Tailor made tiger safari in India
| country: | India |
| location: | Madhya Pradesh, Kanha, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made and departures can be arranged all year. The sample itinerary below can be modified to your personal wishes including departure date, duration, accommodation used & how long you spend in each destination. |
| price: | From £2650 (13 days) including flights from the UK. Prices will vary according to the accommodation selected and season of travel and our specialists will be able to discuss your individual requirements. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
India’s diverse landscapes and varied climate are reflected in the many national parks that support a range of indigenous and migratory species. Although far removed from the better-publicised African safaris, India’s national parks, many former hunting grounds for the maharajahs, offer a unique experience.
The regal legacy of the parks provides a backdrop of ruined forts and royal hunting lodges, while luxury resorts and jungle camps complement the wildlife experience. The suggested itinerary allows for 17 game drives in three of India's most famous National Parks that each support tiger populations. Although no tiger sightings can be guaranteed the anticipation of seeing tigers, the birdlife, monkeys and prey animals provide ample distraction.
The parks themselves are very individual with a wide variety of landscapes and geography. Ranthambhore, the former hunting reserve of the Maharajah of Jaipur, derives its name from a 10th-century fort that sits high on a craggy outcrop. In the early 1970s Ranthambhore was included in the first phase of Project Tiger and subsequent visitors have been thrilled by the tiger sightings as well as the deer, monkeys, and colourful birdlife. Bandhavgarh, situated in Madhya Pradesh, is the smallest of three parks in the region and consists of thick sal and bamboo forest interspersed with open marshland; an ideal habitat for wild boar, jackal and sambar, and tigers.
Over 200 bird species and 22 species of mammal, including leopard, the Indian wild dog and swamp deer, have been recorded at Kanha and many can be seen over breakfast in the meadows during your morning game drive. There is a healthy population of tiger and sloth bear although the bear’s crepuscular habits mean it is rarely seen outside the hours of dawn or dusk.
The regal legacy of the parks provides a backdrop of ruined forts and royal hunting lodges, while luxury resorts and jungle camps complement the wildlife experience. The suggested itinerary allows for 17 game drives in three of India's most famous National Parks that each support tiger populations. Although no tiger sightings can be guaranteed the anticipation of seeing tigers, the birdlife, monkeys and prey animals provide ample distraction.
The parks themselves are very individual with a wide variety of landscapes and geography. Ranthambhore, the former hunting reserve of the Maharajah of Jaipur, derives its name from a 10th-century fort that sits high on a craggy outcrop. In the early 1970s Ranthambhore was included in the first phase of Project Tiger and subsequent visitors have been thrilled by the tiger sightings as well as the deer, monkeys, and colourful birdlife. Bandhavgarh, situated in Madhya Pradesh, is the smallest of three parks in the region and consists of thick sal and bamboo forest interspersed with open marshland; an ideal habitat for wild boar, jackal and sambar, and tigers.
Over 200 bird species and 22 species of mammal, including leopard, the Indian wild dog and swamp deer, have been recorded at Kanha and many can be seen over breakfast in the meadows during your morning game drive. There is a healthy population of tiger and sloth bear although the bear’s crepuscular habits mean it is rarely seen outside the hours of dawn or dusk.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart the UK on a direct flight from London to Delhi. Overnight on flight |
| Day 2: | You will be met on arrival at Delhi international airport and will be taken to your hotel. In the afternoon you will have a guided tour of Old Delhi including a visit to the largest Friday mosque in India and a cycle rickshaw ride through the bustling bazaar area. |
| Day 3: | This morning you will be taken to the railway station where you will take the train to Agra. Here you will be taken on a tour of the formidable Taj Mahal, truly the zenith of Moghul architecture. |
| Day 4: | In Agra at sunrise this morning you will make a return visit to the legendary Taj Mahal, built as a memorial to the wife of Shah Jehan. You will also visit the Red Fort, where Shah Jehan spent the last few years of his life imprisoned here by his son, looking across the Yamuna River at his accomplished Taj Mahal. You will also visit the I`tma-ud-daulah, sometimes known as the "Baby Taj". In the afternoon you will be taken to the station to catch your train to Sawai Madhopur, the station that serves Ranthambhore National Park. |
| Day 5: | Morning and afternoon game drives in Ranthambhore are included today. This world-famous national park was once the private hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Today the park is well-visited due to its high number of tiger sightings in the jungle and at natural and man-made pools. |
| Day 6: | Rise early for your last morning game drive in Ranthambhore. You will then have the afternoon to relax before taking your overnight sleeper train to Katni, only two hours from the beautiful Bandhavgarh National Park. |
| Day 7: | You will be met on arrival in Katni in the early morning and continue along country roads to your accommodation at Bandhavgarh. Time permitting, you will make your first game drive in the national park. Formerly the private hunting reserve of the Maharaja of Rewa, the ruins of a hilltop fort lie at its centre and make a wonderful backdrop to your safaris. Elephant-back rides are also often available, allowing you to get an exciting closer glimpse of any tigers that have already been tracked. |
| Day 8: | Morning and afternoon game drives in Bandhavgarh. |
| Day 9: | Today you will be driven to Kanha National Park through rural Madhya Pradesh. The journey is long and slow but beautiful and you will have the chance to observe life in the countryside along the way. Time permitting you will make your first game drive in Kanha in the afternoon. |
| Day 10-11: | Morning and afternoon game drives in Kanha. |
| Day 12: | Final morning game drive in Kanha. You will drive to Nagpur in the afternoon and stay overnight here. |
| Day 13: | Transfer to the airport for your flight home via Mumbai (Bombay). |
best time to travel
The majority of parks in India are open from around October to April. The best time for spotting game in India is during the hotter months of March and April before the monsoon season when foliage is less dense, and animals concentrate around the shrinking waterholes. The months of November to February still offer a pleasant climate and the lush thick vegetation attracts a myriad of bird species. tailor made holiday
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
Travelling responsibly can take many forms and need not comply solely with the expected norm and focus only on the preservation of wildlife. Simply by visiting an area the traveller can benefit the locality and this positive impact can be greatly enhanced by operating in a sustainable and considerate manner. We are members of TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers) which aims, in cooperation with the charity Global Tiger Patrol, to advocate, catalyse and support a more responsible and sustainable approach to wildlife tourism, together with local community programmes which benefit the local villagers and the wildlife within the parks you visit. This itinerary visits 3 tiger parks and all share the same pressures of a large surrounding local population who have historically used the countryside as a source of food, grazing land and firewood. To help preserve the integrity of the parks the presence of travellers must be seen as beneficial. Community: On this suggested itinerary your qualified guide will ensure that you learn a great deal about the culture, history and wildlife of the region but they will also encourage you to buy in local shops, try local restaurants or pick up the odd souvenir in a market. This spending will not only help support the local economy but will sustain local trades and crafts. All the guides used on this tour are locally qualified and they will offer you first rate service. By employing only local Indian guides travellers are providing both a valuable source of employment as well as generating income for the local community. Accordingly the suggested hotels are all locally owned and employ local staff while the properties themselves operate responsible policies towards the use of energy and importantly water. A selection of the hotels are also members of TOFT and as such are committed to minimising their impact on the local environment and culture. At Ranthambhore we support the Prakratik Society a registered charitable society working to create a better understanding between man & nature. The society has been working in the area for several years providing primary health care services, dairy development, veterinary care, afforestation, environment education, and agro-forestry and income generation through the revival of traditional handicrafts. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |