Tigers and rhinos tours in India
Description of Tigers and rhinos tours in India
This tour is a unique combination of India’s wildlife. We will be visiting Sunderbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site to see its famous swimming tigers, as well as Kaziranga National Park for rhinos. Your first stop is Kaziranga NP, one of the world’s beacons of conservation, having successfully protected its great one horned rhinos, and now home to two thirds of the world’s population of them. With over 2,400 of them today in the park, rhino safaris here are second to none. The park is also a tiger reserve and, as if that isn’t enough, other animals that you will be able to look out for on your morning and evening game safaris here include elephants, water buffalo and superb birdlife.
In contrast, your time spent in the Sunderbans, in the state of West Bengal and accessed by an internal flight to Calcutta and onward transfer to Sonakhali, is all about water. This UNESCO World Heritage Site recognises the importance of this vast wetland of estuarine forests, mangroves and maze of rivers around the Ganga delta. On two different river cruises you will have chances to spot creatures ranging from crocodiles to chitals, wild boar to Olive Ridley turtles. The birdlife is sublime too, with kingfishers, ibis, herons and storks dipping and diving all around and, last but not least, this is home to the largest population of Bengal tigers.
A tailor made itinerary to suit your interests, many of our guests often add on Kanha National Park to the trip, another haven for tigers. Or else, for a cultural highlight, we can organise a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
We recommend the best time to go wildlife watching for tigers and rhinos is between October and April.
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Reviews
1 Reviews of Tigers and rhinos tours in India
Reviewed on 07 Apr 2016 by Rob Roberto
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Sighting an adult female tiger in Kanha National Park. We viewed the tiger on a small ridge as she walked and sprayed. As there was only two jeeps with her we were able to drive along the road with her as she walked. She came to within 150 feet of the road until she decided to go down the opposite side and head off toward a herd of spotted deer. It appeared she was headed for a hunt as it was near dusk. An amazing experience with a royal being!
A second highlight was my day tour of Delhi. My guide Sheerma was fantastic. He went above and beyond in ensuring that I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was the best city tour I have every had!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Expect to see a great diversity of wildlife in Kaziranga and Kanha parks but don't expect to automatically sight tigers. I went on nine safari drives totaling over 31 hours before I sighted my tiger during my final hour on safari.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It supported conservation through park fees that help fund the India Forest Service which manages India's national parks. It also results on financial support to lodge staff, drivers and guides all of which were local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was just a fantastic and memorable experience. The booking agent did a fantastic job creating the itinerary which came off without a hitch. I would highly recommend this holiday.
Responsible Travel
Planet
When we give the first orientation lecture at the time of arrival we request all our clients not to use plastic bags. Furthermore through our leaders and literature we also encourage our clients to show kindness to the social sensitivities of the destinations. When we visit any National Park we inform each and every client in advance to wear earthen color clothes, treat national parks as the learning centers and not a picnic site. Guests are asked not to use any camera flash or try to come very close to animals and to keep noise level at the minimum while talking to each other.People
Sunderbans accommodation supports a number of social development programmes. Regularly, a medical treatment camp is organised for the islanders. Book and garment banks have been installed, and an evening school was erected. Moreover, several monitoring studies have been initiated, such as on Climate Change, Lesser Cats, and Migratory Water Fowls.18 permanent local staff cater for the guests well-being. Trained guides are available for National park excursions and villages walks, and for country boat excursions fishermen are hired from the near-by villages thus supporting the locals & the economy.
In the evenings be introduced to Bonobibi, the Jungle Goddess. Dukhe Yathra, the story of a small boy being exposed to the wilderness of the Sunderbans, is a colorful spectacle performed by a group of local villagers. The tradition of this theatre play was almost lost until the Camp offered an opportunity for this valuable part of the Sunderbans' culture to revive.
The Staff of the lodge in Kaziranga are all from Kaziranga, and the surrounding villages. With the combination of local knowledge and academic expertise, it now boasts of its host of in-house naturalists and field guides, who are best suited to orient travellers in protected area visitation.
On this trip we support an NGO called Jagriti who are involved in giving education, accommodation, clothing and food to small children who are found begging in railway stations. An amount of £10 per person goes to this NGO.
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