India Safaris

Tigers and Birds

First class tours use 5 star hotels and air-conditioned transport, Tourist class tours use 2 star hotels and non air-conditioned transport otherwise services are the same.

Day 01:

Arrive Delhi Check into Hotel. Remainder of the day free to enable you to sample some of Delhi's avian and historical sights, or to just relax and recover after your flight.

Day 02:

A full day of sight seeing in Delhi the capital city of India, Delhi is a magnificent city incorporating the historic old city. It sprawls over a vast tract of the Jamuna plain, its population – 13.8 million Delhi was the centre of power of the various Muslim dynasties that ruled swathes of the subcontinent from the 12th century onwards. Modern Delhi is really two cities – Old Delhi (Kutub Minar, President House, National Museum & India Gate.. * B& B plan (Overnight at the hotel

Day 03

Drive to Bharatpur. Check in Laxmi Vilas palace or similar. Evening Park round. Bharatpur, an impregnable fortified city is today famous for the nearby Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary. Once the shooting preserve of royalty,   it is perhaps the most spectacular water-bird sanctuary in India. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - 3 Km. Also known as the Keoladeo Ghanga Sanctuary, it is famous for rare avian species. Stretching over a 29 sq. km. marshy area it is an ideal terrain for migratory birds. Some 353 species live and breed within the park, some of which are egrets, darters, cormorants, grey herons, sarus crane, siberian crane, rosy headed pelican etc. There are also a number of spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, wild boar, python and porcupine. Jeepable roads that form a network through the marshland and boats that can be painted through weeds make for easy viewing of the birds.

SITE DESCRIPTION The site comprises a freshwater swamp which is part of the Indogangetic Great Plains. For much of the year, however, the wetland area is only some 1,000ha. The area is flooded in the monsoon (July-September) to an average depth of 1-2m. From October to January the water level gradually falls, and from February the land begins to dry out. By June only some water remains. The environment is partly man-made with dykes dividing the area into 10 units, each with a system of sluice gates to control water level. It is unlikely that the site would support such numbers of waterfowl as it does without the addition of water from Ajan Bund, a man-made impoundment. Soils are predominantly alluvial - some clay has formed as a result of the periodic inundations. The mean annual precipitation is 662mm, with rain falling on an average of 36 days per year. The aquatic vegetation is rich and provides a valuable food source for waterfowl. Species include water lilies Nymphea nouchatia, N. stellata and N. cristata, the true lotus Nilumbium sp., duckweeds Lemna sp. water fern Azolla sp., Vallisneria sp., Hydrilla sp., Naga sp., Chara sp., Ipoma sp., sedges Cyperus sp. and lesser reedmace Typha angustata. There is also wild rice. Other vegetation is characteristic of a semi arid zone dominated by babul Acacia nilotica, ber Zizyphus mauritiana, khejri Prosopis cineraria, Salvadora oleoides, S. persica and Capparis aphylla. The fauna includes: rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta, langur Presbytis entellus, small carnivores such as Bengal fox Vulpes bengalensis, jackal Canis aureus, striped hyena Hyaena hyaena, common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, small Indian civet Viverricula indica, Indian grey mongoose Herpestes edwardsi, fishing cat Felis viverrina, leopard cat F. bengalensis, jungle cat F. chaus and smooth-coated otter Lutra perspicillata. Ungulates include blackbuck Antilope cervicapra (60), chital Cervus axis (350), sambar C. unicolor, hog deer C. porcinus, nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus (480) and wild boar Sus scrofa. The figures in brackets refer to the number of animals counted in the 1980 census. Other mammals include Indian porcupine Hystrix indica and Indian hare Lepus nigricollis.

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL IMPORTANCE The site supports some 364 bird species and is considered to be one of the world's best and richest bird areas. It is the major wintering ground of the western population of the endangered Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus. A total of 41, including eight young, were recorded in December 1984, the highest number for many years (ICBP, 1985) but there were only 19 in 1988-89. Other species include gadwall Anas strepera, shoveler A. clypeata, common teal A. crecca, cotton teal Nettapus coromandelianus, tufted duck Aythya fuligula, comb duck Sarkidiornis melanotos, white spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, little cormorant Phalacrocorax niger, cormorant P. carbo, Indian shag P. fuscicollis, painted stork Ibis leucocepalus, Asian open-billed stork Anastomus oscitans, oriental ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, ruff Philomachus pugnax (probably the most abundant wader), darter Anhinga melanogaster, spot-billed pelican Pelecanus philippensis, common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, wood sandpiper Tringa glareola, green sandpiper T. ochropus and Sarus crane Grus antigone. There are many birds of prey including osprey Pandion haliaetus, peregrine Falco peregrinus, Pallas' fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus, short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus, tawny eagle Aquila rapax, imperial eagle A. heliaca, spotted eagle A. clanga and crestedserpent eagle Spilornis cheela.

Day 04/05

Bharatpur. Morning evening birding.

Day 06

Drive by road to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal. Later take a direct train to Umaryia for Bandhavgarh National Park. Overnight train.

Day 07

Reach Umariya early morning & drive to Bandhavgarh National Park (34 km) in AC car/coach. Evening game drive Bandhavgarh. Once part of the old Rewa state, Bandhavgarh National Park is set amidst the Vindhya ranges with a series of ridges running through it. Initially this park was the royal hunting ground for the rulers of Rewa. But in 1968 it was declared a National Park. The Bandhavgarh National Park is the plave where the famous white tigers of Rewa were discovered. Bandhavgarh is densely populated with other animal species too. The sambar, barking deer and nilgai are also common sights in the open areas of the park. (Overnight Jungle lodge)

Day 08

Morning evening game drive.

Day 09

Morning evening game drive Bandhavgarh. About half the park is covered with fine stands of sal, while mixed forests are found in the higher reaches of the hills. Stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the north. The main viewing area is still in the core of the Park with its 32 picturesque, wooded hills. An ancient fort up on a precipice, 800 metres high, dominates the Park. (Over night at the Resort)

Day 10

Leave Bandhavgarh early morning for Kanha National Park. Reach Kanha by lunch time, check in to the Krishna Jungle Resort & get ready for the evening game drive. World renowned for its population of tigers, Kanha National Park provides excellent opportunities for observing these magnificent animals in the wild on jeep drives and elephant back, while this lushly forested country is immediately familiar to readers of Rudyard Kipling, it has also recently been the site of extensive research on the ecology of tiger, deer, languor, Barasingha deer, guar and wild dogs. (Over night at the Resort)

Day 11

Morning evening game drive in Kanha game reserve. Spend the full day viewing game and spotting TIGERS inside the Jungle, located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, the Kanha National Park is a Tiger Reserve that extends over 1945 sq. km. of undulating country. Elevations range from 450 to 900 meters. A horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal ridge gives Kanha an interesting topography. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha's central maidans – grasslands (Over night at the resort)

Day 12

Morning evening game drive in Kanha game reserve.  It was here at Kanha that the eminent zoologist George Schaller undertook the first ever-scientific study of the tiger. The animals at Kanha are best observed from elephant back and the open country makes the chance of sightings reasonably good. Deer are seen along the maidans and gaur at Bamhindadr or in the Bishanpura Sondhar - Ghorella area of the Mukki range. This area is also ideal for spotting the dhole or wild dog. Langurs, wild boar, water fowl and birds are also commonly seen. (Over night at the resort)

Day 13

We must leave Kanha behind and make an early morning start for Jabalpur en route visit Nerbudda Club to see the Original Snooker Tables. (The game of snooker was originated from Jabalpur Nerbudda Club) have Lunch at Hotel Krishna Jabalpur. Board Super Fast train at 3 P.M.

Day 14

Reach Delhi by 11 a.m. Go straight to a good restaurant for lunch, after lunch drive to International Airport to catch a flight back to your destination.

Hotel category – 5 star hotel in Delhi & Agra. 'A' class wildlife resorts

Cost includes: Accommodation on twin sharing basis

• 2 Nights in Delhi Hotel Park or similar (5 star)
• 3 Nights in Bharatpur Forest Lodge or Laxmi Vilas palace
• 3 nights in Bandhavgarh Nature Heritage or similar
• 3 nights in Kanha National Park The Krishna Jungle Resort
• 2 nights in train Air-conditioned sleeper train
• Delhi & Agra on B&B Basis. Delhi & Agra with all monuments fees, guide & local Sight seeing.
• Bharatpur, Kanha & Bandhavgarh is on full board Jungle plan.
• Airport  pickup & drop off.

Cost does not include:

• Optional tours/excursions
• Personal & incidental expenses
• Tips, laundry, phone calls, bottled water, alcohol, camera fee etc.
• Meals unless specified and meals in transit