India | Quest for the Tiger: Exploring the Natural Wonders of India

Depart United States for India.

Upon arrival in Delhi, the capital of India, and after clearing customs and immigration, a representative will welcome you at the airport arrival lounge and then coordinate the transfer to the hotel; please note that the hotel check-in time is 2 pm. Most flights arrive very late in the night. Participants who are joining the pre-extension to Taj Mahal will arrive Delhi later today.

After breakfast transfer to airport for the flight to Jabalpur. Upon arrival, transfer approximately 3-4 hours to Bandhavgarh. Set among the Vindhya Hills of Madhya Pradesh with an area of 168 square miles, the park contains a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game, including a large number of tigers. On arrival at Bandhavgarh, check into your jungle lodge and have some time to rest and relax. If you prefer, you can also explore the surrounding area of the lodge on foot. Your lodge is within walking distance of the entrance to the national park, so you will hear the sounds of the jungle throughout your stay. During the safari portion of the program, you will have a maximum of two photographers in the open Jeeps with a naturalist guide.

During the next three days, explore Bandhavgarh National Park. In the early mornings around 5:30 am, enjoy a safari by 4x4 open Jeep, returning back to the lodge around 10:30 am. The rest of the morning will be free to rest and relax. After lunch, depart for your afternoon safari around 2:30 pm and return around 6 pm. India’s acclaimed tiger parks are quite popular and therefore visits are tightly controlled. Upon arrival at the gate, vehicles are assigned a prescribed route based on whether or not tigers have been seen on the track recently. To ensure the best viewing and photo opportunities, one of the safari days at Bandhavgarh National Park have been upgraded to a Golden Permit. This permit allows entry into the park earlier than a regular permit, when animals by the roadway have not been disturbed, as well as access to all zones without time restrictions, and the ability to leave the park later than closing time to capture the best sunset light in the afternoons. Unlike with the regular permit, the group also does not have to leave the park at midday if you choose to stay longer.

Morning and afternoon safari in an open 4x4 Jeep. The chances of seeing a tiger in Bandhavgarh are greater than in any of India’s other forests. During the summer, tigers can be seen at several of the main waterholes such as Chakradhara, Gopalpur, Jurmani and Barwanala. As many as 37 mammal species have been listed for this park including three types of antelopes: blue bull, chinkara, and the chausingha. Species that can also be seen include the cheetal, sambar, barking deer, four species of bats, two types of squirrels, Indian pangolin, Indian porcupine, palm civet, rare Indian wolf, Indian wild dog, ruddy and common mongoose, honey badger, jackal, wild boar, Indian hare, common langur and rhesus macaque. The park also has around 255 species of birds. It provides the ideal habitat for various species of storks (White-necked and Lesser Adjutant Stork), hornbills (Malabar Pied and Common Grey Horbill), herons, cranes and birds of prey like the Crested Hawk, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Shikra, and Lesser Kestrel.

Continue the exploration of the park with morning and afternoon safaris in an open 4x4 Jeep. During the program there are two elephant safaris included and one of them can be done either at Bandhavgarh or Kanha. The availability is at the sole discretion of the park authorities and confirmation is not known until the last minute. During the safari, have the unique opportunity to experience the forest on the back of an elephant for about an hour-long ride, allowing for a bird’s-eye view of the core zone.

After breakfast, transfer to Kanha National Park (approximately six hours). The drive passes through rural countryside and colorful towns and villages. Stop in the sleepy town of Mandla, the sacred city of the Gond tribe, where the center of activity is the Narmada River, second holiest after the Ganges. The long drive is also broken up with a stop for a picnic lunch before arriving at the lodge. This afternoon we will take the opportunity to stretch our legs and walk down to the Banjar River while our naturalists identify the local flora and fauna. Our resident naturalist will give an orientation to Kanha National Park. We will look at some maps, understand what is a buffer area and core area, get a good understanding of the areas we will do our safaris in. Set on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve was originally established to save two endangered species, the tiger and the barasingha. The park provides breathtaking vistas of grassy plains, meandering streams, and lush sal and bamboo forests. Kanha was the site that inspired Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of stories, "The Jungle Book," and in addition to frequent sightings of wild tigers, a variety of other species can be seen in the reserve including black buck, chital, Indian bison, barking deer, sambar deer, leopard, and gaur.

This morning we'll explore Kanha National Park in our open 4x4 jeeps, returning to our lodge late in the morning. PLEASE NOTE: ALL NATIONAL PARKS IN MADHYA PRADESH ARE CLOSED TO THE VISITORS FOR AFTERNOON SAFARIS ON EVERY WEDNESDAY. The rest of the day will be at leisure to go for a nature walk, visit a nearby village/school, or participate in a cooking demonstration. We are staying with the family whose heritage dates back 3 generations in Tiger Conservation. Kailash Sankhala, was the founder director of Project Tiger, under which the inceptions of the Project Tiger Reserves in India took place. Their Grandchildren run and manage the three jungle lodges we will be spending 12 nights at. We will also have the chance to watch the Tigerland documentary, made by Discovery Channel and premiered at Sundance Film Festival that focuses on two passionate people trying to save the Tiger. One of them is Kailash Sankhala.

This morning and afternoon, we will explore Kanha National Park in search of tigers and other wildlife, such as swamp deer, black buck, cheetal, Indian bison, barking deer, and sambar in our open 4x4 jeeps. One of these three days, we will use our second Golden Permit to visit the national park.

Morning and afternoon safari in an open 4x4 Jeep.

Early this morning, enjoy a final safari in Kanha and then transfer to Pench National Park (approximately five hours). Situated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Pench National Park is the 19th reserve in the Project Tiger conservation program and has been one of the best-kept secrets among wildlife enthusiasts. The fairly open canopy of mixed forest, predominantly teak, with open grassy patches, boasts the highest density of herbivores of any Indian park. Notable wildlife - including leopard, tiger, jungle cat, dhole (wild dog), sloth bear, wild boar, mongoose, gaur and herbivores including cheetal (spotted deer) and sambar - can be found at this national park. During the coming days on safari, focus on photographing wild dogs as the target species. Upon arrival, check in to luxury tent accommodations.

Early morning and afternoon game safaris into Pench National Park.

Early morning and afternoon game safaris into Pench National Park.

Early morning and afternoon game safaris into Pench National Park.

After our final early morning safari (flight times permitting), we will return to our camp for breakfast. We will transfer (approximately three hours) to Nagpur airport for the flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, check into the hotel to rest and prepare for your flights home departing this evening.

Arrive in the United States.