Central India - Wildlife Tour

SKETCH ITINERARY

DAY 1:                                        ARRIVE MUMBAI BY: INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

DAY 2:                                        MUMBAI – NAGPUR BY: DOMESTIC FLIGHT

                                                     NAGPUR – TADOBA BY: SURFACE

DAY 3:                                        IN TADOBA

DAY 4:                                        TADOBA – PENCH BY: SURFACE

DAY 5:                                        PENCH – KANHA BY: SURFACE

DAY 6:                                        IN KANHA 

DAY 7:                                        KANHA – BANDHAVGARH BY: SURFACE

DAY 8:                                        IN BANDHAVGARH

DAY 9:                                        BANDHAVGARH – JABALPUR BY: SURFACE

                                                     JABALPUR – MUMBAI BY: DOMESTIC FLIGHT

DAY 10:                                      IN MUMBAI

DAY 11:                                       DEPART MUMBAI BY: INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 01: ARRIVE MUMBAI BY AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Today you will arrive at Mumbai’s International Airport. 

Following customs, immigration formalities and baggage collection, a representative will meet you as you exit the ARRIVALS Terminal building and transfer you to your hotel for check in. 

DAY 02: MUMBAI - NAGPUR BY A DOMESTIC FLIGHT

    NAGPUR – TADOBA (142 kms / 3h00 drive)

Today early morning you will be transferred to the Domestic Airport by a representative to board your flight to Nagpur.

Upon arrival you will be driven straight to Tadoba National Park. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

DAY 03: IN TADOBA

Proceed for an early morning Jeep Safari inside the National park. 

TADOBA NATIONAL PARK is Maharashtra's oldest National Park created in 1955. It is also one of India's 25 Project Tiger Reserve. The National Park is 623 sq. kms in area, consisting of two forested rectangles of the Tadoba and Andhari range. Thickly clad hills form the north and western boundary of the Tiger Reserve. To the southwest is a huge lake, which acts as buffer in between the Park Forest and the extensive farmland extending right up to the Irai Lake. Tadoba Tiger Reserve is an undisturbed forest as it is not visited by many tourists. Once a carnivore is sighted, either on drives, or from machans, you can spend undisturbed hours observing it

Tadoba Tiger Reserve is open throughout the year, and so are we. The camp is three hour road journey from Nagpur, in Maharashtra. Please note that the park stays closed every Tuesday .Of course you can do all wildlife activities on the estate forest or reserved forest all around. The park is open through out the year. 

 

In the afternoon proceed for another Jeep Safari into the National park.

DAY 04: TADOBA – PENCH (210 kms / 5h00 drive)

Early in the morning you will be driven to Pench National Park passing through the city of Nagpur. Upon arrival check-in to your hotel.

In the afternoon proceed for a Jeep Safari into Pench National Park.

PENCH NATIONAL PARK nestles in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura Hills and is named after Pench River which flows from north to south through this National Park. It is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh. Recently (in 1992) Pench has been included under the umbrella of "Project Tiger" as the 19th Project Tiger Reserve. A total of 

758 sq. kms of this Southern Indian tropical moist deciduous forest has its extent mingling with the tropical dry deciduous teak. The area is crisscrossed by a number of streams and 'nallahs' most of which are seasonal. Though the Pench River dries up in April end, a number of water pools locally known as 'dohs' are found which serve as water holes for the wild animals. However, the water sources are not suitably distributed, hence large area is left unutilized by the wild animals. 

The Pench Reservoir at the center of the park is the only major water source during the pinch period. As a prey concentration is high along the Pench River, tiger usually inhabits this belt. Leopard though generally operates in the peripheral areas but are occasionally seen in the deep forest also. Jungle cats are commonly seen. Leopard cats, small Indian civets and palm civets are common but seen rarely. Cheetal, Sambar, nilgai are commonly seen grazing on the open sites on roadsides and banks of river & reservoir. Jackals can be seen in search of food anywhere in the Park. Packs up to 15 of wild dogs can be seen near Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodanala and Pyorthadi areas of the Reserve. Herds of gaur can be spotted near streams and bamboo patches commonly in summer months. Sloth Bear occupy hilly, rocky out crops and favour mahul bel infested forest. Chnkara is present in very small numbers and is found in open areas around Turia, Telia and Dudhgaon villages.

DAY 05: PENCH – KANHA (185 kms / 4h30 drive)

Proceed for an early morning Jeep Safari inside the National park. 

During the day you will be driven to Kanha National Park. Upon arrival check-in to your hotel.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

DAY 06: IN KANHA 

Proceed for an early morning Jeep Safari inside the National park. 

Situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the picturesque KANHA NATIONAL PARK was the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling's unforgettable classic Jungle Book. The park was created in 1955 by a special law and, since then, it has dedicated itself in preserving a variety of animal species. Many endangered species have indeed been saved here. Today Kanha is among the few most scenic and beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia. The most striking features of this region are the open grassy meadows, where sighting blackbuck, swamp deer, sambhar and chital is common. And, if one can transcend into time, a barefooted Mowgli would perhaps come padding along the dusty trail, for this is the land of Kipling's Jungle Book. 

Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha national park cum Tiger reserve extends over an area of over 1,940-sq-kms. The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, more pictures.... barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, pea fowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, tiger, and leopard. The birds species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, pea fowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, papihas, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and fly catchers. 

In the afternoon proceed for another Jeep Safari into the National park.

DAY 07: KANHA – BANDHAVGARH (250 kms / 5h00 drive)

In the morning you will be driven to Bandhavgarh National Park. 

Upon arrival check-in to your hotel.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

DAY 08: IN BANDHAVGARH

Proceed for an early morning Jeep Safari inside the National park. 

BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK - The reserve named after the highest hill Bandhavgarh (807 m) in the centre of it, falls between the Vindhyan hill range and the eastern flank of Satpura hill range and is located in Shahdol and Jabalpur districts of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh has been an excellent habitat of tiger and is known for the highest density of tigers in the world. Considering the importance and potentiality of the National park, it was included in the Project Tiger Network in 1993. The adjoining Panpatha Sanctuary too was declared as a part of the Reserve. 

The area of 105 sq. km. of old National Park was finally notified in 1968. The remaining part of the National Park i.e. 343.842 sq. km. is yet to be finally declared though State Government had made the initial notification in 1982. Panpatha Sanctuary with an area of 245.847 sq. km. was declared in 1983

During these drives you stand a very good chance of seeing the Lord of the Indian Jungle the tiger. This magnificent striped cat was almost hunted down to extinction by 1970 after having numbered over 40,000 at the turn of the century. Thanks to the efforts of Project Tiger looking after reserves like Bandhavgarh, there is now a fighting chance for the beast to survive into the next Century. 

A relatively small park, Bandhavgarh is one of the smallest tiger reserves holding such a large population of tigers (49 according to the 1997 census). Set in rugged terrain with many hills, the forested area is interspersed with savanna like areas known as Chaurs. These wildernesses support a rich variety of wildlife that includes Tiger, Leopard, Gaur (Indian Bison), Sloth Bear, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Chowsingha (Four horned Antelope), and Wild Pigs etc. It has also rich birdlife.

In the afternoon proceed for another Jeep Safari into the National park.

DAY 09: BANDHAVGARH – JABALPUR (85 kms / 2h30 drive)

    JABALPUR - MUMBAI BY DOMESTIC FLIGHT

Morning will be free for independent activities. 

Later you will be transferred to Jabalpur Airport to board your flight for Mumbai.

Upon arrival at Mumbai a representative will meet you & transfer you to the hotel, where you will proceed for check-in at your rooms.

Rest of the day will be at leisure.

DAY 10: IN MUMBAI

After breakfast you will be driven to the Gateway of India. At Gateway of India you will board the motor launch, which will take you to the famous Elephanta Caves (closed on Mondays and subject to weather conditions). The beautifully sculpted rock-cut temples on Elephant Island are 9 nautical miles from Bombay and are reached by taking a motor launch from Gateway of India. These temples are believed to have been created between 450 and 750 AD, when the island was known as Gharapuri, the Fortress City. The Portuguese renamed it Elephanta because of a large stone Elephant near the shore. The caves are reached by climbing 100 steps to the top of the hill.  After your visit you will again board the motor launch to Gateway of India. 

In the afternoon you will proceed for the sightseeing tour of Mumbai.

The tour starts from the Gateway of India Gateway of India is the landmark of Bombay, which, was before the advent of air travel, the only gateway to India. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George and Queen Mary to India in 1911. You will be then driven along Marine Drive, the sea - Front Boulevard. It is also known as the Queen’s Necklace as in the evening, the breeze from the Arabian Sea comes over Marine Drive and as the streetlights on this U-shaped road light up, the view from south Bombay’s skyscrapers or from the exclusive residential area, is that of a Queen’s Necklace.

Late in the evening you will be transferred to the International Airport to board your International Flight for onward journey. 

DAY 11: DEPART MUMBAI BY AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Board your International Flight for onward journey.

*** End of Tour ***