Tailormade India

Bandhavgarh is a compact yet attractive park, where Tigers are concentrated and sightings of them are as good as anywhere. Lying in the Vindhya Hills, a 2-hour drive from the nearest railway station at Katni, the predominant Sal and bamboo forest is interspersed with open grassland areas, with vegetation becoming mixed towards the upper reaches of the park’s hills. Bandhavgarh is explored primarily by jeep via a series of interconnecting tracks revealing pools and streams, features that are vital for the park’s wildlife. A large population of Spotted Deer (with smaller numbers of Sambar and Muntjac) serve as the main prey item of the park’s Tigers, while Leopard, Sloth Bear and Gaur (the huge Asiatic Bison) are among other large mammals that may be seen alongside a supporting cast of Wild Boar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat, Rhesus Macaque and Common Langurs, and mongoose and squirrel species. Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Asian Paradise Flycatcher are among the 300 or so bird species recorded in the park.

Set on a plateau in the Maikal range and encompassing 1,945 square kilometres, Kanha is one of India’s largest and finest national parks. It offers a wide variety of habitats, including Sal and mixed deciduous forest as well as large tracts of bamboo, but it is the park’s grassland meadows that allow for such excellent viewing of its wildlife and, in particular, its Tigers. Small pools and a perennial lake provide drinking sources year-round for the animals, of which the resident population of the hard-ground race of Swamp Deer is particularly noteworthy as it occurs nowhere else in the world. While Tiger sightings remain the main draw, a wide variety of other interesting mammals may be seen here including Gaur, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal and, with luck, Leopard and Dhole (Indian Wild Dog). Sloth Bear and two of India’s lowland antelopes – Chousingha and the beautiful Blackbuck – also occur here and may be seen with a slice of good fortune. Raptor sightings are good and will likely include Black-shouldered Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, Shikra and a variety of vultures. The park is accessed by jeep from either the Kisli or Mukhi gates, with accommodation available at either. Nagpur is the main access hub and it’s easy to combine time here with other Tiger Reserves – Bandhavgarh to the north, Pench and Satpura to the west and Tadoba to the south.

Lying towards the southern end of the Satpura Hills and cloaked in extensive tracts of southern moist deciduous forest and extensive, dry deciduous teak woodland, Pench is a rugged and beautiful park thought to have been the inspiration for Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’. Designated a Tiger Reserve in 1992 as part of the ‘Project Tiger’ initiative and covering 758 square kilometres, Pench is just a 2-hour drive from Nagpur airport and is a handy starting point for any wildlife tour of central India. Tiger sightings are a little harder to come by in Pench, but if Tigers aren’t the only reason for your visit, you’ll enjoy the introduction to the country’s wildlife that Pench provides. The southern boundary of the park, around the Pench River dam, is a great spot for waterbirds and also such mammals as Sambar and Spotted Deer, Gaur, Nilgai and Golden Jackal. Mammal species that require more luck and patience to see include Dhole, Sloth Bear and Leopard. Tigers are best viewed here during the hot summer months between March and May when the forest vegetation is at its least dense and mammals are concentrated around limited pools of water.

Satpura National Park is the most spectacular and peaceful of central India’s Tiger Reserves and a Naturetrek favourite. Though classic ‘Tiger country’, the Tigers here are not habituated to people due to the lack of tourism and are consequently shy and difficult to see. This tranquil reserve, set in the heart of rural India, is serviced by two of the best wildlife lodges in the country, both providing a quality wildlife experience unmatched elsewhere. While a Tiger sighting would be a real bonus, other special mammals such as Leopard, Dhole, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Indian Giant Squirrel and even Blackbuck are frequently encountered. Best of all, in Satpura you are not limited to jeep safaris for your exploration of the park’s diverse habitats. Jungle walks with an expert naturalist guide (not permitted in any other Tiger Reserve in India) are a particular highlight, while exploration of the area’s bird-rich wetlands by canoe or motorboat is a must for keen birders, allowing exceptional views of Indian Skimmers, Bar-headed Geese and a wealth of terns, waders and wildfowl. The traditional jeep safari is still the best way to see Satpura’s larger mammals, and such special forest birds as Grey Junglefowl, Red and Painted Spurfowl, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Tawny-bellied Babbler. Also night-drives in the buffer zone are another treat – the rare Rusty-spotted Cat, Jungle Cat, Common Palm and Indian Civets, Eagle Owl and Mottled Wood Owl are among the target species.

Tadoba-Andhari is relatively little visited but is currently the best place in India to see Tigers, as well as such other sought-after mammals as Leopard, Sloth Bear, Gaur and Dhole. Its 625 square kilometres lie in the Chandrapur District of Maharashtra and protect a habitat of tropical dry deciduous forest, largely made up of Teak and bamboo, bisected by the Andhari River. It is reputed to support a population of up to 40 Tigers and, as well as abundant prey species such as Common Langur, Sambar and Spotted Deer, such animals as Jungle Cat and Chousingha (the Four-horned Antelope) may also be seen, as well as an abundant birdlife. Tadoba-Andhari is only two hours by car from Nagpur and works well in combination with Pench, Satpura and Kanha National Parks.

Kaziranga is one of the world’s most beautiful national parks; it also protects an incredible diversity of wildlife amongst its broad tracts of tall elephant grass, evergreen forests, shallow lakes and reedbeds. It lies on the south bank of the great Brahmaputra River and is one of the last haunts of the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros. Today Kaziranga holds a healthy population of around 1,100 rhinos, a figure that represents over 70% of the world’s total. The park is also home to the Asian Elephant, wild Water Buffalo, Swamp Deer and the endangered freshwater Ganges River Dolphin as well as a good number of Tigers. Its birdlife is exceptional (with well over 500 species recorded), making it a birder’s paradise! Kaziranga can be combined with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and any of the other national parks of the region, amongst them Manas, Namdapha and Nameri, while an extension to the Sunderbans (the world’s largest mangrove environment) is definitely well worth considering.

Ranthambore is India’s best known national park due to its proximity to the trio of ‘Golden Triangle’ locations, namely Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Once a private hunting estate of the Maharajah of Jaipur, this beautiful park in the Aravali Hills comprises a series of high forested escarpments, several lakes and extensive dry woodland. A number of old forts and temples, now reclaimed by the forest, lie scattered within the park’s boundaries creating a unique and evocative atmosphere. The park is accessed in the morning and afternoon in jeeps or larger vehicles (canters) that follow set routes and, as with all the popular parks in India, early booking is recommended so we can confirm permits for access to the core zones. A stay here works particularly well when combining one or all of the cultural ‘Golden Triangle’ locations or with additional birding in the Chambal Sanctuary and Bharatpur (Keoladeo) National Park. Ranthambore is also a firm favourite with families who want to search for a Tiger in the wild.

Formerly a shooting preserve of the Rajput Maharajahs of Bharatpur, this reserve occupies only 29 square kilometres but holds a remarkable diversity of habitats. Its wetlands, marshes and flooded ‘jheels’ are contained within acacia-lined embankments and irrigated by a system of canals and sluices. Around them lies semi-arid scrub and grasslands and some excellent broadleaved Kadum woods. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded in the sanctuary and even just a 2 or 3-hour visit should reveal at least 50 of these. Among them will be an array of wetland species as well as several vultures, eagles, falcons and owls, plus numerous small land birds. Several mammal species are also found here including Nilgai (Blue Bull), Sambar and Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal and two species of mongoose. This is also one of the few places in India where the rare Fishing Cat may be seen. A stop or extended stay at Bharatpur adds great diversity to any Indian wildlife holiday.

Only a 2-hour drive from Agra, the National Chambal Sanctuary stretches along the Chambal River and offers a crucial aquatic haven for several critically endangered species including the fish-eating Gharial crocodile, Red-crowned Roof Turtle and Ganges River Dolphin. The area’s mudflats, sandbanks and surrounding farmland also attract a wealth of birdlife including River and Black-bellied Terns, Pallas’s Gull and the intriguing Indian Skimmer. Other attractions include exquisite Small Pratincoles, Greater Thick-knees and many other waterbirds such as Lesser Whistling-duck, Bar-headed Goose, Comb Duck, Spot-billed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Osprey, Black-winged Stilt, River and Red-wattled Lapwings, and a host of more familiar overwintering waders from the northern hemisphere. Chambal is always a delight for birders!

In contrast to India’s dry deciduous central parks, Periyar is covered in lush and verdant tropical vegetation. Its 770 square kilometres provide a haven for a wide range of mammals including Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Leopard, Dhole and Nilgiri Langur. The park also holds a rich and varied avifauna including a wealth of south Indian specialities, amongst them Grey Junglefowl, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Malabar Parakeet, White-cheeked Barbet, Crimson-fronted Barbet, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Rufous Babbler, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Ruby-throated Bulbul and White-bellied Treepie. Periyar is an excellent park to visit if you are planning to include some of Kerala’s or Tamil Nadu’s cultural destinations.

Nagarhole covers 640 square kilometres of the Western Ghats, the lengthy chain of mountains running right down the western side of southern India. Jeeps form the main mode of exploration of the grasslands and Teak and Mathi forests, although the lakes and rivers, which are a prominent feature here, can also be experienced from boats and even coracles. There is a healthy population of Asian Elephants and Gaur in Nagarhole, both of which are relatively easy to see. There is also a chance of sighting Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, or even a pack of Dhole. A number of classic Indian, and south Indian, bird specialities are found in Nagarhole, amongst them Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Green Imperial Pigeon, Black-backed Woodpecker and Malabar Crested Lark.

India’s capital has two distinct faces. Old Delhi is a bustling network of noisy bazaars and alleyways crammed with street traders, rickshaws and all other facets of humanity. There, a visit to Chandi Chowk, Shah Jehan’s Red Fort and the 17th century Masjid Mosque is a chaotic but memorable experience. In contrast, the tree-lined avenues of New Delhi radiate out from the central Connaught Place, now a modern shopping spot. Here Humayun’s Tomb, one of the earliest examples of Mughal architecture in India, is most impressive. New Delhi offers a wonderful selection of hotels to choose from, including The Imperial Hotel, the city’s iconic colonial retreat.

For first time visitors to India, a stop to view the Taj Mahal is quite rightly a must. The Taj Mahal represents the pinnacle of Muslim art and architecture in India and is best visited at sunrise, when crowd numbers are low and the early morning light creates a rich glow on the monument’s marble walls.

Commonly referred to as the Pink City due to the terracotta pigment used to wash its walled centre, Jaipur forms part of the famed ‘Golden Triangle’ with Delhi and Agra. The city will certainly delight travellers looking to experience the hubbub of a major Indian centre and its highlights, which include the City Palace, the Observatory and the Amber Fort, are most impressive and offer a wonderful insight into the region’s princely past. The vibrancy and colour of its markets and bazaars are another great, if somewhat chaotic, pleasure of this historic Indian city. Jaipur works well in combination with Ranthambore National Park, the National Chambal Sanctuary and Agra.

Varanasi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world with a bewildering network of narrow streets and alleyways near the ‘ghats’ (the steps leading to the water’s edge) of the River Ganges. Taking an early morning boat ride to see ritualistic bathing is a unique experience and the city as a whole is perhaps one of the most thought-provoking and intriguing places in India. It’s best visited in combination with Khajuraho, either before or after visiting India’s central national parks of Panna, Bandhavgarh and Kanha.

Khajuraho is a complex of 21 exquisitely carved Hindu and Jain temples that depict life, death, the heavens and, perhaps most famously, erotic scenes from the Chandella period of the 10th and 11th centuries. Since the central parks of Panna and Bandhavgarh are a long way from Delhi, Khajuraho is a good way to break the journey and take in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In contrast to the north of India the south is tropical and humid. The state of Kerala, or ‘God’s own country’ as it’s often known, is particularly inviting and, while it doesn’t have the palaces and forts of the north, its friendly people, cultural heritage of Cochin, spice gardens, tea plantations in Munnar and coconut-lined canals are a relaxed addition to any Indian wildlife adventure. Kerala is also one of the Indian destinations best suited to families. It is a great place to enjoy a few days on the beach if relaxation is part of your holiday plans.