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Tiger Safari Holidays India Bandhavgarh Kanha Pench Tadoba Satpura

Birding Holiday, India + Tiger Reserves (Satpura + Pench + Kanha) + Taj Mahal

Birding Holiday, India: Taj Mahal + Satpura + Pench + Kanha
Birding Holiday India Tiger Reserves Satpura Pench Kanha Taj Mahal
11 NIGHTS FROM:
$4,744
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
7IPP12D
• Birding Holiday, India
• Delhi
• Taj Mahal
• Satpura
• Birding on Foot & by Canoe
• Pench National Park
• Birding Game Drives
• Kanha National Park
• Birding Guide
• India Tiger Reserves

This wildlife and birding holiday in India visits three famous tiger reserves - Satpura, Pench & Kanha. Accompanied by your own private birding guide, discover the birds and other wildlife of these national parks, including sloth bears in Satpura, if you are fortunate. Also visit the Taj Mahal on a day trip from Delhi. English speaking birding guide, all transfers, jeep safaris & park fees included.

Day 1
You will be met at Delhi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this ancient capital of kingdoms and empires that is now a sprawling metropolis.
 
Delhi's strategic location was one of the main reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power and today it is a conglomerate of seven cities. The division between the old walled city and New Delhi marks a division in lifestyles, with the old city retaining its past traditions whilst New Delhi strives to match the pace of the 21st century.
Day 2
Today enjoy a full day private tour of modern New Delhi and the 17th century walled city of Old Delhi, which came to prominence when Shah Jahan moved his capital here from Agra.
 
In Old Delhi enjoy a cycle rickshaw ride through 300-year old Chandni Chowk market, a maze of lanes crowded with noisy shops selling an extraordinary variety of items and foods, and past the Jama Masjid (or Friday Mosque), the largest in India, and drive past the imposing walls & battlements of the Red Fort, once the most opulent palace in the Mughal Empire. We continue to the Raj Ghat - the simple but moving memorial on the site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
 
In the afternoon our tour of New Delhi starts with a visit to the Qutub Minar, an ancient victory tower built of red sandstone and marble in 1199 and still the tallest minaret in India. With its imposing cylindrical towers and surrounding ruins, it is today a World Heritage Site. Our next stop is Humayun's Tomb, the beautiful mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, that inspired the Taj Mahal.
 
We drive along the Rajpath - the capital's broadest avenue - where you will see the imposing arch of the India Gate war memorial, Parliament House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential residence built for the Viceroy of India, and the government buildings on Raisina Hill.
 
Note: The Red Fort is closed on Mondays.
Day 3
This morning we drive 3.5-hours from Delhi to the ancient city of Agra, set along the banks of the Yamuna River and originally the capital of the Mughal Empire.
 
Along the way we visit the Agra Bear Rescue Centre. This facility provides sanctuary to over 200 orphaned and distressed sloth bears, including many rescued dancing circus bears.
 
Afterwards we continue to Agra, which is world renowned as the home of the Taj Mahal - that great symbol of love built by emperor Shah Jahan in the 16th century as a memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.
 
In the late afternoon, visit the Mehtab Bagh Gardens that are located across the river from the Taj Mahal, to enjoy your first views of this magnificent edifice at sunset.
Day 4
Rise early this morning to visit the stunning Taj Mahal at sunrise. This magnificent white marble mausoleum took 22 years to build and, apart from its stunning design and perfect symmetry, it is noted for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best marble inlay work ever done. Sunrise and sunset are particularly good times to visit and see the dome subtly change its colour.
 
After returning to your hotel for breakfast, later in the day we visit Agra Fort, a massive structure with walls over 70-ft high and 1.5-miles long that encompasses an astounding collection of well preserved buildings, many of them completed during the reign of Shah Jahan. After he was deposed by his son, he was imprisoned in this fort where he remained until his death - spending the rest of his life looking out along the river to the final resting place of his beloved wife.
 
Note: Taj Mahal is closed every Friday. You are allowed a maximum of 3-hours at the monument and cannot take in anything except your camera, water and essential medicine. From mid-January to mid-February there may be early morning fog, in which case you will visit the Taj Mahal a little later.
Day 5
This morning transfer 3.5-hours to Delhi Airport for your flight to Bhopal.
 
You will be met at Bhopal Airport and transferred 3.5-hours to Satpura National Park. Named after the Satpura Range, this rugged reserve with its sandstone peaks, narrow gorges, ravines and dense forests preserves over 850 square miles (2,200 sq.km) of the central Indian highlands eco-system - together with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries. With an altitude ranging from the level plains of Churna (984 ft / 300 m) to the Dhoopgarh Peak (4,430 ft / 1,350 m), this park sustains a wide diversity of birdlife, animals and plants.
 
At dusk enjoy a private Night Drive, searching for the nocturnal birds and animals of Satpura by spotlight.
Day 6
This morning enjoy exploring the dense vegetation of Satpura National Park on foot with your birding guide, followed by a canoe ride down the Denwa River. In the afternoon venture further afield on a jeep safari.
 
Satpura is home to a wide variety of butterflies and over 300 species of birds that live in these lowlands, wetlands and mountains. During the winter months many build their nests and roost here, making this a particularly rewarding time to visit. You can hope to see the Peacock, Grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Black shouldered kite, Treepie, Shikra and many more species.
 
This park is very rich in biodiversity and in this sanctuary you can also hope to see sambar, nilgai, chital, Indian muntjac, four-horned antelope, chinkara, wild boar, black buck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer, Indian giant squirrel and the elusive leopard. Leopard and Sloth bear sightings in this park are particularly good, but tiger sightings are rare.
 
The flora is also very interesting, consists of mainly sal forest with teak, tendu and mahua trees. You will also find bamboo, Indian gooseberries, bel fruits and many grasses and medicinal plants.
 
Note: You will need to take a copy of your passport with you to enter the national park. In the winter months wear warm clothes, including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
 
This reserve is closed every Wednesday, as well as during the Holi & Diwali festivals and during the monsoon season (July to September).
Day 7
Today enjoy a full day jeep safari, taking the 20-mile (30 km) Churna Route deep into the forests of Satpura National Park.
 
Birdlife is prolific, but this route is notable for its Sloth Bear sightings. You can also hope to see leopard, wild dogs, Indian gaur (bison), malabar squirrel and nilgai. The probability of seeing a tiger is also higher in this zone, but sightings are still relatively rare.
 
A hot lunch is included today at Churna Forest Guest House.
 
Note: You will need to take a copy of your passport with you to enter the national park. In the winter months wear warm clothes, including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
 
This reserve is closed every Wednesday, as well as during the Holi & Diwali festivals and during the monsoon season (July to September).
Day 8
This morning enjoy a private jeep safari in beautiful Pench National Park that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write his famous children's story - The Jungle Book - featuring Mowgli the man cub, Shere Kahn the tiger, Baloo the sloth bear, Kaa the snake and King Louis the amusing ape.
 
There are over 170 different species of birds in this small reserve, which is divided by the Pench River. Tiger sightings are also good but are never guaranteed. You may also see chital, sambar, nilgai, wild boar, jackal and barking deer. Jungle cats and leopards are also present but rarely seen.
 
In the afternoon return to the park for another private game drive.
 
Note: You will need to take a copy of your passport with you to enter the national park. Please note that we have no control over the driver and vehicle allocated to you, as this is done by the local park authorities according to a rota. In the winter months wear warm clothes, including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
 
This tiger reserve is closed every Wednesday afternoon, when only a morning game drive is offered. The park is also closed during the Holi & Diwali festivals, as well as during the monsoon season (July to early October).
Day 9
Enjoy another early morning jeep safari in Pench National Park today.
 
Afterwards we drive 4.5-hours to Kanha National Park - one of the largest and most scenic national parks in India and an ideal habitat for tigers and their prey.
 
Five times the size of Bandhavgarh, Kanha's mixed forests are interspersed with vast meadows known as maidans. Perennial streams run through these, providing a source of water for wildlife even in the hot summer months. As a result hundreds of chital deer graze on carpets of green grass, against a backdrop of majestic sal tree forests. On arrival check into your lodge in this premier wildlife sanctuary.
Day 10
Rise at dawn to observe the birds and other wildlife of Kanha National Park, which is particularly well known for its endangered swamp deer (or hardwater barasingha) which live on large open grassy meadows amongst the lush sal and bamboo forests. Brought back from the brink of extinction, these handsome animals are a remarkable conservation success story.
 
Early morning is the best time to track tigers, but be aware that it is extremely difficult to find tigers in the jungle and sightings are never guaranteed. Best viewings are generally at the end of the dry season (March to May, although it is extremely hot from April onwards), when the tigers search out the waterholes - but you need to take at least 4 game drives for a good chance of a sighting. Sloth bears are also found in this park.
 
Two private jeep safaris per day are included - one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon.
 
Note: You will need to take a copy of your passport with you to enter the national park. Please note that we have no control over the driver and vehicle allocated to you, as this is done by the local park authorities according to a rota. In the winter months wear warm clothes, including woolly hats and gloves to protect you from the wind chill in your open vehicle.
 
This tiger reserve is closed every Wednesday afternoon, when only a morning game drive is offered. The park is also closed during the Holi & Diwali festivals, as well as during the monsoon season (July to early October).
Day 11
Enjoy a final early morning private jeep safari in Kanha National Park.
 
Afterwards transfer 4-hours to Jabalpur Airport for your flight to Delhi,  where you will be met and transferred to your hotel situated near the airport.
Day 12
Transfer to Delhi Airport for your flight home.