This tour takes to India’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries and reserves, both in Western and the Eastern regions. First Stop is Ranthambore Park with its tiger population making a recovery and varied primate species. After spending days viewing the best that Western Indian forests have to offer, the architectural and cultural glory of India is unveiled at Pink city of Jaipur and Land of Taj Mahal – Agra with its Mughal influence. Next head for Assam – home of the mighty Brahmaputra River and tea estates after a night in Delhi. Here we visit Kaziranga sanctuary, home to the critically endangered one horned rhino and a day excursion to the endangered Hoolock Gibbon Sanctuary. This tour offers the wildlife enthusiast fabulous wildlife experiences in some of the most stunning natural surroundings in the world.
Season: April
INDIA AND WILDLIFE TOUR WITH TEA GARDENS AND TAJ MAHAL
Straight out of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’, Central India’s finest national parks, including Kanha and Pench offer some of the best photo opportunities for wildlife buffs. In Assam, we visit the Kaziranga sanctuary, home to the critically endangered one-horned rhinoceros, in one of the most stunning natural surroundings anywhere in the world. Next you will travel to Dibrugarh and stay in heritage bungalows amidst rolling tea gardens. Fly back to Delhi and drive to Agra, home to the stunning Taj Mahal.
WALKING SAFARI IN THE LAND OF THE TIGERS
This unique tour takes you to the finest national parks of central India. It includes a three day walking safari which retraces the trail undertaken British Captain J Forsyth of Bengal Lancers regiment, almost 150 years ago. Pioneering Captain Forsyth discovered and is responsible for the development of the Central highlands. You will visit Satpura, Pench and Tadoba National Parks. Satpura Tiger Reserve is part of one of the largest contiguous blocks of forest left in India and is still (just!) connected to other Reserves by forest ‘corridors’. It therefore represents the largest block of tiger-inhabited tiger habitat left in the world. Pench National Park is lesser known but most conveniently located Tiger habitat. Panoramic beauty of this region that has been described as early as the beginning of the 20th century by naturalists like Captain J. Forsyth in ‘Highlands of Central India’ and by Rudyard Kipling in the ‘Jungle Book’. The Tadoba Andhari National Park has been unnoticed by tourism till recently. It has a forest dominated by teak forest and bamboo, it’s a rugged landscape comprising cliffs, caves, marshes, perennial lakes and boulder strewn streambeds that cater to a host of biodiversity. It is abounding with wildlife and animals like the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, wild dog, blue bull and sambar inhabit the reserve.
INDIA AND NEPAL WILDLIFE TOUR – BIG 7
This Big Seven wildlife tour offers you to visit some of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India and Nepal giving you an opportunity to experience the culture and wildlife of both the destinations from close quarters. This tour provides the opportunity to see Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Tiger, Elephant, One-horned Rhino, Sloth Bear and Gaur (Indian Bison) You will journey through jungles of Pench and Kanha national parks in central India which was Rudyard Kipling’s source of inspiration for his work – the ‘Jungle Book’. Visit Sasangir National Park that was built primarily to conserve the most endangered Asiatic Lion. In Nepal you cover Kathmandu and Chitwan National Park.
MAJESTIC DARJEELING AND SIKKIM
To see the majestic splendour and experience the cultural richness of the land and the people of the Eastern Himalayas, a visit to the beautiful colonial hill station of Darjeeling and the stunning environs of Sikkim – a must for a wonderfully rewarding holiday. Your tour of some of India’s most stunning Himalayan enclaves begins from the historic city of Calcutta, once the erstwhile capital of the Raj in India and popularly known as the City of Joy, home of the legendary Mother Teresa in modern times. A drive up to Darjeeling offers you a banquet of splendid panoramas of a landscape rich in wildlife and botanical delights. In Darjeeling enjoy the mesmerising views of Mt Khanchendzonga, the world’s third highest peak and watch the sunrise from Tiger Hill. Savour the colonial elements of nostalgia amongst the tea plantations and flower filled gardens and red roofed bungalows, before saying goodbye to the UNESCO Heritage Toy Train and moving into the Teesta River Gorge for a fabulous drive to Gangtok, capital of Sikkim. The drive up to the snowy reaches of Tsomgo Lake offers a captivating vision of a remote and beautiful region, now carefully opened to tourism. The journey back to the gorge, and up the winding road to Kalimpong is a memorable one. Enjoy those lovely mountain views, monasteries and tea plantations all along.
EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE:
Cycling
- Mountain biking in Darjeeling
Gastronomy
- Bengali Cooking Experience in Calcutta
Spiritual
- Private Puja (worship) ceremony in Kali Temple of Calcutta
Adventure
- White Water Rafting on River Teesta
FLYING TIGER SAFARI
This tour takes us on a wild journey through jungles of central India which was Rudyard Kipling’s source of inspiration for his “Jungle Bookâ€. We visit both Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks, being rated as the best for tiger spotting the world over but with a difference! Travel from park to park by private chartered flights. Bandhavgarh National Park – Located in the Vindhya mountains, it is a beautiful park with woodlands, rocky hills and grassland valleys. Plenty to see in this small park (168 Sq miles) set around a historic site, with carvings, temples and an ancient fort. It has the highest concentration of tigers in a tourist zone, which are vehicle friendly. Kanha National Park – The horse shoe shaped Kanha valley has sometimes been called the N’Gorongoro of India. Herds of the Kanha miscellany, the axis deer, the blackbuck, the wild pig and occasionally the gaur (Indian Bison) throng the central parkland. With its flourishing herds and relatively tolerant predators, Kanha offers almost unrivalled scope to a keen wildlife photographer.
BEST OF INDIAN WILDLIFE
The Royal Expeditions wildlife safari experience in India continues to be unmatched, as we have been highly selective about the national parks on offer and the choice of accommodations. The lodges that Royal Expeditions chooses for your travels have all modern comforts, each catering to only a small number of guests at any one time. In addition, they have knowledgeable English- speaking resident naturalists who accompany guests, so that you can enjoy only the very best safari experience available in India. This tour of India takes you to some of the country’s greatest national parks, among them the World Heritage Kaziranga National Park, host to the world’s single largest population of the endangered one-horned rhino. Both Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park are noted the world over for their high number of tigers. The tour is aimed at offering the wildlife enthusiast a cross-section of India’s fabulous wildlife experiences in some of the most stunning natural settings in not just the country but the world.
Experiences
Cycling
- Explore the lanes of Old Delhi on a morning cycling tour
- Cycle in the buffer forests in Kanha
Gastronomy
- Cooking demonstration and meal with a local family in Delhi.
- Street food walk in Delhi
Community Service
- Visit an NGO in Delhi
ACTIVE ADVENTURE IN TIGERLAND
This active tour in packed with adventure offers you the thrill of coming face to face with untouched cultures as well as wilderness regions of great natural beauty. You will travel to central India’s three famous national parks having diverse wildlife, landscapes and tribal communities which make it a fascinating region to cycle through forested corridor which serve as a refuge to dispersing wildlife across the parks. Also on offer will be night safaris, walking in the buffer forests and canoe safaris.
You will also visit Agra to marvel at the wonder that is the Taj Mahal.
EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE:
Gastronomy
- Farm to Table hands on cooking demonstration with in-house chef at the lodge in Pench
CULTURAL EXPEDITIONS TO LADAKH
A land of mystery and folklore, of Silk Route legends and ancient villages perched high above raging rivers. Ladakh and its remote Zanskar region, scattered amongst the glorious Trans Himalayan expanses, will endlessly engage the visitor with its dramatic natural scenery, its Buddhist gompas with their painted murals and beautiful icons and its wild landscape rich in promise of adventure activities and cultural experiences. With the fall of the great Tibetan empire, the kingdom of Tibet was, in 1020, split up amongst the three brothers of the ruling clan. One of the brothers moved into the southern region of the Tibetan Plateau and occupied the wild expanses of Ladakh. With him he brought the rich cultural elements of Tibetan Buddhism which slowly amalgamated with the local Bon religion. Many of the old local shrines were converted to Buddhist monasteries. Today this harsh but dramatic land, with Leh as its capital, is the base of exciting adventure activities such as trekking, rafting, jeep tours and bird watching. Its monasteries, a repository of ancient art and scriptures, draw culture enthusiasts from around the globe.
EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE:
Adventure
- Mountain Biking from Khardung La to Leh
- River rafting on the Indus River
ACTIVE ADVENTURE AND WILDLIFE
This tour offers you the thrill of coming face to face with untouched cultures as well as wilderness regions of great natural beauty. You will travel to Central India’s three most famous national parks, each with diverse wildlife, landscapes and tribal communities. These make it a fascinating region to cycle through forested animal corridors which connect the parks. Also on offer will be Night Safaris, Walking Safaris in the buffer zones and Canoe Safaris.
You will also visit Agra to marvel at the wonder that is the Taj Mahal.
