Key Features
• See the magnificent Bengal tiger & other wildlife in 3 National Parks
• Stay in tranquil Orchha & experience rural India
• Marvel at the intricate sculptures of the Khajuraho's erotic temples
Included
14nts hotel, 1nt sleeper train - second class air-conditioned over night rail travel; 15 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 8 dinners included.
Transport
Bus/Train/Jeep/Cantor/ Rickshaw.
Group Size
Approx. 13 to 18.
Tour Staff
Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s) and some local guides.
Ranthambore Reserve
Leaving Delhi by train we head south to Ranthambore. This National Park is one of the finest tiger reserves in India and has long been under the Project Tiger scheme. Sightings are reported almost daily and it also provides a habitat for sambar deer, leopard, crocodile, sloth bear and about 300 species of birds. You may also visit the awesome Ranthambore Fort.
Khajuraho & Bandhavgarh
Our drive through rural India takes us first to the tranquil village of Orchha with its lovely Fort Palace, then on to the jungle site of Khajuraho, with its complex of temples famed for their erotic carvings and elegant shikaras (spires). India's conservation programme protects wildlife from fire, disease and poaching, and although Bandhavgarh was, ironically, the Rewa Maharajas' game reserve, there is now a good chance of meeting a tiger here.
Kipling's Kanha
Said to have been the inspiration for Kipling's jungle book, Kanha is one of India's largest National Parks. Its mixture of Sal forests and grasslands offer a range of habitats which support about 300 species of bird and a number of large mammals including the rare Barasingha deer and Indian wolf as well as the Bengal tiger. We've two full days of safaris here before an overnight train takes us full circle back to Delhi.
Comment
Activities are gentle and this tour is suitable for anyone in reasonable health although you need to be prepared for some long bumpy journeys on rural roads.