With the safari season at its peak, national parks and popular wildlife spots are attracting tourists in hordes. However, in lieu of increasing interest, the destinations are gearing up to offer more than just game drives for nature enthusiasts. Kolitmara in West Pench adds to the list, as it has recently added hot air balloon rides to its list of offerings. Now, if you are visiting Kolitmara, you can enjoy sweeping landscape views from the skies. The tickets are reasonably priced at INR 1,500. In addition, you can also enjoy the thrill of paramotoring at just INR 2,500.
As per reports, the paramotoring flights and hot air balloon rides are conducted under strict supervision. In the former, a pilot accompanies one person at a time, while hot air balloon rides happen in groups with up to four individuals.
The initiative has been introduced to attract more visitors towards the West as currently tourists flock to Sillari in the east to spot tigers. During the announcement, the deputy director of Pench, Prabhu Nath Shukla, also spoke highly of Kolitmara's beauty and reaffirmed how the region, surrounded by dense forests, lends itself well as an ideal setting for adventure activities.
Another objective is to provide employment to local youth, thereby positively impacting the local economy. According to Shukla, this initiative, a collaboration between Maharshi Adventures Sports, Gondia, and the Kolitmara Eco-development Committee, is slated to attract both adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, translating to better local opportunities.
Kolitmara has expanded its tourism offerings to include agrotourism, which offers visitors the chance to experience machan sittings, bullock cart and boat rides, bird watching, village life exploration tours, boating, and a 45 km cycle trail. Additionally, there are future plans to launch a 25 km nature safari route in Banera, as well as to procure two motorboats for a 25 km-long Pench river safari from Kolitmara to Navegaon Khairi. The river safari, which is priced at INR 1,500 per person, aims to provide an added dimension to the tourism experience in Kolitmara.
With these new offerings, Kolitmara has become more than just a wildlife destination; it is also an adventure and ecotourism destination that offers an enriching experience for visitors while supporting local communities and promoting sustainable tourism practices.
Getting there: Kolitmara gate is one of the entry points for Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. It is located a 2-hour drive away from Nagpur, where the nearest airport and railway station are located.
Timings and best time to visit: The safari timings are 6 AM to 11 AM and 2.30 PM to 6 PM, and the best time to visit is from October to June.