NEI (UK)'s holidays to India... welcome..

Land of the Tiger

An expedition through central India’s wilderness, including three of the best National Parks in India and also visits to Taj Mahal and Havelis of Jaipur

Duration: 16 days total - including flying time.

Focus: Wildlife, Culture, Art and History

Route at a Glance:
Mumbai – Nagpur – Pench N P – Kanha NP – Bandhavgarh NP – Agra –Bharatpur- Jaipur – Mumbai

Day 1:      London Heathrow to Mumbai

Day 2 :    Arrive Mumbai
On arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the morning is free for you to recover from the flight. In the afternoon a visit to Elephanta Caves, by boat, will be arranged . Overnight at hotel.

Day 3 :   Mumbai / Nagpur / Pench National Park
After breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Nagpur. Upon arrival at Nagpur you will be met at the airport and driven about (95km/2hr) to Pench National Park. Check-in at your hotel and after lunch once the sun lowers in the sky there will be a chance for your first game viewing in open jeeps. O/n in jungle camp (deluxe tents).

Pench is a scenic reserve, covered in prime teak forest and grassland nestling in the undulating terrain of the Satpura Range, it is drained by the Pench and Wainganga rivers. The wildlife found here includes Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Chowsingha, Wild Boar, Jackal, Wild Dog, Wolf, Hyena, Sloth Bear, Jungle Cat, Leopard and the Royal Bengal Tigeras well as small mammals like Flying Squirrel, Palm and Small Civet, Common and Ruddy mongoose and over 250 species of birds including Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Stork, Crested Serpent Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard and White-eyed Buzzard.

Day 4 :      Pench National Park
Morning and evening jeep safaris: the rest of the day is free to relax or you could walk into the park. All meals are included. Overnight in jungle camp.

Day 5 :     Pench to Kanha National Park
After breakfast there will be a lovely drive through dense forest, cultivated fields and villages to Kanha National Park. Lunch en route, dinner and overnight in resort.

Day 06 & 0 7:      Explore Kanha National Park
Over the next two days you will have a chance to explore by Jeep or possibly elephant back, Kipling Country, said to be one of the greatest wildlife havens on our planet. You will be able to track game in the great forests of sal that have given birth to many jungle adventures, especially the much loved English classic by Rudyard Kipling – The Jungle Book. Kipling based his tale on the wildlife of Kanha in the late 19th century and thus Kanha is also known as ‘Kipling Country’.
The grassy plateaux, wooded hills and valleys of Kanha are home to the legendary Sher Khan the Tiger, the loveable Baloo the Bear, the wise Bagheera the Panther and dreaded Kaa the Rock Python. An important inhabitant of the Park is the Gaur, the largest wild ox in the world (sometimes wrongly referred to as the bison, which it is not). Besides them several large and small mammals, reptiles and birds inhabit the Park.
Overnight in a jungle lodge.

Day 8 :      Delightful drive of about 7hrs to Bandhavgarh
Today you leave Kanha and set out towards another green jewel of India – Bandhavgarh National Park. Upon arrival you will be checked into your hotel where you can relax and recover from the journey. O/n at resort.

Day 9 & 10 :     Explore Bandhavgarh National Park
Over the next two days you will explore the jungle by jeep. O/n at resort.

Bandhavgarh’s claim to international fame is the discovery of white tigers by the Maharaja of the princely state of Rewa, in 1951 although unfortunately white tigers are not found in the wild anymore and survive only in the various zoos around the world. The Park covers an area of around 437 sq. km and although it is a relatively new National Park, it has a very long history. Historically this area has been a centre of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years.
The animal life in the Park is prolific: Nilgai, Chowsingha, Chinkara, Wild Boar, Jackal, Fox, Porcupine, Ratel and three species of deer are found in the Park along with the Leopard and the Tiger. The best way to look out for game is on elephant-back and, if possible, this will be arranged for you.
One of the main attractions in the Park, besides the wildlife, is the Fort of Bandhavgarh. Sitting on a plateau, overlooking the National Park it offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

Day 11 :      Drive to Umaria to board train to Agra
After breakfast and the morning safari you will say good-bye to the jungle folk of Bandhavgarh and be driven to Umaria to board overnight train (dep: 2025 hrs) to Agra and begin the next stage of your journey through India. O/n on train.

Day 12 :     Arrive Agra Visit Taj and Agra Fort. Afternoon Drive to Bharatpur.
You arrive in Agra early in the morning at 0630hrs when you will be met and escorted to a good restaurant for breakfast & wash. Suitably refreshed you will then be driven to the Taj Mahal to see the unsurpassed momument to a mans love for his wife. Later you will visit the Red Fort in Agra. After visiting the Taj and Agra Fort, you will be driven some 45kms to Bharatpur, en-route stopping at the deserted sand stone building of Fatehpur Sikri and the Sufi shrine of Salim Chishti. On arrival you will be checked into your hotel and can relax for what remains of the day. O/n at hotel.

Day 13 :     Bharatpur to Jaipur
Early morning walking tour of the Bharatpur Bird Santuary, one of the best birdwatching locations in India. After returning to your hotel to pack, in the late afternoon you will continue your journey to Jaipur: Jaipur is known as the Pink City, because many buildings are still washed pink, the traditional colour of welcome. Evening free. O/n at hotel.

Day 14 :    Jaipur
After breakfast you will be driven to nearby Amber, ascending the steep road to the 16th century hilltop fortress on elephant back to see the Palace and its richly decorated apartments. You will visit the palace and its many intricate chambers and hallways, which have breathtaking views of the Jal Mahal (Water Palace) below. In the afternoon you can visit City Palace, still occupied by Jai Singh’s descendants, and a superb fusion of Rajput and Mughal architecture. On the periphery of the Palace stands the Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, an elaborate pink sandstone façade behind which the ladies of the court used to watch the daily goings-on in the street below. O/n at hotel.

Day 15 :    Jaipur – Mumbai (fly)
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival at Mumbai you will be escorted to an airport hotel to relax and await your flight back to the UK. Late night transfer to the airport for return journey home.

Please contact us for further information and prices.