India - Tiger Direct!

This is, quite simply, the most convenient Tiger tour yet! For, by taking advantage of the international flights to Nagpur, the capital of Madhya Pradesh (heartland of the Tiger), we offer the wildlife enthusiast the ultimate luxury — a holiday to India that avoids large cities! Indeed, on this tour more than on any other, we maximise the time spent in India’s wonderful national parks and Tiger Reserves, and minimise the time spent travelling — particularly the time spent negotiating India’s ‘urban jungles’.

We begin our tour in India with an afternoon arrival into Nagpur airport after a comfortable flight via Doha on one of the world’s best international airlines. From here, after relaxing in a comfortable hotel in Nagpur, we make the 2-hour drive north to Pench National Park. Pench rose to prominence following its designation as Project Tiger’s 19th Tiger Reserve in 1992 and today it protects 758 square kilometres of prime Tiger habitat. It is situated amongst the southern reaches of the Satpura Hills, which lie in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts, the region which inspired Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’. The park spans the border of the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra which is marked by the Pench River as it meanders from north to south through the reserve. During the dry season the river ceases to flow, forming pools which provide the primary watering holes for Tigers and all other wildlife. On the southern boundary of the park the Pench River has been dammed to generate hydro-electricity, and around the banks of this dam many waterbirds and mammals may be found, amongst them Asiatic Jackal and Nilgai. The terrain is rugged and the region’s hills are cloaked in both southern moist deciduous forest and extensive dry, deciduous forest, dominated by Teak. Gaur, Wild Boar and Common Langurs are common here, as are Sambar, Spotted and Barking Deer. With luck we might also see Dhole, or even a Leopard which are generally seen in the peripheral areas of the park where they are able more easily to avoid Tigers.

Traversing the scenic Vindhya Hills we move next to Kanha National Park where we have yet more opportunities to watch Tigers during daily excursions. Kanha Tiger Reserve encompasses 1,945 square kilometres and is one of the largest reserves in India. It occupies a beautiful location on a plateau in the Maikal range of hills, and comprises a crescent of forested hills that embraces broad undulating grasslands dotted with clumps of bamboo and Sal forest; small pools, and a perennial lake, provide essential drinking holes for the animals. The reserve is famous for its Swamp Deer — for whose protection Kanha National Park was first established in 1955, but since the launch of ‘Project Tiger’ in the early 1970s, Kanha has been one of the Project’s key Tiger Reserves and, because its wide meadows are so suited to successful Tiger-viewing, it is one of the best places in the world in which to search for this majestic big cat. Besides Tigers, we can also hope to observe plenty of Sambar, Spotted and Swamp Deer. We should also see Gaur, Wild Boar, Common Langur, Asiatic Jackal and, with luck, Leopard and Dhole. The base from which we will undertake twice-daily game drives into the reserve will be the splendid Kanha Jungle Lodge, close to the Mukki Gate, the quieter of the park entrances. Here we will conclude our ‘Tiger holiday’ with a 4-night stay — ample time in which to see a wealth of wildlife in India’s finest Tiger Reserve.

For the aficionado, however, we offer an opportunity to extend this holiday with a pre-tour visit to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, situated in the Chandrapur District of Maharashtra just a 3-hour drive from Nagpur. The reserve, spanning over 625 square kilometres, incorporates both Tadoba National Park (which became Maharashtra’s first national park in 1955) and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary, and became one of India’s 28 Project Tiger Reserves as recently as 1993. Its hills support a dense tropical dry deciduous forest, largely made up of Teak and bamboo, carved by the Andhari River. As many as 40 Tigers are reputed to survive here, plus a great many other mammals such as Leopard, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Dhole, Jungle Cat and Chousingha (the Four-horned Antelope), not to mention a rich birdlife. We stay in a simple but pleasing lodge on the edge of the park. We also offer a post-tour extension to Satpura Tiger Reserve. This is not only the most scenic and peaceful of all central India's Tiger Reserves, it is also perhaps the best for Sloth Bear, Leopard, Dhole (Asian Wild Dog), Gaur and Indian Giant Squirrel. We thoroughly recommend a visit!