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Heart of India
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Join us for a 'Tiger Special' at the heart of India, visiting Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks for the best chances of seeing Tiger. We combine this with an optional extension to Chambal River and the Taj Mahal.For the wildlife enthusiast, few parts of the great Indian subcontinent can rival the remote national parks of Bandhavgarh and Kanha. Situated in Madyha Pradesh, together they enclose some 2000 sq kms of lush grassland and forest at the very heart of India. The setting for Kipling's classic The Jungle Book, this region also has a relatively low human population. All are factors which are important in maintaining the healthiest population of that most magnificent of all India's wild creatures - the Tiger!Currently, there is perhaps nowhere better than the fabulous setting of Bandhavgarh to see this, the world's ultimate feline predator. With the aid of elephants, it is sometimes possible to get close enough to seemingly smell their breath - truly a spine-tingling moment in one's life! Birds will be conspicuous too, forming mixed roving parties in the woodlands at this time of year, when India's resident species are joined by winter visitors from both Siberian and Himalayan forests. After starting our birdwatching at Sultanpur near Delhi, we travel south to one of India's largest national parks: Kanha. In March, as water becomes scarcer, mammals become increasingly drawn to the park's wetlands. Following four-nights at Kanha, we transfer to Bandhavgarh National Park. Set amid the rocky hills of the Vindhya range, Bandhavgarh is barely one-third the size of Kanha - but is simply the most reliable place in all India to regularly see and experience close encounters with Tiger! An exciting optional extension then takes us to the Chambal River, for some terrific wetland birding and a day sightseeing at Agra. Join us for a superb 'Birds & Tigers' tour, as we combine the thrill of India's top two Tiger reserves with the wonderful Chambal Sanctuary and the marble magnificence of the ethereal Taj Mahal. Accommodation: We stay at the better quality tourist hotels in Delhi and Agra, and use lodges at the quality end of the available accommodation at Kanha and Bandhavgargh Tiger Reserves, where lodgings are comfortable but more simple and rustic. All rooms have air-conditioning and private facilities (also, should they be needed, mosquito nets). With twelve comfortable but simple en suite rooms, Chambal Safari Lodge where we stay on the tour extension, is an oasis of calm and tranquility nestling on a 35 acre heritage estate. |
Prices:
The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of return scheduled flights London-Delhi; domestic return flight Delhi-Jabalpur-Delhi; all accommodation and meals; surface transport by coach and train, with 4WD vehicle and/or elephant-back in the National Parks (as outlined in the itinerary); Chambal River boat trip; entrance fees at the national parks and monuments; sightseeing excursions as per itinerary; porterage; tips and airport taxes; map; bird and mammal checklist; and services of the leader/s.
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Meals: All included in the price. Most meals are taken at the hotels and lodges with picnics on travelling days. As one would expect, food is generally Indian in style, though the lodges will endeavour to meet special requirements if given a little prior warning.
Walking: Easy. Please note: owing to the presence of Tiger and other large mammals, away from the lodges and other designated areas the majority of bird and mammal-watching within India's Tiger reserves must be done by jeep - or elephant back! - so little opportunity for any sustained walking exists. There are no such restrictions on the Chambal River extension, where we are free to explore on foot. Leaders: Brian Small & local guides Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Click here for a full, printable itinerary |
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