India Wildlife Tour Packages
With its size and its hundreds of languages and costumes, India combines many countries in one. Bustling metropolises of gigantic proportions, tropical jungles, fascinating mountain giants, golden stretches of beach, traditional rivers, wildlife-rich nature reserves, cool hill stations, impressive deserts, monumental buildings: the country overwhelms you with its seemingly endless diversity. This safari takes you through the wild side of India and combines relaxation and excitement.
In total, we go on safari 22 times. In Kaziranga, our focus is on the endangered Indian rhinoceroses and the Asian elephant. In Kanha National Park, we target tigers, wild dogs and sloth bears. In Tadoba, the star is the Bengal tiger: here we get exclusive tiger sightings on a unique full-day safari. We continue the safari in Bera, where we focus on the leopards during exciting evening game drives. During the day, our exploratory trips lead to the Jawai reservoir with its incredible abundance of birds. Fascinating insights into the culture of the Rajasthani shepherds, which has remained unchanged for centuries, are also possible here.
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 Kaziranga National Park.
- During an unusually 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 trip to Bera in Rajasthan will hopefully enable us to spot the rare leopard. Elephants and tigers are also practically guaranteed to be spotted.
- We always stay in beautiful, atmospheric camps and lodges.
Day 1 – Day 5: Arrival Kolkata – Fly to Guwahati – Drive to Kaziranga National Park
Arrival in Calcutta and onward flight to Guwahati. Here you will be picked up by your naturalist after landing. After a short round of introductions 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 rhinoceroses, the largest concentration in the world. The approximately 80 tigers do not show themselves as often as their brothers in central India. Wild water buffalo, Asian elephants and Barasingha deer are also found in large numbers.
Occasionally the park is also visited by newcomers to India who combine Kaziranga with the parks of central India. The huge park is divided into four areas: Burapahar, western sector (Bagori), central sector (Kohora) and eastern sector.
Arrival at our lodge for the coming days. We discuss the course of the coming days together over a first drink before dinner.
On these two days we explore Kaziranga National Park during a total of six game drives that lead through the different areas of the national park.
4 nights at the Infinity Kaziranga Resort.
Day 5 – Day 8: Kaziranga – Guwahati – Fly to Raipur – Drive to Kanha National Park
Today we drive back to Guwahati and fly to Raipur in central India. On arrival, it takes around 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 around 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 highly 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 will set out to look for the bizarre sloth bear one day. 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 a modest family home.
3 nights in the Shergarh Tented Camp.
Day 8 – Day 12: Kanha – Tadoba National Park
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 the park can no longer be said to be the well-kept secret that 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.
On the 12th day 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!
4 nights at the Irai Safari Retreat. Luxury tent.
Day 12 – Day 15 : Tadoba – Nagpur – Delhi or Mumbai – Udaipur (Flight) – Drive to Bera
Transfer to the airport and flight to Udaipur via Mumbai. In five hours we want to reach the last leg of this journey, Bera.
The small village of Bera is located in a secluded location in the middle of the arid rocky landscape of the Aravalli hills. Anyone who arrives here feels completely far away from any kind of civilisation. The area is known for its impressive leopard population. 30 to 50 leopards are said to roam between the rocks of Bera. For thousands of years the animals have shared their territory with the shepherds of the Rabari people – and today also with the few tourists who drive their jeeps between the rocks in search of the silhouette of a leopard.
Bera attracts safari travellers with very special conditions: Here you can avoid the strict visitor rules of a national park. The jeeps drive out once in the very early hours of the morning and then again before sunset. Often you don’t come back until it is already pitch black outside. On the way you hope to be able to spot a leopard in the distance. Other animals can also be observed, such as nilgai antelopes, langurs and even the crocodiles that live in the Jawai reservoir.
The jeep safaris in Bera are original, authentic, untouristy and something very special by Indian standards. But the question is: how long will this situation last? Those interested should not let too much time pass before they go there. There is a risk that uncontrolled growth in the number of tourists could chase the leopards out of their territory.
We go on safari during the day and in the evening.
3 nights in the Bera Safari Lodge.
Day 15 : Bera – Udaipur – Fly to Delhi
After a final game drive, we drive back to Udaipur, where we board our plane to Delhi. Here we move into our day room. After you have freshened up there, we take you to a super nice and super delicious restaurant near the international airport, where you will probably taste the best Indian food on the whole safari. After so many experiences, it will be hard to say goodbye to your Natouralist! You will drive to the airport together, where you will board your evening flight.