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India Safaris
Tigers and Birds
First class tours use 5 star hotels and air-conditioned transport, Tourist
class tours use 2 star hotels and non air-conditioned transport otherwise
services are the same.
Day 01:
Arrive Delhi
Check into Hotel. Remainder of the day free to enable you to
sample some of Delhi's avian and historical sights, or to just relax and
recover after your flight.
Day 02:
A full day of
sight seeing in Delhi the capital city of India, Delhi is a magnificent city
incorporating the historic old city. It sprawls over a vast tract of the
Jamuna plain, its population – 13.8 million Delhi was the centre of power of
the various Muslim dynasties that ruled swathes of the subcontinent from the
12th century onwards. Modern Delhi is really two cities – Old Delhi (Kutub
Minar, President House, National Museum & India Gate.. * B& B plan
(Overnight at the hotel
Day
03
Drive to
Bharatpur. Check in Laxmi Vilas palace or similar. Evening Park round.
Bharatpur,
an impregnable fortified city is today famous for the nearby
Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary. Once the shooting preserve of
royalty, it is perhaps the most spectacular water-bird
sanctuary in India. Bharatpur
Bird Sanctuary - 3 Km. Also known as the Keoladeo Ghanga
Sanctuary, it is famous for rare avian species. Stretching over
a 29 sq. km. marshy area it is an ideal terrain for migratory
birds. Some 353 species live and breed within the park, some of
which are egrets, darters, cormorants, grey herons, sarus crane,
siberian crane, rosy headed pelican etc. There are also a number
of spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, wild boar, python and
porcupine. Jeepable roads that form a network through the
marshland and boats that can be painted through weeds make for
easy viewing of the birds.
SITE DESCRIPTION
The site comprises a freshwater swamp which is part of the
Indogangetic Great Plains. For much of the year, however, the
wetland area is only some 1,000ha. The area is flooded in the
monsoon (July-September) to an average depth of 1-2m. From
October to January the water level gradually falls, and from
February the land begins to dry out. By June only some water
remains. The environment is partly man-made with dykes dividing
the area into 10 units, each with a system of sluice gates to
control water level. It is unlikely that the site would support
such numbers of waterfowl as it does without the addition of
water from Ajan Bund, a man-made impoundment. Soils are
predominantly alluvial - some clay has formed as a result of the
periodic inundations. The mean annual precipitation is 662mm,
with rain falling on an average of 36 days per year. The aquatic
vegetation is rich and provides a valuable food source for
waterfowl. Species include water lilies Nymphea nouchatia, N.
stellata and N. cristata, the true lotus Nilumbium
sp., duckweeds Lemna sp. water fern Azolla sp.,
Vallisneria sp., Hydrilla sp., Naga sp.,
Chara sp., Ipoma sp., sedges Cyperus sp. and
lesser reedmace Typha angustata. There is also wild rice.
Other vegetation is characteristic of a semi arid zone dominated
by babul Acacia nilotica, ber Zizyphus mauritiana,
khejri Prosopis cineraria, Salvadora oleoides,
S. persica and Capparis aphylla. The fauna includes:
rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta, langur Presbytis
entellus, small carnivores such as Bengal fox Vulpes
bengalensis, jackal Canis aureus, striped hyena
Hyaena hyaena, common palm civet Paradoxurus
hermaphroditus, small Indian civet Viverricula indica,
Indian grey mongoose Herpestes edwardsi, fishing cat
Felis viverrina, leopard cat F. bengalensis, jungle
cat F. chaus and smooth-coated otter Lutra
perspicillata. Ungulates include blackbuck Antilope
cervicapra (60), chital Cervus axis (350), sambar
C. unicolor, hog deer C. porcinus, nilgai
Boselaphus tragocamelus (480) and wild boar Sus scrofa.
The figures in brackets refer to the number of animals counted
in the 1980 census. Other mammals include Indian porcupine
Hystrix indica and Indian hare Lepus nigricollis.
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL IMPORTANCE
The site supports some 364 bird species and is considered to be
one of the world's best and richest bird areas. It is the major
wintering ground of the western population of the endangered
Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus. A total of 41,
including eight young, were recorded in December 1984, the
highest number for many years (ICBP, 1985) but there were only
19 in 1988-89. Other species include gadwall Anas strepera,
shoveler A. clypeata, common teal A. crecca,
cotton teal Nettapus coromandelianus, tufted duck
Aythya fuligula, comb duck Sarkidiornis melanotos,
white spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, little cormorant
Phalacrocorax niger, cormorant P. carbo, Indian shag
P. fuscicollis, painted stork Ibis leucocepalus,
Asian open-billed stork Anastomus oscitans, oriental ibis
Threskiornis melanocephalus, ruff Philomachus pugnax
(probably the most abundant wader), darter Anhinga
melanogaster, spot-billed pelican Pelecanus philippensis,
common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, wood sandpiper
Tringa glareola, green sandpiper T. ochropus and
Sarus crane Grus antigone. There are many birds of prey
including osprey Pandion haliaetus, peregrine Falco
peregrinus, Pallas' fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus,
short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus, tawny eagle
Aquila rapax, imperial eagle A. heliaca, spotted
eagle A. clanga and crestedserpent eagle Spilornis
cheela.
Day 04/05
Bharatpur.
Morning evening birding.
Day 06
Drive by road to
Agra and visit the Taj Mahal. Later take a direct
train to Umaryia for Bandhavgarh National Park. Overnight train.
Day 07
Reach Umariya
early morning & drive to Bandhavgarh National Park (34 km) in AC car/coach.
Evening game drive Bandhavgarh. Once part of the old Rewa state, Bandhavgarh
National Park is set amidst the Vindhya ranges with a series of ridges
running through it. Initially this park was the royal hunting ground for the
rulers of Rewa. But in 1968 it was declared a National Park. The Bandhavgarh
National Park is the plave where the famous white tigers of Rewa were
discovered. Bandhavgarh is densely populated with other animal species too.
The sambar, barking deer and nilgai are also common sights in the open areas
of the park. (Overnight Jungle lodge)
Day 08
Morning evening
game drive.
Day 09
Morning evening
game drive Bandhavgarh. About half the park is covered with fine stands of
sal, while mixed forests are found in the higher reaches of the hills.
Stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the north. The main viewing
area is still in the core of the Park with its 32 picturesque, wooded hills.
An ancient fort up on a precipice, 800 metres high, dominates the Park.
(Over night at the Resort)
Day 10
Leave
Bandhavgarh early morning for Kanha National Park. Reach Kanha by lunch
time, check in to the Krishna Jungle Resort & get ready for the evening game
drive. World renowned for its population of tigers, Kanha National Park
provides excellent opportunities for observing these magnificent animals in
the wild on jeep drives and elephant back, while this lushly forested
country is immediately familiar to readers of Rudyard Kipling, it has also
recently been the site of extensive research on the ecology of tiger, deer,
languor, Barasingha deer, guar and wild dogs. (Over night at the Resort)
Day 11
Morning evening
game drive in Kanha game reserve. Spend the full day viewing game and
spotting TIGERS inside the Jungle, located in the Mandla district of Madhya
Pradesh, the Kanha National Park is a Tiger Reserve that extends over 1945
sq. km. of undulating country. Elevations range from 450 to 900 meters. A
horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal ridge gives Kanha
an interesting topography. The Surpan River meanders through Kanha's central
maidans – grasslands (Over night at the resort)
Day 12
Morning evening
game drive in Kanha game reserve. It was here at Kanha that the eminent
zoologist George Schaller undertook the first ever-scientific study of the
tiger. The animals at Kanha are best observed from elephant back and the
open country makes the chance of sightings reasonably good. Deer are seen
along the maidans and gaur at Bamhindadr or in the Bishanpura Sondhar -
Ghorella area of the Mukki range. This area is also ideal for spotting the
dhole or wild dog. Langurs, wild boar, water fowl and birds are also
commonly seen. (Over night at the resort)
Day 13
We must leave
Kanha behind and make an early morning start for Jabalpur en route visit
Nerbudda Club to see the Original Snooker Tables. (The game of snooker was
originated from Jabalpur Nerbudda Club) have Lunch at Hotel Krishna
Jabalpur. Board Super Fast train at 3 P.M.
Day 14
Reach Delhi by
11 a.m. Go straight to a good restaurant for lunch, after lunch drive to
International Airport to catch a flight back to your destination.
Hotel category
– 5 star hotel in Delhi & Agra. 'A' class wildlife resorts
Cost includes:
Accommodation on twin sharing basis
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2 Nights in Delhi Hotel
Park or similar (5 star)
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3 Nights in Bharatpur
Forest Lodge or Laxmi Vilas palace
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3 nights in Bandhavgarh
Nature Heritage or similar
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3 nights in Kanha National
Park The Krishna Jungle Resort
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2 nights in train
Air-conditioned sleeper train
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Delhi & Agra on B&B Basis.
Delhi & Agra with all monuments fees, guide & local Sight seeing.
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Bharatpur, Kanha &
Bandhavgarh is on full board Jungle plan.
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Airport pickup & drop off.
Cost
does not include:
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Optional tours/excursions
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Personal & incidental
expenses
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Tips, laundry, phone calls,
bottled water, alcohol, camera fee etc.
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Meals unless specified and
meals in transit
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