Itineraries

The Tour: This is a guided tour aimed at sighting and photographing tigers and birds at Kanha National Park. Uday Patel naturalist and bird guide has been roaming the jungles of Central India for more than a decade. He has been trekking tigers, understanding their behavioral traits and the secret lives.
Uday has been very successful in trekking tigers for the guests on tiger safari and his involvement in birding in Central India has been intense. He has also worked at Bandhavgarh, Pench, Nauradehi WLS and Jabalpur. He has worked as tour leader in the Northern Circuit especially at Bharatpur, Corbett, Nainital and Chambal River Sanctuary.

New Delhi Arrival: The capital city is your entry point into India. If time permits we will visit landmark sites of the city else we stay at the hotel for the night.

We take an early morning take a flight to Jabalpur which is little more than an hour. Upon reaching Jabalpur we drive straight to Kanha National Park. It's a great scenic drive of 3 hrs through the forests of Mandla in which Kanha is also situated. We make a brief stop at Mandla for breakfast and bit of leg shake up. We continue another 58 km to our resort at Courtyard House Kanha. After driving around one hundred fifty six km approximately we check in and make ourselves comfortable. Courtyard House is a upmarket boutique accommodation.
We take a short break to freshen up and sit down for lunch in the dining hall. After a delicious lunch of Indian fare we relax in the living room. A quick tea and we leave for evening tiger safari in the core zone of the park. This is an introductory drive with potential of a great tiger sighting. Since the drive is short we try our best to spot the animals early. Bird watching goes side by side which makes the drive fulfilling.
In the evening we sit on the terrace for some refreshing beverages amidst the song of the cicadas. The transformation from urbanity to wilderness of Kanha is magical. The serenity and calm extol the setting sun and brings your senses to rest. A sumptuous dinner is in offing and we make the most of it. The night sleep is on early in the magnificent room of the Courtyard House.

Kanha NP. Morning & Evening Tiger Safaris: Five days of safari and bird watching is exciting and adventurous. Tourism area in Kanha is divided into four zones Kanha, Kisli, Mukki and Sarhi. We will explore each on our safaris in order to experience the whole ecosystem and the mesmerizing terrain of picturesque Kanha. The terrain comprises of grasslands, Sal forests, mixed forests and bamboo. Small rivulets and small rivers crisscross the whole ecosystem, deep in the valleys and amidst grasslands. The drive takes us through all these intersections and accords us a look at beautiful Kanha.
On game safaris we will come across tigers, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, bison, sambar deer, swamp deer, spotted deer, barking deer and blue bull. Spotted deer and Langur or Hanuman monkey are most common followed by the peacock and wild boar.
We need a bit of chance for leopard in these forests as they are nocturnal. This behavior is due to heavy predation by tigers. Kanha is a tiger land hence we see less of the spotted cat. Nevertheless holistic experience of this tiger reserve along with the sight of the tiger and other majestic animals makes our journey complete.
Each day we will spot many birds and our checklist will contain more than hundred species. Some of the prime birds of Kanha are the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Shama, Painted Francolin, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Black Naped Monarch, Racket Tailed Drongo, White Bellied Drongo, Peacock, Red Jungle Fowl, Red and Painted Spur fowl, Crested Hawk Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Indian Scops Owl and many more.
The Tiger
Our key focus is the tiger and we will experience many aspects of the majestic cat. We will record the sightings in camera and filming equipment that you carry. The Tiger is the most beautiful animal on Earth and its picture is worth more than a million words. We will understand the behavioral traits of the animal and in the process learn how to track the elusive beast. At Courtyard House - More Than Tiger Safaris Each afternoon and evenings we will indulge in activities all around. Tribal Dance, Wildlife Films, Lecture on wildlife, Barbecue, Nature Walk by the brook, Breakfast on Lake, Bush Dinners, Candle Lit Dinner, Sit Outs at Courtyard and Siesta in many of the eco niches of Kanha.

On this day we leave for Jabalpur with heavy heart but lots of satisfaction, our rendezvous with the tiger has been a big success. With fond memories we board the plane for New Delhi. Overnight Delhi

Transfer to airport for your onward journey. Adios!

We receive you upon arrival at New Delhi. We will visit important sights and bazaar's of the Capital City in the available time.

This day we take an early morning flight to Jabalpur. We arrive at the Jabalpur Airport in one and half hours time. From here we leave for Kanha National Park which is about three hours away. We check in at the Courtyard House Kanha which is a super luxury boutique accommodation managed by Mr. Neelesh & Krity Agrawal both old Kanha Hands. The property is a unique blend of English and Indian Architecture. The structure though modern offers an ambiance of India of old - of the days of the Maharajahs.
Kanha is one of the oldest conservation unit created in India. It is the last habitat of the hard ground Barasingha (Swamp Deer) in the World. There are 23 mammals, 250 bird species, innumerable insects and large number of reptilian species that inhabit this magnificent bio diversity on Earth.
Kanha always makes you feel at home and the salubrious clime pacifies your sensory apparatus. The tiger safaris in open jeep will offer a wide view of Kanha landscape. We will pass through dense Sal and mixed forest zones full of deer and other animal. The grasslands are favorite feeding ground of the deer and the tiger. The number of grasslands is the striking feature along with the table top mountains. The tigers hunt their prey in these grasslands the most since there is plenty of room to hide and ambush. The grasslands hold a high concentration of prey base which attracts the big cats. This forest land is inundated by numerous rivulets and water holes vital for survival of all life forms.
While on safari we will also keep an eye on the avian species which abound in the mixed forest, bamboo clumps, swampy areas and river banks. The targeted species are the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Painted Francolin and Shama besides many others. The interpretation at the Museum at the day center in Kanha Zone is a must visit. It helps understands the ecosystem and many other aspects of Kanha wilderness. This Zone is engulfed by a large meadow aptly called Kanha Meadow. Most of the tiger sightings take here and one can also see the gaur, Barasingha, Sloth bear and common animals of the preserve.

Three days of safaris in the morning and evening offer a wide vista of an amazing destination called Kanha. The wildlife is simply enchanting especially magnificent big cats. Tiger trekking is a difficult task but the fruit is worth it. There is no sight more enchanting than a tiger in the wild. Kanha is also home to the mouse deer which was discovered recently.
Morning safaris are more rewarding hence we choose zones like Kanha and Kisli . Tiger's exists in greater numbers here hence we have a good chance to see then. In all the safaris we will come across many animals and birds of Kanha National Park. Wildlife watching in India is enthralling but non beats Kanha. You have been fortunate to have experienced these magnificent jungle and we are sure you will make repeat visits.

We leave Kanha post breakfast for Bandhavgarh National Park which is5 hrs away. Our resort is near the Tala Gate and we settle down to freshen up and lunch. In the evening we will go for a tiger safari in the Magdi Zone. This is one of the four zones in the Bandhavgarh Reserve and a good habitat for the tiger and the Indian Bison or Gaur.
We will visit Rajbohera and Bathan grasslands to get a glimpse of the tiger and other wild animals. These are extensive grasslands and a visit here is a must. We come back having an exciting time and spend the evening by the fire place listening to the stories of jungle from the gathering. After a hefty dinner we spent the night in absolute peace.
Bandhavgarh National Park is a Project Tiger Reserve as well. It is one of the best tiger habitats in the World. The park is divided into tourism zones to facilitate excursions without disturbing the wild animals. Most popular zone is the Tala Zone but all the zones have something exciting to offer. Hence we will visit other zones while on this two day safari. Besides tigers, other animals and birds we will also visit the ancient monuments that lie scattered all around the reserve. For birding enthusiast the National Park has much to offer since more than 200 species can be seen here.

We experience more of Bandhavgarh and its magnificent big cats in the day safari. Sad! But its is time to leave after a thoroughly exciting tiger safaris. We catch the evening rail to new Delhi which reaches the night after.

From International Airport we fly for the journey onwards.