OVERVIEW: WILDLIFE TOUR OF INDIA

Madhya Pradesh, as its name implies lies in the heart of India. The state consists largely of a plateau streaked with hill ranges of the Vindhya and the Satpura. Nearly a third of the state area is covered with tropical forest that offers a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife. During this adventure tour, tiger spotting is virtually guaranteed at Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National Park. The vegetation is chiefly of sal forest in the valleys and on the lower slopes, gradually changing to the mixed deciduous forest on the hills. Along with this, you will also get a chance to visit India Gate, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, and many more in the capital city of Delhi. During this 9 Nights and 8 Days Wildlife Tour of India you will experience the different tranquil surroundings of the land of the white tiger and beautiful lush greenery. To add a tingle of adventure to your trip, avail the services of an experienced naturalist in your safaris to the park.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Visiting the attractions in Delhi including India Gate and Red Fort

Wildlife spotting inside the Bandhavgarh National Park

Morning and evening safari inside the Kanha National Park

Wildlife viewing inside the Pench National Park

ITINERARY DETAILS

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi

On your arrival at the Delhi airport, transfer to the pre-booked hotel.  After check-in formalities, the rest of the day is free for leisure activities such as exploring the brilliant eateries and designer bars, and nearby surroundings on footstep, one can buy goods here from pretty much anywhere in India. Stay overnight in the hotel.

Day 2: Delhi

After breakfast, your tour is scheduled for a city tour including, from a tourist’s point of view Delhi is divided into New Delhi and Old Delhi. The major list of attractions of today includes Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Parliament House, India Gate, Jama Masjid, and Gandhi Memorial. The evening is for attending a sound and light show at the Red Fort. Overnight stay in Delhi.

Day 3: Delhi – Jabalpur (by air) – Bandhavgarh (by road)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and get assisted transfer to the Delhi airport to board a flight to Jabalpur. Once you reach Jabalpur airport, begin your driving to the Bandhavgarh National Park. This is where the Maharaja of Rewa found the world’s, first white tiger. The park is replete with deer, leopard, sambar, and wild boar. Once you arrive at the national park, complete the check-in formalities at the pre-decided hotel. In the afternoon, post lunch, indulge yourself in the wildlife viewing during a jungle safari. After dinner, overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4: Bandhavgarh National Park

The fourth day of the tour is for wildlife safaris and kicks off in the early morning. There are two main ways of getting about in the park – in a motor vehicle or an elephant – back. Covering an area of 448 sq. km, Bandhavgarh is outlying the hills of the Vindhya Range. The vegetation is chiefly of sal forest in the valleys and on the lower slopes, gradually changing to mixed deciduous forests on the hills and in the hotter, drier areas of the park in the south and west. There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. During your safari, you can spot animals like the Asiatic jackal, nilgai, spotted deer, striped hyena, wild pig, sambar, Bengal tigers, sloth bear, grey mongoose, python, rat snake, red jungle fowl, chinkara, wild boar and more.

Another attraction of the day is a visit to the Bandhavgarh Fort, sided with great cliffs and eroded rocks, thought to be 2000 years old scattered throughout the park. Particularly, around the fort, there are numerous caves containing shrines and ancient Sanskrit inscriptions. The last inhabitants deserted the fort in 1935. Birdlife is abundant at Bandhavgarh, the common ones are black kite, little grebe egret, crane, red jungle fowl, dove, kingfisher, parakeet, common peafowl, and Indian roller. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 5: Bandhavgarh National Park – Kanha National Park

In the morning post breakfast, drive to the Kanha National Park (approx. 6 hrs), a project tiger reserve since 1974, Kanha does Madhya Pradesh proud. Vividly portrayed in Kipling’s Jungle Book, its sal forests, grasslands and streams are the haunts of the majestic tiger. Spread over 940 sq. km in natural splendor, Kanha is located in the Maikal Hills of the Satpuras. On arrival in the Kanha in the afternoon. Check-in at the hotel and take a rest for a while. The rest of the day is free for you to indulge in leisure activities.

Day 6: Kanha National Park

Enjoy a warm breakfast in the refreshing morning in the Kanha National Park. You will leave for the jungle safari inside the Kanha National Park- one in the morning and then one in the evening. Forest Department guides accompany visitors around the park on mapped-out circuits which enable viewers to see a good cross-section of Kanha’s wildlife. The best areas are the meadows around Kanha, where blackbuck, chital, and barasingha can be seen throughout the day.

Kanha has some 22 species of mammals. Those easily spotted are the striped palm squirrel, common langur, jackal, wild pig, chital, tiger, Indian bison, leopard, sloth bear, swamp deer, striped hyena, chausingha or four-horned antelope, and many more. Bamni Dadar is known as Sunset Point, this is one of the most beautiful areas of the park, from where a spectacular sunset can be watched. The dense luxuriance of Kanha’s forests can best be seen from here. The jeeps are available on hire for touring the park and elephants are used for tiger tracking should a tiger be located, the elephant can take visitors to the site. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: Kanha – Pench National Park

Once you have your breakfast, get transferred to the Pench national park by road. Covering an area of around 758 sq. km of land, now renamed Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park located in the Seoni and Chindwara districts.  The location of the Pench had been mentioned in The Jungle Book of Rudyard Kipling and in Abul Fazal’s Ain-i-Akbari for its natural wonders. In 2011, Pench also won the Best Management Award. On reaching Pench, complete your check-in formalities at the hotel. Enjoy your lunch. Later, embark on for viewing inside the park. The park is known for its large population of chital and sambar, and the Pench Tiger Reserve boasts the highest density of herbivores in India. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 8: Pench National Park

On the 8th day of the tour, enjoy a wildlife safari inside the park in the morning and evening. The area is especially famous for large herds of gaur, nilgai, and wild dog. The tiger, leopard, barking deer, and chinkara are also found in large numbers, along with over two hundred and eighty-five species of resident and migratory birds. After dinner, overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 9: Pench – Nagpur (By road) - Mumbai- Departure

Today is the last day of the tour, and after breakfast at the hotel, get transferred to Nagpur airport. From here, you catch a flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival at the Mumbai airport, from there you can further go for the journey.