Tiger conservation holiday in India
| country: | India |
| location: | Kanha, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve |
| departures: | 2010: 14 Nov 2011: 14 Mar |
| price: | From £2995 (14 days) excluding flights, based on twin share and min group size of 6 people. |
| more info: | Price includes all meals (excluding Delhi), all domestic flights and transportation, all lodge accommodation on full board basis, all expertise of project team and arrangements as per the itinerary, plus a contribution to Travel Operators for Tigers and Global Tiger Patrol. Optional single supplement from £775. A £350 deposit is required to confirm booking. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Tiger conservation holiday in India
Today there are a host of conventional tiger tours to choose from, but we offer something different for those of you who expect more than the ordinary and want an insight in to the ongoing tiger conservation programmes. Based at comfortable lodges in Panna, Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks you will have the opportunity to spend days and even the odd night searching for tigers and other wildlife.
For a long time now Africa has been regarded as the Mecca for wildlife. More recently the natural wealth of the Indian sub-continent has been increasingly recognised and the country has begun to offer tourists, naturalists and researchers a fascinating alternative. Home to one of the richest diversities of life forms on earth, the Indian sub-continent is a veritable Eden. Today it is under siege from one fifth of humanity and yet remarkably it survives in all its diverse forms, especially the sal and teak forests of Madhya Pradesh, the ‘Tiger State’. This region will provide the focus of the tour and is home to most of the remaining tigers in India.
During the trip you will cover a range of activities, which often include guided walks with park rangers, animal and pug mark census, meeting local villagers, time with the park elephant team, an evening in a tree hideout and meeting experts behind the research projects in the park. Of course you will also enjoy all that these stunning parks have to offer including over 200 species of bird and a number of other cat species such as leopard and Jungle cat. Wolves, Wild dogs, Sloth bear and numerous species of deer and antelope or ‘tiger food’ also inhabit the forests and plateaus and evidence from rock paintings thousands of years old suggest that human habitation has been here for many centuries One trip to India can never hope to reveal all its natural wealth but here is one that whets the appetite and goes beyond the average trip.
Game drives: Please note that regardless of the time of year, the morning game drives are always cold. We recommend a scarf, woolly hat, gloves and removable layers to protect you from the wind chill early in the morning and later in the afternoon.
Elephant back safari: During your stay you may have the opportunity to view tigers from the back of an elephant from the closest road point if, during their morning patrol, the Mahouts have sighted a tiger. This is often referred to as a “tiger show” and is organised on a first come, first served basis. The elephants are not native to the jungles of central India (Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna). Instead they belong to the park management and are used for patrolling and monitoring the tiger population. Elephant back viewing is therefore subject to the park management's permission on the day. We will endeavour to give you the opportunity if available.
Your experts: Koustubh worked with India's most well-known conservation organisation, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), as a Research Analyst for over three and a half years in Panna. He has extensive knowledge and is involved in various projects including the vulture advocacy programme in Madhya Pradesh. He is also the consultant for the International Snow Leopard Trust, and for the Centre for Environment Education. Koustabh is associated with the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and a host of national and international researchers conducting research in India.
Highlights include:Visit 3 major national parks in the forests of central India Go ‘backstage’ on wildlife conservation projects and meet the experts Incorporate community visits, elephant-back trip and walking Each tour includes a contribution to tiger conservation efforts 100% success rate for tiger sightings over the last two years
For a long time now Africa has been regarded as the Mecca for wildlife. More recently the natural wealth of the Indian sub-continent has been increasingly recognised and the country has begun to offer tourists, naturalists and researchers a fascinating alternative. Home to one of the richest diversities of life forms on earth, the Indian sub-continent is a veritable Eden. Today it is under siege from one fifth of humanity and yet remarkably it survives in all its diverse forms, especially the sal and teak forests of Madhya Pradesh, the ‘Tiger State’. This region will provide the focus of the tour and is home to most of the remaining tigers in India.
During the trip you will cover a range of activities, which often include guided walks with park rangers, animal and pug mark census, meeting local villagers, time with the park elephant team, an evening in a tree hideout and meeting experts behind the research projects in the park. Of course you will also enjoy all that these stunning parks have to offer including over 200 species of bird and a number of other cat species such as leopard and Jungle cat. Wolves, Wild dogs, Sloth bear and numerous species of deer and antelope or ‘tiger food’ also inhabit the forests and plateaus and evidence from rock paintings thousands of years old suggest that human habitation has been here for many centuries One trip to India can never hope to reveal all its natural wealth but here is one that whets the appetite and goes beyond the average trip.
Game drives: Please note that regardless of the time of year, the morning game drives are always cold. We recommend a scarf, woolly hat, gloves and removable layers to protect you from the wind chill early in the morning and later in the afternoon.
Elephant back safari: During your stay you may have the opportunity to view tigers from the back of an elephant from the closest road point if, during their morning patrol, the Mahouts have sighted a tiger. This is often referred to as a “tiger show” and is organised on a first come, first served basis. The elephants are not native to the jungles of central India (Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna). Instead they belong to the park management and are used for patrolling and monitoring the tiger population. Elephant back viewing is therefore subject to the park management's permission on the day. We will endeavour to give you the opportunity if available.
Your experts: Koustubh worked with India's most well-known conservation organisation, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), as a Research Analyst for over three and a half years in Panna. He has extensive knowledge and is involved in various projects including the vulture advocacy programme in Madhya Pradesh. He is also the consultant for the International Snow Leopard Trust, and for the Centre for Environment Education. Koustabh is associated with the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and a host of national and international researchers conducting research in India.
Highlights include:
best time to go
Our trips are specially planned to optimise your chances of seeing Tigers and all the Wildlife that India has to offer. November is after the rains, when everywhere is beautifully green and lush, making the searching for wildlife harder in taller grass but all the more pleasant when you see it - with lots of youngsters too. February and March are good as it is the hotter weather (up to 35°C) and drier ground that brings Indian wildlife including Tiger to water. day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | London / Delhi. Depart Heathrow on your direct flight to Delhi. (If you would prefer to extend your stay in Delhi we can look in to alternative overnight flight options for you) |
| Day 2: | Delhi / Khajuraho / Panna. You will be met on arrival in Delhi and transferred to your hotel. Later in the morning you will transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Khajuraho. Built under Chandela kings between 950 and 1050 AD and only rediscovered by a British army engineer in 1838, Khajuraho is now most famous for its impressive temples. You will be met on arrival and driven to your lodge (approx 45 minutes) in Panna National Park. Meet Koustubh Sharma, your expert, who will give a briefing on the trip and the activities to follow. If time allows there will be an evening excursion into the park for a jungle safari. |
| Day 3-5: | Panna. During your stay at Panna, Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, you will be participating in a host of activities and insights into the park, people and the projects that are conducted in the area. In small teams or as a whole group you will be introduced to a number of activities and exercises necessary to maintain the park. The exact timings will vary from day to day, but activities may include: Park census, foot patrols, vehicle safaris, village visits, night safaris, tree house observations, eco development trek, tiger project insight, nature walk, day with the park's elephants and a boat trip on the Ken River. |
| Day 6: | Panna / Bandhavgarh. Take a morning safari by Jeep with the naturalist. After breakfast you will drive to Bandhavgarh (approx 6 hours by road) with a picnic lunch en route. On arrival in Bandhavgarh you will settle into your accommodation. |
| Day 7-9: | Bandhavgarh. Take a morning and evening safari by Jeep or by elephant. We also aim to offer a range of the activities listed earlier but some will be subject to availability and permission. |
| Day 10: | Bandhavgarh/Kanha*. Take a morning safari by Jeep or elephant* with the naturalist with the activities described above. After breakfast drive to Kanha National Park (approx 6 hours by road) with picnic lunch en route. Arrive and stay at Kanha Jungle Lodge on a full board basis. |
| Day 11-12: | Kanha. Take a morning safari by Jeep or elephant* with the naturalist with the activities described above. |
| Day 13: | Kanha / Nagpur / Delhi. Farewell and drive to Nagpur to board a flight to Delhi. You will be met on arrival into Delhi and transferred to the international airport for your flight home in the early hours of the following morning. Extension options start from here to other parts of India. Please ask for details. |
| Day 14: | Depart. Depart early morning on flight and arrive London Heathrow early morning. |
wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, wildlife is the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
The Tiger Study Tour is organised in support of Global Tiger Patrol and Travel Operators For Tigers and every booking includes a donation to one of these organisations. Each booking also includes a further donation to support the Sabbal Shah Forest Society which is based at Jhinna in Panna National Park and was created to protect and preserve this area of forest from illegal activities such as timber theft, poaching and mining, as well as giving local people custody of this area of the park. Donations are £20 per person for the TOFT/ GTP and £15 for the Sabbal Shah Forest Society. Global Tiger Patrol (GTP) is a conservation agency prioritising protection of the tiger in the field, funding projects that support tiger and habitat conservation. GTP concentrates its work in India, as the sub-continent is home to about 55% of the world’s remaining wild tigers. We make regular contributions to this organisation through its group and tailor-made journeys to tiger reserves. Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT) is a campaign set up by a number of concerned Indian focused Travel Operators in the UK who believe there is a need for change in the way that nature and wildlife tourism is developing in India. The desire is that all those involved in ‘tiger tourism’, including tour operators, accommodation providers, local services, park management and, of course, visitors will join together to halt the demise of the tiger. Through collective action and adherence to a Code of Conduct the campaign aim is to make wildlife tourism in India more responsible and more sustainable. We are a founding member of this campaign. As a member of TOFT we also send out an accommodation feedback questionnaire for clients to complete. Your feedback helps us to monitor the eco credentials of each lodge and to continue to use the most environmentally responsible accommodation. We also pass on your feedback to the lodge management, which helps them to maintain and improve their eco policies. In 2007 we celebrated 10 years of spectacular achievement as pioneers in the field of nature travel. We have raised over £750,000 in support of the world’s leading wildlife and conservation agencies, researchers and experts, and increased awareness of travel and conservation through newsletters, lectures and consistent media coverage. Furthermore we have voluntarily spearheaded collective action campaigns such as Travel Operators for Tigers in South Asia. To mitigate the carbon dioxide released into the high atmosphere through your air travel we are giving £10 per client to Rainforest Concern. Rainforests have a central role to play in the slowing of climate change and yet we are removing forests from the planet at a faster rate than they can grow back. It is thus axiomatic to try and preserve the forests that we have rather than replanting. Rainforest Concern was established in 1993 to protect threatened natural habitats, the biodiversity they contain and the indigenous people who still depend on them for their survival. Community: We recognise that responsible wildlife tourism is as much to do with giving local people a stake in tourism, as it is about protecting habitat and controlling poaching. We use locally owned accommodation throughout the trip and employ local guides and sub agents to organise the logistical arrangements. As well as local guides, we also employ a professional naturalist to escort the group and share his knowledge on conservation and the issues that are relevant to the areas that you visit. Our guides are carefully selected and have in depth knowledge of the region through their own field work. We have a maximum group size of eight people which also limits the overall impact of the tour. |
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. |
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