Indian Tiger Safari
Payment of 50% immediately (non-refundable) / Balance 50% -30 days before departure
Itinerary
You’re all familiar with “ The Jungle Book” and it’s famous Sher Khan, yet nothing can prepare you to experience this magnificent predator in the wild. Enjoy the beauty of the surrounding grassland and dense forest that is home to this beautiful cat, the Bengal tiger.
Bhandhvagarh National Park and to the south of it Kanha National Park, also known as Kanha Tiger reserve, is located in the central Indian state of Madya Pradesh, and is home to a large population of Bengal tigers, as well as other wildlife.
Capture the moments in photos with expert guides. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Arrive Delhi and our Tiger Safari Begins as follows:
Day 1
Welcome to Delhi. You will have arrived by the evening or wee hours of the following day.
Accomodation:
Day 2
Our journey begins, after a delicious breakfast, with a road trip to Agra to view one of the wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal. This is also a UNESCO World heritage site, and is a monument of eternal love! We will also visit baby Taj and view the Taj mahal at sunset.
Accomodation:
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
An early morning view of the Taj mahal will give us the opportunity to capture the beautiful marble of this grandeur monument. We continue to visit other sites in this area, and then will head back to Delhi to spend the night.
Accomodation:
Meals:
Day 4
We fly out to Jabalpur this morning and will arrive at our lodge near Bandhvagarh National Park by lunchtime.
Our evening will consist of a nature walk, where we get to learn about our surroundings.
Accomodation: Kings Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 5
Tour day starts with an early morning safari. Return to your lodge later in the morning and enjoy a delightful lunch. Get some rest before heading out into the park again for the afternoon safari.
Upon returning from your safari in the evening, you will enjoy a dinner at the lodge.
Accomodation: Kings Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 6
Another day for an early morning safari. Take the opportunity to observe birds and carnivores returning home after a night of hunting. Keep a lookout among the grasses to catch sight of a tiger. Bandhavgarh National Park is full of animals that are active amid the jungle. Wild boars, sloth bears, porcupines, foxes, primates and several other animals scurry through the undergrowth.
Hear about the Bandhavgarh fort from our naturalists and guides, before returning to the lodge for dinner and some good night rest.
Accomodation: Kings Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7
We will start our morning with a game drive and then head back to the lodge for an early lunch and checkout.
We then journey south towards Kanha National Park, which is about a 4 hour drive.
We arrive at our lodge in Kanha National Park where we have the rest of the evening at your leisure.
Accomodation: Kanha Earth Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8
Venture out to the park on a morning safari. This is a stunning landscape, with lush forest and water bodies, and is an ideal place to spot a tiger.
After a delicious lunch at the lodge, you will return to the park for an afternoon game drive. The park is serene and gorgeous in the evening towards dusk. Listen to birds as they wind down for the day.
Accomodation: Kanha Earth Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9
Have your cameras loaded and ready as we start our morning with another safari into the park. Early morning are an ideal time to spot the magnificent cat on its way home after a night of hunting.
Return to the lodge, have lunch and relax a bit, before we head out for a late afternoon game drive.
Accomodation: Kanha Earth Lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10
One last early morning game drive, before we head back for afternoon transfers to the airport for our flight back to Delhi. We should arrive in Delhi by 7pm.
You may connect to your international departures or head on to wherever your next destination may be.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Price Includes
Exclusions
$5900 / Person based on Double Occupancy.
Payment of 50% immediately (non-refundable) and Balance 50% 30 days before departure.
EXCLUDED IN PRICE International Airfare + MIsc Personal Expenses + Tips and Gratuities + Visa
Airfare Estimate from IAH to Delhi, India: You would need to buy this International Airfare. I can recommend a travel agent as well.
Visa to India: Visa Cost Excluded.
What to bring
Passport & Visas
A valid passport is required.
Visas are required by all to enter India. Indian Visas can be obtained a maximum of 120 days before your travel date.
Please make sure you are well prepared with all documentations. Visa requires that you have a few blank pages left on your passport and your passport must have a minimum of 6 months of validity left on the dates of your travel. If not, then you will need to get a new passport BEFORE you apply for the visa.
Please visit the Indian Embassy website for detailed information.
HEALTH AND IMMUNIZATION
If arriving from the USA, yellow fever vaccination is not necessary.
Your routine vaccinations should be up to date.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control and prevention) recommends most travelers to India should get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and typhoid, as these are transmitted through water and food, regardless of where you are staying or eating.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/india
A mosquito repellent is also advisable.
A course of anti-malarial tablets is essential; please seek advice from your doctor.
If you are on any personal medication, it is best to take a supply of medicines to last the entire trip.
Currency
The official currency of India is the Indian Rupee (sign: ₹; code: INR)
The rupee is subdivided into 100 paise (singular – paisa)
Denominations:
Banknotes – ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, ₹200, ₹500, ₹2,000
Coins – ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, ₹10
US Dollars, Sterling Pounds and Euros are acceptable everywhere for money exchange.
‘Bureau de change’ are available at all airports and in the cities. A commission is levied for changing of the foreign currency.
Most of the banks and establishments will not accept US Dollar bills printed prior to the year 2003.
ATM’s are also popular and seen in most areas (you may only withdraw in the local currency).
Credit Cards are widely accepted at the hotels and lodges we travel to and all higher end shops and stores.
Baggage Claim
All bags arrive on the conveyor belt.
Each person picks his/her bag, puts it onto a trolley and then clears Customs. You will be asked to put your luggage through an X-ray machine upon exiting.
RECOMMENDED CAMERA GEAR
Power & Internet
In India the power plugs and sockets are of type C, D and M. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
For stress-free travel, we recommend you carry a universal adapter.
All our lodges have basic internet connection. Our offices in the lodges have an extra computer which can be used free of cost for emailing. Internet may not be reliable at all times as breakdowns take time to fix as we are remotely located.
Water
Most of India’s tap water is unfit for consumption. Restaurants will offer treated drinking water, but it’s advisable for visitors to always drink bottled water.
It is highly recommended that you use the purified or mineral water provided for you at the hotel or you may buy some at the hotel bar/shops and service stations.
WHAT TO WEAR & PACK
November offers beautiful weather with warm sunny days and cold nights, but temperatures may drop dramatically, so layered clothing would be advisable. Travelling in an open jeep, it is necessary to keep yourself warm, as the mornings and evenings can get chilly. Carry a light jacket and perhaps a ski cap to cover your head and ears.
Practical colors to wear to the park are khaki, beige and white in all seasons. Please avoid bright and flashy clothing and strong perfumes and deodorants. It is advisable not to wear sandals or shorts during nature walks.
Sensible walking shoes, sunglasses and a hat for protection against the sun.
Swimsuit, if you want to jump into the swimming pool.
Here are some of our packing suggestions:
For winters, pack extra:
TIPPING & GRATUITIES
Tipping is customary and, in many occasions, actually ‘paves the way’. It is indeed a way of life in this part of the world.
Whilst the actual amount of money to tip is left at your discretion, we would like to offer some guidelines here below (values are in USD):
At Pugdundee Lodges in Kanha & Bandhavgarh, we request guests to refrain from tipping any individual staff. We have placed common tipping box at the lodge and tip collected is shared between the operations staff, junior staff and many behind the scene members. We suggest tipping at the end of the stay at each lodge. Recommended at INR 1000 ($15) per room per night (So if you are doubled up INR 500 ($7) per day per night per person).
Naturalists & Nature guide are not part of the common tip pool and may be tipped directly. Tipping of INR 1000/- ($15) per room per night is considered good.
For Park Guides from forest department during safaris, we suggest INR 100 ($2) per drive per person. For Naturalist, we suggest INR.500 ($7) per day per person.