

There are various temples in Jawai which have legends related to them. All these temples have great stories of leopards related to them. One such temple is Devgiri temple which has a history with the Pandavas of Mahabharata living here. Highest leopard spotting temple in Jawai. Another is Kambeshwar Mahadev ji temple which is known for Sloth Bear spotting. It is located on the biggest & longest hill of Jawai. Few more temples such as Lilora Mahadev Ji temple (known for its most famous leopard named Ziya), Perwa Mahadev Ji temple (where 12 different leopards live together), Bilaspur Mahadev Ji temple and Naag Bavji Temple Sena. All these stories have different legends and stories related to them. You’ll be amazed to hear the stories about them.

WALK WITH RABARIS

An activity that gives you a chance to experience the lifestyle of a Rabari. A way to learn new culture and listen about it from the living tribe itself is an experience that is raw & unique! Rabaris are not huntsmen. They’ve seemed to develop a bong with the leopards. They praise leopards in the face of God. You’ll be surprised to see a leopard cross by a Rabari without any intentions of attack!

HAR-HAR GANGE TREK

A wonderful location to all those seeking adventure in Jawai hills. Har-Har Gange is a hidden gem in Rajasthan that leads to a waterfall. This trail is much more beautiful during the monsoon season. It is for adventure seekers to relax themselves and take a bath in this natural and holy pool of water. According to the legend, the Pandavas from Mahabharata stayed here during exile. The story concludes that they were thirsty & needed water, which is why Goddess Ganga appeared herself and provided them water in the form of a natural pool.

HIGH TEA ON JAWAI HILLS

The idea of “Chai by the Dam/River” might excite and bring some sense of calmness to you. Almost, all human beings dream of living in a beach house or a one on hill with least amount of people and traffic buzzing around. Well, Varawal leopard camp makes that dream come true. The area around the dam gives a perfect and full-fledged view of what jawai is~ a peaceful destination! The best time for this activity is sunset and sunrise!

Varawal Leopard Camp can provide you all experiences together. I can personally claim on the fact your stay with us will be the most memorable stays of your life. I can claim that this experience will actually change your perspective towards various things. You’ll fall in love with yourself and this place!

“Seize your opportunities like the leopard pounces on its prey, and hunts it down”

~Shivani Narang

This big cat symbolizes strength and power, with chivalric features like none other. Well, while being on a Leopard safari in Jawai, you’d certainly want it to go smoothly. Leopard safaris are arranged in a way such that you don’t have to stay in one particular area even if the leopard is not in a mood to show up. Unlike other wildlife sanctuaries in India and national parks in India, there aren’t any zones or areas that you’d be allotted to spot leopards or other wild animals. So, you don’t have to depend on a single leopard to spot when there is a huge population of them in Jawai. You can go around the villages and spot a wide range of them without any disappointment. 

The safaris cover various routes when it comes to spotting wildlife, exceptionally leopards. There are numerous spots in the distance range of 5km-25km from varawal. Every safari lasts for 3 hours and has slight difference in timings between summers and winters. During summers, the jawai leopard safaritimings are 5-8 AM/PM in the morning/evening respectively. However, during winters, the timings are 5:30AM-8:30AM & 4:30PM-7:30PM in morning & evening respectively. The timings can also be customized according to your requirement.

All the safaris of Varawal leopard Camp are performed under my supervision. I’ve appointed numerous trackers to track down every movement of the leopard. All these trackers patrol around the village appointed to them, every day and track them through their paw prints or their caves or any particular characteristic that they come across. I have, personally, spotted 64 leopards in Jawai till now. However, the trackers are a great deal when it comes to making your safari memorable.

Throughout the year (I.e., 365 days), the trackers patrol through the jungle and find various trends and characteristic of leopards. They note down every single detail (like, how many cubs they have? How long does each leopard sit out of the cave? Timings of their resting period? For how long do they disappear? With whom they mate and after how long?), that helps us understand the behavior of leopards in a better way. According to the reports and trends, leopards sit out of their caves to plan for their hunt at night. That is when their chances of spotting increases. Even when there aren’t any guests or the season isn’t peak, I prefer patrolling because it is the one thing that helps us in their conservation.

Another surprising element is that Jawai is a land under private ownership, not government! These leopards live on those lands in their caves. There are times when a farmer tends to close a cave to protect his farm from wild boar and porcupines. However, a tracker stops them from doing so because the cave might have cubs inside it or might be a leopard’s home. We don’t want even a single leopard to die.

A fact about this place is that leopards are not man-eaters here. Well, apologies to burst your myth, but humans are not a part of the food chain of leopards anywhere! It’s humans, who crush their homes to dust, and that is when they retaliate. Also, the leopards in Jawai live with harmony and peace with the humans around here. The Rabari community has been worshipping them for years now and do not disturb their lifestyle at all. Hence, there isn’t any need for Guards, like in other wildlife sanctuaries in India.

Last year, I observed many people throwing stones to threaten the wildlife around and race their gypsies behind them. However, I talked to all the safari ventures and made an association to have a follow up on ‘Wildlife Safari Guidelines’ for safari in the area. There are a few rules that we follow and would expect you to do the same:

• Whilst on a safari, nobody should step out of the gypsy unless approved by the host or the driver.
• No gypsy is allowed to race behind a leopard.
• Waste packets or papers should not be thrown on the ground.
• When in the territory of the leopard, phones should be on silent and are advised to keep your voices down.
• Night safaris are banned.
• Using spotlights is prohibited. 

The ventures of wildlife safari help people get paid for they do. It provides employment opportunities to them without having to put in extra effort. Tracking down the wildlife while living in Jawai is a chore that everyone takes care of. This is the lifestyle of humans here, with leopards being a major part of their lives. Also, this helps them stay connected to their culture and their foundational roots. This is moreover, everything on how leopard safari operates at Varawal Leopard Camp. Give us a chance to host you!

Visit www.varawalleopardcamp.com soon or book your stay at bookvarawal@gmail.com

You can even WhatsApp us on +91 7742133581