To attract more tourists and wildlife lovers to Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), the management has launched adventure sports like Paramotoring and hot air balloon ride in Kolitmara buffer village of West Pench recently. Kolitmara village hosting these activities is blessed with scenic natural beauty along with forest offering tourists the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the open blue sky and surroundings. Reports say each person will pay Rs 2,500 for paramotoring and Rs 1,500 for a hot air balloon ride. On November 8, 2023, the local advisory committee, led by Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari, approved the adventure sports project in the buffer zone of PTR, Maharashtra, stated a press note issued by PTR on Friday.

 

Paramotoring involves gliding with a motorised parachute, reaching heights of up to 400 feet in the sky. The machines used have two motors, facilitating both takeoff and landing. Each flight of paramotoring will carry one person along with pilot. Additionally, there is an opportunity to experience hot air balloon rides up to 300 feet of which each flight will carry 4 persons. The project will give direct employment to more than 15 local youths. Project has been supported by District Eco-tourism Fund, claimed the press release.

 

Pench is perhaps the first tiger reserve in the country to launch such adventure tourism in its buffer zone. The Pench river, surrounded by dense forests and traditional tribal villages with agricultural landscapes, provides a captivating view from dawn to dusk. The picturesque scenery, including the sunrise and sunset, creates a mesmerising visual experience for tourists. The Minako Tourism Complex in the Pench Tiger Project, along with the cultural richness of the Kolitmara village community, adds a unique dimension to the overall experience. The initiative is a joint project of by Maharshi Adventures Sports and Kolitmara Eco development committee. Project will give boost to the eco-tourism based livelihood generation towards the west Pench. Earlier, agro-tourism and cycle trail have also been started from Kolitmara.