The second of two exciting new India tour itineraries, this comprehensive three-centre tour of Central India covers the national parks of Tadoba and Pench, along with the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Indeed, this tour has some fantastic chances to see Bengal Tiger as well as a wide range of other mammals and mouth-watering list of birds, sleeping under the stars in a mix of permanent tented camps and colonial cottage style accommodation, with open backed Jeep safaris at either ends of the day.
A green paradise. The Tadoba Andhari Reserve is the largest national park in Maharashtra. It is one of India’s 41 “Project Tiger” – Tiger reserves. The name Tadoba is the name of the God Tadoba or Taru, praised by the tribal people who live in the dense forests of the Tadoba and Andhari region, while the Andhari River that meanders through the forest gives the Andhari name.
The ‘Jungle Book’ setting of Rudyard Kipling – Pench Tiger Reserve lies in the southern lower reaches of the Satpura Range of hills on the southern border of Madhya Pradesh. The general topography of Pench Tiger Reserve is mostly undulating, characterized by small ridges and hills having steep slopes, with a number of seasonal streams carving the terrain into many folds and furrows, a result of the folding and upheavals of the past.
Situated in the Maikal range a branch of Satpura hills in Madhya Pradesh in central India Kanha National Park is the oldest and one of the best know wildlife reserves of India. This will be our third base and hopefully by this stage of the tour, we will have already had great views of Tigers, as well as some of the other exciting mammals on offer and up to 220 species of birds. Your tour leader for this trip of a lifetime will be Chris Mills.
DAYS ONE & TWO – 20th & 21st
Depart London to Nagpur
Fly London to Nagpur, via Delhi with Air India (avoiding Middle East transit). Arrive in Nagpur airport early evening of 21st February and transfer to a Nagpur hotel.
DAY THREE – 22nd February
Nagpur to Kanha Tiger Reserve
After breakfast we board our transport and transfer to Kanha Tiger Reserve.
This is around a 6 hour journey including a stop for birding and lunch, we should arrive mid to late afternoon at Kanha, where we will settle into the lovely Kanha Jungle Camp.
Some roadside birding stops usually produces Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Indian Grey Hornbill, Asian Green Bee-eater, Indian Peafowl, White-throated Kingfisher, Black-winged Kite, Black Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Greater Coucal, Red-vented Bulbul, Brahminy Starling, Oriental Magpie-robin, Yellow-throated Sparrow, Ashy Prinia, Large-billed Crow, Laughing Dive, Shikra, Asian Koel, Red-naped Ibis, Cattle & Little Egret, Common Tailorbird, Purple Sunbird and possibly some migrant waders if we find some roadside pools or wet rice fields.
Kanha Jungle Camp is a beautiful camp surrounded by mature trees and overlooking a small lagoon. The surroundings are picturesque, and you will feel that you right amongst a true jungle ambience created by the natural surroundings.
DAY FOUR – 23rd
Kanha Tiger Reserve
Created in 1955, Kanha covers an area of 1,940 square kilometres and consists of a horseshoe-shaped valley, through which the Surpan River meanders, with steep rocky escarpments created by spurs of the Mekal Hills, offering breathtaking views of the valley, and the forests of the Banjar and Halon valleys form the western and eastern halves of Kanha Tiger Reserve.
Kanha has the last population of Swamp Deer, whose numbers exceed 350. Facing extinction over 20 years ago, a series of conservation initiatives has helped save them, and the air now fills with their rutting calls. More than 220 bird species have been recorded here. Over the next 2 days we woill take 4 jeep safaris and will hope to track down the Swamp Deer, Tiger, Leopard, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear & Black Buck, there’s also a chance of seeing Indian Python, Indian Cobra and other lizards.
We will also try to search out the highlight species of birds during our time here will be Indian Spot-billed Duck, Comb Duck, Oriental Turtle Dove, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Crested Tree-swift, White-rumped Spinetail, Asian Palm Swift, Coppersmith Barbet, Lesser Yellow nape, White-naped woodpecker, Wire-tailed Swallow, Citrine Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Paddyfiled Pipit, Small Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Olive-backed Pipit, Verditer Flycatcher, Siberain Stonechat, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama, White-bellied Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Greater racket-tailed Drongo, Tawny Babbler, Painted Francolin, Jerdon’s Leafbird, Black-hooded Oriole, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Gold Mantled Chloropsis, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Tickell,s Flowerpecker, Veriditer Flycatcher, Tawny Fish owl, Brown Fish Owl & Mottled Wood Owl, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Bay-backed. Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike and Common Woodshrike,
We will visit waterholes and high plateaux such as Bahmni Dadar these are excellent spots for birding.
Safari drives will be departing around 6am and returning at 11am, then there will be an afternoon drive from 2am till around 6pm.
DAY FIVE – 24th
Kanha Tiger Reserve
Our last day at Kanha. We will make an effort today to try and see any remaining species that we haven’t come across just the rest of the tour. It’s very likely you will have had plenty of big cats and mammal sightings by now, so we will try for any of the iconic birds that we haven’t seen so far.
Highlight Species at Kanha are Indian Spot-billed Duck, Comb Duck, Oriental Turtle Dove, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Crested Tree-swift, White-rumped Spinetail, Asian Palm Swift, Coppersmith Barbet, Lesser Yellow nape, White-naped woodpecker, Wire-tailed Swallow, Citrine Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Paddyfiled Pipit, Small Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Olive-backed Pipit, Verditer Flycatcher, Siberain Stonechat, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama, White-bellied Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Greater racket-tailed Drongo, Tawny Babbler, Painted Francolin, Jerdon’s Leafbird, Black-hooded Oriole, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Gold Mantled Chloropsis, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Tickell,s Flowerpecker, Veriditer Flycatcher, Tawny Fish owl, Brown Fish Owl & Mottled Wood Owl, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Bay-backed. Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike and Common Woodshrike,
Safari drives will be departing around 6am and returning at 11am, then there will be an afternoon drive from 2am till around 6pm.
DAY SIX – 25th
Kanha to Pench
After a more leisurely breakfast today we will start our journey to Pench, it’s around 5 hours travel time but we will make some roadside stops and stop off for lunch on the way.
Some roadside birding stops usually produces Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Indian Grey Hornbill, Asian Green Bee-eater, Indian Peafowl, White-throated Kingfisher, Black-winged Kite, Black Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Greater Coucal, Red-vented Bulbul, Brahminy Starling, Oriental Magpie-robin, Yellow-throated Sparrow, Ashy Prinia, Large-billed Crow, Laughing Dive, Shikra, Asian Koel, Red-naped Ibis, Cattle & Little Egret, Common Tailorbird, Purple Sunbird and possibly some migrant waders if we find some roadside pools or wet rice fields.
Evening at leisure, accommodation at the beautiful Pench Jungle Camp set in beautiful open wooded area.
DAY SEVEN – 26th
Pench National Park
Pench National Park is located in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. Named after the pristine River Pence which flows through the park, Pench National Park is one of the most popular wildlife reserves in India. The park also has its mention in the famous story of 1894, ‘The Jungle Book’, penned down by the renowned English Author Rudyard Kipling.
Pench National Reserve and Park comprised of four forest areas that exhibit a lavish range of forest consisting of shrubs, climbers, trees, grasses, and herbs and all these flora variety make a perfect environment to shelter the beautiful birds in this region. Every year a huge number of migratory birds pass through and around 185 species of birds are recorded.
We will again be departing early around 6am for our first safari in Pench there will be an emphasis on both birds and mammals, with Pench being a good place to see some forest birds plus Royal Bengal tiger, Indian Golden Jackal, Indian wild dog, Indian Wild boar, Sloth bear, Indian leopard, Fox, Striped hyena, Hanuman Langur, Indian Gaur, plus several Deer species.
Typical bird species of the park are Indian Jungle Fowl, Indian Peafowl, Indian Scops Owl, Rufous Treepie, Indian Pitta, Greater racket-tailed Dongo, Rose-ringed & Alexandrine and Plum-headed Parakeet, Red-vented bulbul, Crimson-breasted Barbet, Indian roller, Pintail, Shoveller, Egret, Magpie Robin, Lesser Whistling Teal, Herons, Oriole, Munia, Minivet, Wagtail, Common Kingfisher, Myna and Waterfowl.Flame-backed Woodpecker, Spotted Dove, White-throated Kingfisher, Laughing Doves, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Asian Openbill, Black Dongo, Red-Wattled Lapwing, Bay Backed Shrike, Asian Pied Starling, Common Hawk-cuckoo Coppersmith & Brown headed Barbet, Small Minivet, Black-hooded Oriole, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Jungle Owlet, Spotted owlet, Red-naped Ibis and Asian Koel.
Late morning we return for a break and lunch at the beautiful camp at Pench Jungle Camp. At 2pm we set out for the afternoon safari before retruning again to the camp around 5.30pm.
Evening at leisure, accommodation at Pench Jungle Camp
DAY EIGHT – 27th
Pench National Park
We will again be departing early around 6am for our first safari in Pench there will be an emphasis on searching out any specific expected birds or mammals that we didn’t see on our first day at Pench.
Late morning we return for a break and lunch at the beautiful camp at Pench Jungle Camp. The Camp itself set in woodland is also good for birds and anyway wanting to do a bit more birding or bird photography will have plenty of opportunities around the Camp.At 2pm we set out for the afternoon safari before returning again to the camp around 5.30pm.
Other birds possible and seen on previous trips at Pench have included:- River Tern, White-rumped and Egyptian Vulture, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Jungle Bush-quail, Bronze-winged Jacana, Alexandrine Parakeet, Mottled Wood Owl, Brown Hawk-Owl, Indian Hoopoe, Bay-backed Shrike, Greater Flameback, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Rosy Minivet, Wire-tailed Swallow, Rufous-tailed Lark, Tickell’s Thrush, Greensih Warbler, Hume’s Warbler, Sylphur-bellied Warbler, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Spangled and White-bellied Drongo.
Evening at leisure, accommodation at Pench Jungle Camp
DAY NINE – 28th
Transfer to Tadoba
Today we transfer by road to our lodge in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. The Tadoba Andhari Reserve is the most popular national park in Maharashtra.
Tadoba National Park is mostly covered with dense woodlands with myriad trees. Bamboo and teak are most commonly found here.
Popularly known as ‘The Land of Tigers’, Tadoba National Park is home to a vast number of Royal Bengal Tigers. The most widely found mammals include Indian Leopards, nilgai, dhole, striped hyena, sloth bears, gaur, Small Indian Civet, sambar, jungle cats, spotted deer, chital, chausingha, honey badger and barking deer. The national park houses the rare Indian Python and a plethora of other reptiles, including Indian Monitor, Indian star tortoise, russell’s viper, Indian Cobra and Terrapins.
With over 195 species of birds, Tadoba is a delight for visitors fond of bird watching. The most popular commonly found species include Orange-headed Thrush, Stone curlew, Crested honey buzzard, Indian Pitta, Crested treeswift, Paradise flycatcher, Lesser golden backed woodpecker and Bronze winged jacana. Grey headed fish eagle, Changeable hawk-eagle and Crested serpent eagle are the prominent raptors here.
You will have a great chance here of encountering the Bengal tiger, Leopards, Sloth Bears, Gaur, Nilgai, Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer, reptiles, butterflies and many birds.
This evening you begin your exploration with a night safari in the buffer forest. This evening there will be a good chance of seeing the magnificent Indian Gaur, possibly Indian Dohl or Wild dog, there is a chance we may come across Indian Nightjar. Plus Indian Python and other snakes are a possibility. We stay for four nights at the excellent Tadoba Jungle Camp.
DAY TEN – 1st
Tadoba National Park
Your exploration of Tadoba continues over the next three days. We have planned 2 safaris on each of these three days.
The park today is divided into various zones, the so-called buffer regions are largely named so to keep human inhabitation at bay and to create a ‘buffer’ forest between inhabitation (villages and cities) and the core forest. Each day we will explore several zones in the core area of the park.
We will be up bright and early for our first game drive arriving at the gate at 6am, returning late morning at around 11am. We will then have a lazy period around the camp with lunch and showers. We then head back out for the afternoon safari, into a different zone at 2pm returning around 5.30pm.
Even in these first game drives, you will have a very good chance of coming across your first big cats, both Asian Leopard and Tigers are often seen during our first day!
Birds we may encounter –
Orange-headed Thrush, Indian Pitta, Crested Treeswift, Stone Curlew, Crested Honey Buzzard, Paradise Flycatcher, Bronze-winged Jacana, Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Warblers, Black-naped Blue Flycatcher, Oriental Honey Buzzard, White-eyed Buzzard, Pariah Kite, Eurasian Sparrow Hawk, Black Shouldered Kite, Shikra, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Common Kestrel, Jungle Bush Quail, Indian Peafowl, Spotted Owlet, Forest Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, House Sparrow, Indian Robbin, Indian Roller, Ruby Throat, Blue Throat, Black Redstart, Grey Tit, Common Stonechat, Brahminy Myna, Asian Pied Starling, House Crow and Large-billed Crow.
DAY ELEVEN – 2nd
Tadoba National Park
We will be up again bright and early for our game drive arriving at the gate at 6am, returning late morning at around 11am. We will then have a lazy period around the camp with lunch and showers.
After lunch today we head to a lake area on the outskirts of the park to take some wetland birding at the Irai reservoir. The birding here in 2020 with vast flocks of migrant wildfowl, 750 Red-crested Pochard, 1000 Coot, 380 Wigeon, 60 Cotton Pygmy Goose, plus Garganey, Pintail, Ferruginous Duck & waders.
Other birds we may encounter in the wetland area Grey-headed Swamphen, Red-wattled & Yellow-wattled lapwing, Asian Openbill, Little Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Black-headed Ibis, Red-naped Ibis, White-throated kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Indian Roller, Bronze-winged Jacana, Oriental Darter, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Intermediate Egret, Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Kite, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Asian Green Bee-eater, Red-rumped Swallow, Jungle Bush-quail, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, migrant waders, Wood sandpiper, Greenshank, Lesser Adjutant , River Tern, Pheasant-tailed Jacana & Indian Spot-billed Duck.
DAY TWELVE – 3rd
Tadoba National Park
Two game drives left in Tadoba today, again out bright and early for our game drive arriving at the gate at 6am, returning late morning at around 11am.
You will have chance to wander with the camera around the camp or take a lazy period with lunch and showers.
Birds we may encounter today in the forest – Crested Honey-buzzard, Booted Eagle, Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown-capped Pygmy woodpecker, Indian golden Oriole, Ashy Drongo, Cinereous tit, Clamorous Reed Wasrbler, White-browed Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Indian Pied Starling, Purple -rumped Sunbird, Common Myna, Common Hawk-cuckoo, Jungle Babbler, Brown Shrike, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon and lots more.
Of course there will be loits more attention as well searching for the Tigers, Leopards, Indian Wild Dog, Indian Sloth Bear Mongoose, Chital, Sambar, Striped Hyena and more.
After lunch today we head out for our last game drive in Tadoba.
DAY THIRTEEN – 4th
After breakfast and a mornings birding, we transfer back to Nagpur ready for our flight which departs the following morning.
DAY FOURTEEN– 5th
Flight back to London via Delhi, arriving early evening of the same day.
PASSPORT & VISA
You must ensure your passport has sufficient validity (at least 3 months) and that you leave plenty of time for any renewal. Visas are obligatory for entry to India with regulations frequently changing so please check at the time of booking. Currently you can get an e-Visa for around £50 or a full 3-month visa for about £120. At the moment, it is no longer necessary to visit the Indian embassy in London to obtain a visa and you can also use an online company who will complete everything on your behalf, for a bit more cost.
HEALTH
You should make an appointment to visit your local health clinic for a travel appointment to discuss necessary inoculations for your trip. Please be aware that currently these type of appointments are at a premium so enquire well in advance.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Return flights from London/Nagpur via Delhi with Air India, 12 nights accommodation (plus one on board aircraft), all park entrance fees, all meals with exception of any meal required on last evening before boarding the plane, airport transfers and assistance on arrival and departure, transport using A/C Tempo Traveler or Toyota Innova and services of guides.
NOT INCLUDED
Any expenses of personal nature such as telephone calls, tips, use of payable items in room mini bar, any kind of alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverages (unless specified), visas, travel insurance and tips (allow £200 per person).
CLIMATE
Nagpur – 30c upper, 18c lower
ACCOMMODATION
The standard of the accommodation is good to excellent. The accommodation at Kanha and Pench is high end luxury tents with permanent beds, and showrooms.
All toilets at accommodations are Western style and all accommodation is en suite.
Tadoba Serai Tiger resort – a simple and small permanent air-conditioned tented camp, comfortable without frills. The food is excellent. No wifi.
Pench Jungle Camp – a luxurious series of large permanent tents, very well appointed with air conditioning and all mod-cons. Wifi in restaurant and reception.
Kanha – Tuli Tiger Resort – nice place with traditional colonial style feel. Food is very good. The rooms are permanent Cottages and well appointed. Wifi was available but was limited to the reception area.
The 2018 report was compiled by Chris Mills on his last tour to Central India
“Can’t fault Oriole Birding for the organisation of the trip considering the sudden problems which arose (with the Middle East conflict) and for your patience and assistance given several times. And the trip was amazing”.
JP, Leics
“This is my third tour with Oriole. I have enjoyed all three hugely. The tours have been well managed, lead by knowledgeable and personable guides and the accommodation and food have been of a consistently high standard”.
SH, Bolton
