India Big Five Grand Safari Tour

This safari takes you through the wild side of India and combines relaxation and excitement.

You will explore some of the finest and best wilderness areas of the subcontinent. The pace of the tour is leisurely and allows plenty of time for animal watching. The colorful Indian city life, the friendly people, and the rich wildlife make this safari a wonderful experience.

What makes this trip so unique?

• We follow in the footsteps of Mowgli from the Jungle Book and explore the legendary Indian jungle accompanied by the best naturalist nature guides in the country.
• We follow the tracks of the last Indian rhinos in the different zones of the Kaziranga National Park.
• During a long stay in Kanha National Park we go in search of the first tigers on this safari. But we also keep our eyes open for sloth bears.
• The most intimate encounters with the Bengal tiger are guaranteed during an exclusive day game drive in Tadoba National Park, India’s safest place for tiger sightings.
• We are in the park for ten hours and can experience undisturbed tiger encounters between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. without having to share them with others.
• A three-day detour to Bera in Rajasthan will hopefully enable us to see the rare leopard.
• We always stay in beautiful, ambient camps and lodges.

Day 1 to Day 4: Arrival Kolkata – Guwahati – Kaziranga National Park

Indian rhinos and tigers side by side

Arrival in Kolkata (Calcutta) and onward flight to Guwahati. Here you will be picked up by your naturalist after landing. After a short introduction at the airport, you will drive together to Kaziranga National Park in around five hours.

Kaziranga is an outstanding national park in Assam and consists of swamp and forest areas as well as tall grass meadows. The enormous open spaces are covered with elephant grass.

The park is home to an impressive variety of animals. The national park is famous for its population of around 1,500 Indian rhinos, the largest concentration in the world. The approximately 80 tigers do not appear as often as their brothers in central India. Wild water buffalo, Asian elephants and Barasingha deer are also found in large numbers.

3 nights at the Borgos Resort.

Day 4 – Day 7: Kaziranga – Kanha

The best national park in India

Today we drive back to Guwahati and fly to Raipur in central India. On arrival, it takes about 4 hours 30 minutes to Kanha, where we check into an atmospheric safari camp on the edge of the park. We are out and about in the national park early in the morning and then again in the afternoon.

Kanha is about 1000 km² in size (apart from the buffer zone, which is another 1000 km²) and is divided into four zones accessible to tourists. The park is home to tigers, leopards, the rare and critically endangered Indian wild dog, the Asian jackal, the jungle cat, the sloth bear, the endemic barasingha, the sambhar deer, the Indian gaur, the Bengal fox, the axis deer and many other mammals.

The probability of encountering wild dogs is quite high at 50%. As soon as we have quenched our tiger thirst, we decide to spend one day looking for the bizarre sloth bear. The probability of succeeding in Kanha is quite high at around 60%. The park is scenically beautiful and lined with many sal trees.

We use the time between safaris to relax in our lovely cottage. We also take a short walk through the nearby village to immerse ourselves in the rural life of the Indians. We will meet the locals doing their daily work – we will also be invited to drink the most typical of all Indian drinks, a hot masala tea, in the modest house of a family.

3 nights in the Shergarh Tented Camp.

Day 7 – Day 10: Kanha – Tadoba

Tiger stronghold Tadoba

After our last game drive in Kanha, we are slowly approaching another highlight of the safari, the unique day tiger safari in Tadoba National Park.

Today, every serious tiger fan knows that Tadoba is the destination when it comes to maximizing the chances of a successful tiger sighting. Although the number of visitors means that you can no longer say what it once was, a visit to Tadoba should still be at the top of a visitor’s list if it is important to observe the big cats with a high degree of safety.

Tigers gather on the tracks of Tadoba like dust on tires. There are plenty of both in Tadoba. Very effective surveillance measures with hidden cameras to protect against poaching have led to the tiger population in Tadoba increasing dramatically within a few years. The 624 km² reserve had 60 tigers in 2014, and there are now 80 – and the number is rising.

Our game drives in Tadoba lead to the many buffer zones in the park. The buffer zones are selected based on sightings three months before your arrival: game drives in the forests of Alizanza, Pangadi, Madnapur and Sirkada (approx. 45 minutes from the resort) are possible.

We book a full-day safari for you. We are out and about in the park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. without any time restrictions and can enjoy exclusive tiger encounters during the park’s usual closing time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. without sharing them with anyone. An absolute privilege given the rush of visitors that sometimes occurs!

3 nights in the Svasara Jungle Lodge.

Day 10 – Day 13: Tadoba – Satpura

Off the beaten track

We drive to Satpura National Park in about 6-7 hours. Satpura is a breathtaking forest with deep gorges and waterfalls.

Satpura is more known for its bears than its tigers, but the extraordinary range of activities and the non-commercial nature of the park (only 10 jeeps are allowed per game drive) ensure a nature experience that is hard to beat in terms of quality. Nature lovers who are not only interested in tigers will find their paradise in Satpura. On the jeep safaris there is a good chance of seeing sloth bears and red dogs. You can also go on extensive walking safaris and boat trips here. We always include two activities per day (at lunchtime from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. it is too hot for outdoor activities at 40°C.)

3 nights with full board in the Reni Pani Lodge.

Day 13: Bhopal – Delhi (Flight)

Travel back with a suitcase full of memories

Transfer to Bhopal and return flight to Delhi.

After so many experiences, it will be hard to say goodbye to India! Drive to the airport where you board your evening flight to onward destination.

Thank you for checking our page which we provide brief information about Safari in India by Delighted Journey.