The year 2023-24 marks the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. We invite you to a niche Tiger Reserve in India to enjoy a thrilling time with this carnivore and its associate species.

The 1960s saw tigers in deep crisis – hunting all over India was rampant and their recovery rate plummeted. The 1969 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) raised alerts andin 1970 India imposed a total ban on hunting tigers. It marked a turning point.

Project Tiger’s formal launch was in 1973, at nine especially designated forests in the country. Project Reserves rose from 9 in 1973 to 52 in 2022.

Prime amongst these is the base for our trip: Ranthambhore, which has gained a reputation as a vital breeding ground. Opening with a dozen tigers, it has survived the challenges of its first decades in which its size has grown from 400 sq. km to 1,200 sq. km. Currently its tiger population is estimated at seventy.

Three days of jeep safaris of the site, accompanied by trained and local naturalists to allow you good sightings, will take you up close and personal with the tigers: well, as close as it’s feasible to be with these fierce, magnificent creatures. You’ll become intimate with their habitat.

You will also take part in a special tiger workshop, meeting forest officers and other experts to understand how conservation, with its scientific focus, is one of the last half century’s true success stories: and what acute challenges remain.

The tour extends into a day-long bird watching excursion in India’s top birding site, Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO and Ramsar Site, a renowned heronry and wintering ground for migratory birds, using a bicycle rickshaw and assisted by an expert bird guide.

After these top Indian wildlife sites, we end the tour with a visit to perhaps the most fabled tourist destination in the world – the Taj Mahal– before your return flight to Delhi.

01 Day. New Delhi – Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve).Welcome on arrival at airport. Proceed to railway station (40 min) to board connecting a/c train. Reach (5 hrs journey) Sawai Madhopur. Transfer (10 min) to Tiger Den Resort, located in the wilderness. This is nature at its best, with all the guest cottages spread out separately. Overnight.

02 – 03 – 04 Days. Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve).We will have morning (6.30 to 10 am) and afternoon (2.30 to 6 pm) jeep safaris each day with a knowledgeable nature guide and versatile driver. We will adopt different routes to take in information from fresh reports of tiger sighting. Thrill at watching Sambhar, Spotted deer, Blue Bull, Wild Boar, Mongoose, Marsh Crocodile, amidst a flutter of some 100 bird species, Owls out in the day, Indian Thick-knee by the edge of water and peacocks all around. And wait for the Tiger or Leopard or Sloth Bear to come face to face with you. Raj Bag, Padam Talab, Malik Talab, Lakarda, Bherda, Jhalra, Tamba Khan, Naal Ghati, Phuta Khurra are the most promising habitats where sightings are prominent. An ancient fort stands amidst this forest where the first self-sacrifice by Rajput ladies took place in 12th century. These are easy-paced safaris but we need to cover ours faces sometimes to avoid dirt raised by moving jeeps. For morning safaris we like to carry blankets from rooms to save ourselves from extreme cold and fog. A woollen cap is recommended. Overnight.

05 Day. Sawai Madhopur (Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve).The Tiger Workshop (9 Am – 4 pm) will be held for us at the resortto meet forest officers and experts. Enjoy presentations:success stories as well as threats still being faced in conservation by this big cat and its associate species; the prey-predator-equation; tiger tourism; stake-holders’ interests; forest employees’ problems; poaching; management of satellite areas where tiger dispersal is posing new threats, etc. An open session will be held in the afternoon followed by a group photo. A Golden Jubilee Souvenirwill be presented to you. A field visit (4 to 7 pm) to the tiger reserve’s peripheral villages will be especially organized, an opportunity to meet agriculturists who face carnivores’ threats daily and yet tolerate pangs and pathos of this conservation initiative. Walk along the Banas River to spot birds like White-tailed Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Bronze-winged Jacana, Indian Roller, Green Bee-eater, Shikra among others. After sunset you will drive and locate Golden Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat and possibly a Leopard. Return for a gala cocktail dinner with folk dance performance. Overnight.

06 -07 Days. Sawai Madhopur – Bharatpur. Transfer (7.30am) to station to board a/c train. Reach Bharatpur by 9 am. Transfer to Lakshmi Vilas heritage resort. We will have day long bird watching excursion in Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO and Ramsar Site, using a bicycle rickshaw and assisted by an expert bird guide, on both days. No restrictions here on walking. It is a renowned heronry and wintering ground for migratory birds. We will target Owls, Eagles, Nightjars, Bittern, Crake, among others. Birds on either side of walking track for a few miles and we are free to walk all around. Great photography opportunities. We will explore grassland habitats to observe Harriers, Falcons, Larks, Pipits, among other birds.

08 Day. Bharatpur – Agra. We like to spend forenoon (drive) in areas outside the Keoladeo Park to observe new birds like Great Thick-knee, Indian Thick-knee, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Thrushes, Bats, Indian Coursers and maybe Indian Skimmer. After lunch, we drive (1.5 hrs) and reach Agra to stay at Hotel Mansing Palace. Spend sun set time at the fabulous Taj Mahal. Noisy Parakeet, Common Myna, Crimson Sunbird, Laughing Dove, Black Kite, and other garden birds will be around us as we walk across this rectangular garden complex in typical Mughal design. Common Moorhen, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Black Ibis, Herons (Grey, Pond and Black-capped Night), Egrets (Cattle, Intermediate and Little), Black-winged Stilts and some ducks will be found at the Yamuna river that flows over northern parts of this monument. Overnight.

09 Day. Agra – Delhi. Leisurely breakfast at this comfortable hotel. After lunch check out and visit Red Fort where almost all Mughal emperors lived. Drive (4 hrs) to reach Delhi in evening. Transfer to airport to board flight. Farewell.

Price: GB Pounds 1,945 per person at minimum 2 paying.

Price includes: All accommodation, all meals (B,L,D), all transfers/transport, Naturalist (5 days)
entry fees, jeep safaris, workshop, train fare (A/c: New Delhi – Sawai Madhopur; Sawai Madhopur – Bharatpur), excursion in villages, and assistance throughout. The itinerary can be changed as per suggestions. No fixed departure and start on own dates. Welcome to extend the Tour and let us know what other species you will like to observe. Single or couple or more in a group will be welcome. October 2022 to June 2023 will be good times to have this tour. Note: The Workshop will be better staged if there will be group of visitors and it will be tailored as per mutually discussed suggestions of guests. If not feasible, then on the 5th Day, guests will have a morning bird watching at Surwal Lake and visit villages in the afternoon followed by post sunset drive to seek nocturnal species.

Price valid till 30 June 2024.