North & Central India Wildlife
Duration: 23 Days
Places to visit: New Delhi – Corbett – New Delhi – Agra – Katni – Bandhavgarh – Kanha – Pench – Tadoba – Nagpur – New Delhi
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival in New Delhi
On arrival at the airport in New Delhi you will be received by our representatives who will then take you to the Hotel.
Overnight in New Delhi.
Day 2. Delhi – Corbett
After breakfast drive to Corbett National Park (260 km/5 hrs). On arrival check into the hotel. Evening bird watching close to the hotel and a nearby river. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3. Corbett
Morning and afternoon game drives, meals and overnight at a Forest Lodge inside the National Park.
Corbett has aptly been described as the land of the Roar, Trumpet and Song. It represents a scene of remarkable beauty. Corbett had the proud distinction of being the chosen venue for the inauguration of Project Tiger in India. The rich biodiversity of the Park is partly attributed to the variety of habitat found here. Due to the location of the Park in thefoothills of the central Himalayas, both Himalayan and peninsular flora and fauna are found here.
Day 4. Corbett
Morning and afternoon game drives, meals and overnight at a Forest Lodge inside the National Park.
India’s first and finest Park is spread over 520 sq. km along the banks of the Ramganga river, just 300 km northeast of Delhi in the foothills of the Himalayas. Established initially as Hailey National Park on August 8th 1936, in honour of Sir Malcolm Hailey, then governor of the United Provinces, the name was changed to Ramganga National Park in 1952. In 1957, it was finally named as Corbett National Park in honour and memory of the late Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter, naturalist-turned-author and photographer who had helped in setting up the Park and demarcating its boundaries.
Day 5. Corbett – New Delhi
Morning visit to the National Park and later drive to New Delhi (260 km/5 hrs). Overnight in New Delhi.
Day 6. New Delhi – Ranthambhore
After an early breakfast, transfer to railway station to board a 2nd Class, air-conditioned train to Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore). Transfer to Resort in time for lunch. Afternoon game drive to Ranthambhore National Park. Dinner and overnight at Resort.
Day 7. Ranthambhore
Morning and evening drives in the Park. All meals and overnight in Resort.
Ranthambhore – With an area of 400 sq. km encompassing rocky hill crests which descend to open valleys between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges, dotted with water pools and fruit trees, this Park gets its name from the thousand year old fortress, which looms above the forest. Well known for the diurnal activity of tigers, Ranthambhore is a very special and unusual area where a natural present meets a historical past. Sambar, cheetal, chinkara, nilgai and langur, the elusive leopard and tigers are found in this reserve with tourists standing a very good chance of seeing tigers during the day.
Dotted across the landscape are the crumbling ruins of its past glory, be it chatris or cupolas, like palaces or old guard posts, all of which reinforce the magical and ethereal quality of this great wilderness.
Day 8. Ranthambhore
Morning and evening drives in the Park. All meals and overnight inResort.
During the day visit the famous Ranthambhore Fort (12 km from the Resort). Perhaps the only fort which is not visible from a long distance, it is a massive enclave. Mughal Emperor Shah Alam gifted it to Sawai Madho Singh I of Jaipur in 1754 AD and since then it was maintained as a private hunting preserve. It’s a unique Rajput Fort.
Day 9. Ranthambhore – Agra
Morning game drive to the National Park and later drive to Agra (265 km/5 hrs).
En route visit Fatehpur Sikri – this exquisite city built by Akbar the Great in 1569, in red sandstone, with its forts, palaces and mosques was abandoned 14 years after its creation due to political reasons. The Diwan-i-am, a vast courtyard in which the Emperor gave a daily public audience, Diwan-i-khas, a large quadrangle which contained all the major functions of the Palace, Pachisi court, the Emperors private living quarter, Jodha Bhai’s Palace, Mariam’s Palace, Birbal’s Palace, Hawa Mahal and Panch Mahal are some of the important buildings of this residential complex. The Friday Mosque and the exquisite tomb of Sheik Salim Chisti are in the religious grounds set aside in a separate enclosure adjacent to the secular buildings.
Continue drive to Agra after visiting Fatehpur Sikri (49 km). On arrival, check in to the hotel.
Agra is famous as the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Taj Mahal. The architectural splendour of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces in Agra is a vivid reminder of the opulence of the legendary Mughal Empire. Agra was their capital for nearly a hundred years from 1564. A pleasant town, with a comparatively easy pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone by artisans who are hereditary craftpersons. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes. Overnight in Agra.
Day 10. Agra – Katni
City tour of Agra starting with a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal – the inimitable poem in white marble. Built over a period of 22 years, by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1630, for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains, it is one of the seven modern wonders of the world. Later visit the Agra Fort, built by three Mughal Emperors starting from Akbar the Great in 1565 AD, which is a masterpiece of design and construction. Within the fort are a number of exquisite buildings including the Moti Masjid, Jahangir’s Palace, Khas Mahal and the Sheesh Mahal, Diwane-i-Am, Diwane-i-Khas and Musamman Burj, where Emperor Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor, died a prisoner.
In the evening board a 1st Class A/C Sleeper class overnight train to Katni (Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve). We will organize your packed dinner for your overnight train journey. Our representative will assist you, take care of the porterage and make you comfortable in the train. Overnight train with bedding provided by the Indian Railways.
Day 11. Katni – Bandhavgarh
Arrive Katni in early morning. Drive to Bandhavgarh National Park (95 km/2 hrs). Afternoon game drive to the National Park. Meals and overnight at Resort.
Day 12. Bandhavgarh
Morning and afternoon game drives. All meals and overnight at Resort.
Bandhavgarh – the National Park is mainly known for its tiger population. This is where the famous White Tigers of Rewa were discovered. The other wild attractions in the Park include leopard, nilgai, chausingha, deer, antelope, wild boar, sloth bear, fox, jackal, etc. There are at least 22 mammal species and about 250 bird species in the Park. Other animals found in Bandhavgarh are ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, jungle cat, and hyena. The reptile population in the Park includes cobra, krait, viper, ratsnake, python, monitor lizards and turtle. Two primate species – the rhesus macaque and the Hanuman langur – inhabit the Bandhavgarh Park.
Day 13. Bandhavgarh
Morning and afternoon game drives. All meals and overnight at Resort.
Bandhavgarh History – Bandhavgarh has been a centre of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and there are references to it in the ancient books, the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, stopped at Bandhavgarh on his way back to his homeland after defeating the demon King Ravana of Lanka. Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge between the isles of Lanka and the mainland, are said to have built Bandhavgarh’s fort. Later Rama handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as Bandhavdhish “The Lord of the Fort”. Lakshmana is the particular God of the fort and is regularly worshipped in a temple there. The oldest sign of habitation in the Park are caves dug into the sandstone to the north of the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century B.C. Various dynasties have ruled the fort, for example, the Maghas from the 1st century A.D. and the Vakatakas from the 3rd century A.D. From that time onwards Bandhavgarh was ruled by a succession of dynasties including the Chandela Kings of Bundelkhand who built the famous temples at Khajuraho. The Baghel Kings, the direct ancestors of the present Royal family of Rewa, established their dynasty at Bandhavgarh in the 12th century. It remained their capital until 1617 when the centre of court life moved to Rewa, 75 miles (120km) to the north. Without royal patronage Bandhavgarh became more and more deserted until forest overran the area and it became the royal hunting reserve. This helped to preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas made full use of their rights.
At independence Bandhavgarh remained the private property of the Maharaja until he gave it to the state for the formation of the National Park in 1968. After the Park was created poaching was brought under control and the number of animals rose dramatically. Small dams and water holes were built to solve the problem of water shortage. Grazing by local cattle was stopped and the village within the Park boundaries was relocated. The tigers, in particular, prospered and the 1986 extension provided much needed forest to accommodate them.
Bandhavgarh is justifiably famous for its tigers, but it has a wide range of other game. The undergrowth is not as dense as in some northern terai forests, but the best time to see the Park inhabitants is still the summer months when water becomes more scarce and the undergrowth dies back.
Day 14. Bandhavgarh – Kanha
After breakfast depart for Kanha (275km/6 hrs drive). Lunch, dinner and overnight at Resort.
Day 15. Kanha
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris to the National Park. All meals and overnight at Resort.
Kanha’s sal and bamboo forests, rolling grasslands and meandering streams stretch over 940 sq km in dramatic natural splendour which form the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve created in 1974 under Project Tiger. The Park is the only habitat of the rare hardground Barasingha. This is original Kipling country of which he wrote so vividly in his Jungle Book. The same abundance of wildlife species exists today in Kanha National Park as it did in Kipling’s time.
Day 16. Kanha
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris to the National park. All meals and overnight at Resort.
Kanha National Park – the forests of the Banjar valley and Halon valley, respectively forming Kanha’s western and eastern halves, had even, at the turn of the century, been famous for their deer and tiger population. By a special statute in 1955, Kanha National Park came into being. Since then, a string of stringent conservation programmes has been launched, for the overall protection of the Park’s fauna and flora. It is one of the most well-maintained National Parks in Asia, and a major attraction for avid wildlife buffs all over the world.
Kanha boasts about 22 species of mammals. Some of the inhabitants of this park are the gaur, the largest of the world’s cattle; the sambar, the largest Indian deer; and the chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world. Other frequent visitors include the nilgai antelope, the sloth bear, the dhole, or Indian wild dog, and an occasional leopard. Some 200 species of birds inhabit the park, including the cattle egret, black ibis, hawk eagle, and the red-wattled lapwing. Shravantal is an old, earthenbound tank in the central Kanha meadows, which is an important watering hole for a large number of water fowl in winter. Bamni Dadar, known as Sunset Point, is the most beautiful section of the Park, and the view of the sunset from this spot is absolutely mesmerizing. Quite a few animals can be sighted around this area which include the sambar, gaur, the four-horned antelope and the barking deer.
Day 17. Kanha – Pench
Morning game drive to the National Park and after lunch drive to Pench National Park (210km/5 hrs). On arrival check into Resort at Pench. Dinner and overnight at Resort.
Day 18. In Pench
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris to the National Park.
Pench is located in the AVSM (Aravali, Vindhyanchal, Satpura and Maikal Ranges) belt. This teak forest is a different and pleasant surprise to the normal and scenic parks of Kanha and Bandhavgarh. The tracks are smoother and the trees are thicker with dense undergrowth, perhaps one reason why the herbivore population here is larger in size compared to Kanha and Bandhavgarh. There is a distinct silence here. You feel you are the King, when suddenly your driver halts, seeing the pugmarks of the actual King of the area. A tiger has just crossed, he shows the pugmarks to you, and suddenly there is an alarm call from one of the denizens of the forest. You, your driver and your naturalist are all alert. Looking in the direction of the call, eye balls much bigger than usual, heart pounding at 120 beats a minute, ears as big as an elephant, you want to see the true King of Pench. The drama unfolds and you are in Pench, the true and original Kipling Country.
Day 19. Pench – Tadoba
Morning game drive to the National Park. After lunch drive to Tadoba National Park (200 km/5 hrs). On arrival check into Resort. Dinner and overnight at Resort.
Day 20. Tadoba
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris to the National Park. All meals and overnight at Resort.
Tadoba – created in 1955, Tadoba National Park is the largest and oldest in Maharastra and, although it’s growing in popularity, still remains quite off the beaten track. Dominated by teak and bamboo, and with a magical landscape of rugged cliffs, marshes, and lakes, it’s full of diverse wildlife and was once favoured by shikaras (hunters). Together with the Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary, which was formed in 1986, it makes up the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Day 21. Tadoba
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris to the National Park.
Often referred to as “The Jewel of Vidharba”, the Tadoba National Park lies in the district of Chandrapur in the north-eastern part of Maharashtra. Located in the heart of a reserved forest, it is an infinite treasure trove of innumerable species of trees and plants. The wildlife includes tiger, leopard, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, wild dog, bison, barking deer, nilgai, sambar, and cheatal. The Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Santuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The Park derives its name from “Taru” the local deity, whereas the Andhari river that meanders through the forest gives the Sanctuary its name.
Day 22. Tadoba – Nagpur – New Delhi/Mumbai
Morning game drive to the National Park. Lunch at Resort and later transfer to Nagpur airport (100 kms/2 hrs) to board a flight to New Delhi or Mumbai. Overnight at New Delhi or Mumbai.
Day 23. Fly back home
Transfer to international airport at appropriate timeto board a flight back home.