Just Tigers!

The most memorable part was seeing a tiger in the wild for the first time - a beautiful tigress sitting upon a rock. Her eyes and mine locked ... absolutely electrifying. I couldn't help weeping with joy.

Raghu was super - very keen and knowledgeable on all animals, plants and butterflies. He answered all my questions and looked after me very well. His sense of humour was great and we had many laughs and happy times with Raghu – he’s the tops! For Harry, we were his first party and I thought he coped extremely well and his knowledge, again, was excellent. He is a very charming person and should do very well at the guide job. Both guides had extreme patience and a good sense of humour. They looked after me 100%. I shall be recommending Naturetrek wherever possible. Thank you at the office for your help and guidance.

Rajan was brilliant. The itinerary couldn’t have been better organised, the trip leader was better than excellent and the local agents were very kind and polite. What an amazing holiday! The two guides, Narendra and Saravana, were organised and efficient. They could not have been more kind and attentive. They were very knowledgeable about birds and mammals, but also of flora and fauna. The accommodation was excellent, with friendly staff, especially at the Royal Tiger Jungle Lodge in Kanha. By staying in Kanha for 7 nights it meant we could relax and actually experience/ absorb our magical surroundings. And, of course, seeing my first tiger in the wild was fantastic. The local guide had just said the forest was quiet and we were to return the lodge, when there he was, coming out of the trees. I was so excited that all my photos were out of focus because my hands were shaking! It didn’t matter one bit – I had achieved a childhood ambition. I would recommend the Just Tigers! holiday to everyone and I am now looking through the Naturetrek brochure to plan my next adventure!

Firstly, I must say the holiday was wonderful. Having visited India eight times in the past, the country never ceases to amaze me with its exciting way of life. From beautiful colourful saris to very interesting railway journeys, seeing it all from the train window as you pass by. The Indian people are very friendly and delightful. Our leaders, Narendra Sharma and Saravana Kumar, were excellent - kind, considerate and fun; also knowledgeable on birds, butterflies, fauna and wildlife. They worked well together as a team, then later Narendra on his own with our extension part of the holiday in Chambal and Bharatpur. They both made it a memorable holiday for my friend and me. The tigers that we saw in Kanha were magnificent cats, with coats like velvet; I felt I wanted to hug them. Even though I had seen tigers before in India, it is still a magical and spiritual moment to see one. We saw so many lovely birds and animals in the parks, but the Tiger is the king. Our hotel in Delhi, The Trident Hilton Gurgaon, was superb, almost as good as The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi but in a different way. In The Royal Tiger Resort, Kanha the accommodation was good, the staff polite, attentive, helpful and very kind. Chambal Safari Lodge was lovely. The boat trip on the Chambal River was very enjoyable - quiet, simple but beautiful place. The accommodation and food were very good; the staff were attentive and helpful. The gardens have lots of birds but not enough time to enjoy it all. Overall, we both had a marvellous time. Hope to go back to India with Naturetrek again.

The holiday was absolutely wonderful - the leaders so helpful and knowledgeable, the hotels excellent, the organisation faultless. Actually, I shouldn’t describe it as a holiday, it was an adventure and everyone should have one!

Overall, I had the holiday of a lifetime! The knowledge and enthusiasm of the leaders was outstanding - I have learnt so much about nature, birds and mammals. As for tiger sightings at close range - it was a dream come true! I will be reliving the thrills and excitement in my mind forever! The whole experience was amazing - thank you for making it possible for me!

Everything from the pre-departure information to the tour itself was perfect. I had heard great things about Naturetrek from other travellers prior to booking and you certainly lived up to my high expectations. The tiger safari with Naturetrek offered me the most rewarding wildlife encounters I have ever had. To sum it up - I'm very happy with my Just Tigers! trip with Naturetrek!

Thanks for a wonderful holiday, I am still walking on air.

The tour leader, Harsha, was a very personable and knowledgeable leader, not only about the birds and mammals we saw, but about the Indian subcontinent in general. We were able to discuss tribes, customs, food, spices, cooking and religion. We had some good fun as well as the serious business of tiger spotting.

The wildlife content was excellent: good tiger sightings - 6 days out of 7; good leopard sightings and excellent birds, all expertly interpreted by the tour leaders. The train journeys were fun and added to the overall experience. The limited time for sightseeing was made up for by an excellent private extension you arranged for us at a modest cost.

We felt that this was an incredible holiday. The wildlife seen was beyond our expectations, we had tiger sightings virtually every trip! We would also like to comment that our leader Nick (Acheson) was exceptional. His knowledge of all wildlife seen was amazing, plus his knowledge of Indian life and culture added to the holiday.

This was our first visit to India - we were looked after from the start by our 2 excellent Naturetrek guides in India. All transport arrangements including taxis and buses and trains were excellent and food was superb. Accommodation was clean and comfortable. The essence of the tour - to watch wildlife, especially tigers, was fulfilled and certainly met and indeed exceeded our expectations. Our guides Yusuf and Rachit were excellent in all areas and especially when it mattered the most - working with the Kanha vehicle drivers and guides to deliver such wonderful encounters with Tigers and all other wildlife in Kanha as well as at a delightful nature reserve outside Delhi. They also put us at ease during the long overnight train journeys and made the holiday very enjoyable. I was especially impressed at arranging such exciting historic/scenic tours of major monuments/world heritage centres in Delhi and Agra as well as the wonderful wildlife watching.

We had a great time in Kanha National Park and had good sightings of tigers, as well as a variety of other birds and wildlife. All park staff were friendly and efficient. Food at our accommodation was excellent. Our transport ranged from overnight train (an adventure) to very comfortable taxis and small buses. Our local guides in Delhi and Agra were of a high standard and very enthusiastic. We did an extension trip to Chambal and Bharatpur and would highly recommend these, especially for bird lovers.

I would like to make a special comment in regards to our leader; Nick. He made the trip something special with his warm and enthusiastic nature, his seamless ability to give his time to make all the links work perfectly, and his pure love of people and animals was inspiring. Thanks to all the people at the office, and specially Rajan for his patience and help, and also all the people behind the scenes in India that made it so special. Best trip by far.

Nick (Acheson) was not only a first class naturalist, his love and passion for India and its wildlife was inspiring and humbling in equal measure. He is also, really importantly, a really nice guy! Though we would have had a great holiday, Nick was no doubt the difference between great and amazing!