Tadoba-Andhari, Maharashtra's oldest and largest tiger reserve, is entered through a ring of gates split between the core and the buffer. The reserve's open teak-and-bamboo terrain and lake edges are why it has earned a reputation for India's most dependable daytime tiger sightings — but the gate you choose still shapes the trip.
The classic core gates
Moharli is the oldest and best-connected gate, with the widest choice of lodges and reliable tiger movement around Telia lake. Kolara, on the northern side, accesses the territory made famous by the tigress Maya and today's big resident males. Navegaon and Zari-Pangdi are the quieter options — same forest, fewer jeeps.
Don't dismiss the buffer
Tadoba's buffer zones — Agarzari, Devada, Junona, Alizanza and more — have become sighting hotspots in their own right as tigers spill out of the crowded core. Buffer permits are easier to get at short notice, cost less, and several gates now boast resident tigresses with cubs. For photographers, buffer drives often mean having a sighting entirely to yourself.
Booking notes
Core permits open online well in advance and weekends vanish quickly; note that the core is closed on Tuesdays, when we schedule buffer drives instead. The reserve is at its best from October to June — with the hot weeks of April and May delivering the famous waterhole theatre, if you can take the heat.
Staying near your chosen gate
Once you've picked a gate, staying close to it saves a meaningful amount of time on drive days, since permits are tied to a specific entry point. Our lodging guide for Moharli and Kolara matches accommodation to each gate.
