The best way to reach out to the spirit of nature is through the flora and the fauna in the wild. In India, there is no dearth of either. For those who are wild life lovers, India is the destination par excellence. You will find a series of wild life sanctuaries, national parks and tiger preserves from one end of the country to the other. You may discover the hidden beauty of nature in jungles, rivers, mountains, florist varieties and animal species as well as an opportunity to watch the rarest of animals facing extinction.

Some of the significant wild life hot spots where you can experience all the above and more, are listed below.

Corbett: Jim Corbett National Park is the first one to start Tiger reserve project. The famous wild life sanctuary lies in the Nainital, Pauri Garwhal and Bijnore Districts of Uttaranchal at the foothills of Himalayas.

Ranthambhore: Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is in the Rajasthan state of India. A popular National Park in Rajasthan known for maximum tiger viewing. It comprises three distinct areas: the Ranthambhore National Park, Keladevi Sanctuary and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary.

Bharatpur: Bharatpur is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world. It is also known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park and has the maximum number of bird species. It offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting local water-birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Kanha: The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. It is having a wide variety of flora and fauna. The verdant forests of sal and bamboo, lush meadows, gorges and valleys of Kanha inspired Rudyard Kipling to write his world famous "Jungle Book". The park preserves the rare Swamp Deer (Barasingha), saving it from nearly certain extinction.

Nagarhole: It is an ideal place to spot tigers and elephant in plenty. Nagarhole National Park is located 94 km from Mysore in Karnataka. It is adjacent to Bandipur National Park and Kabini reservoir. The park has rich forest cover, small streams, valleys, and waterfalls.

Bandipur: Wildlife lovers love roaming and spotting animals here. Located in the southern part of the beautiful state of Karnataka, Bandipur is one of the popular national parks. It houses thousands of varieties of flora and fauna. Bandipur is a great vacation spot, away from the pressures of city life.

Eravikulam: Eravikulam has the largest population of the endangered (IUCN) Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) and is located in the nature-rich district of Kerala, Idukki, along the crest of the Western Ghats. Apart from tahr, the Park is the abode of other little known fauna such as Nilgiri marten, ruddy mongoose, small-clawed otter, and dusky striped squirrel.

Periyar: One of the best national parks and tiger reserves of India, Periyar is famous for its Tigers, Elephants and boating in its scenic lake, Periyar. Periyar tiger Reserve, Thekkady, is an example of nature’s bounty, and nature lover's delight.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary: Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake in Kerala, the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is an ornithologist's paradise. It is frequented by migratory birds like the Siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal.

The list provided above is in any way exhaustive. Many more places that can provide great joy to any wild life enthusiast are there across the vast Indian peninsula.