India Wildlife – Departure 15 February 2027

Namasté! Welcome to incredible India! Your fantastic tour in one of the most wonderful countries in the world will start at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the capital of India. You will be met by your guide and driver who will help load the luggage into the vehicle and we will transfer you to your hotel for your overnight stay.

No visit to Delhi is complete without an experience of its famed specialties such as its delicious curries, barbecued tikkas and kebabs.

We will enjoy a hearty breakfast and some good coffee or strong tea (masala chai) at the hotel, after a lovely morning at leisure, you will depart in the afternoon to the airport for your short flight to Rajkot after which you will drive 180km to Sasan Gir, where we will stay for two nights.

This morning, we will commence our first Indian “safari” of the trip as we enter the Gir National Park. Gir is the only home in India for the magnificent Asiatic Lion, of which there are nearly 500 in the park.

The Gir National Park lies in the Gujarat peninsula in South-Western India. The terrain is rugged with low hills and the vegetation is mixed deciduous, with stands of Teak, Acacia, Jamun, Tendu and Dhak trees, interspersed with large patches of flowing grasslands. The trees on the hills are sparse and stunted.

Within the sanctuary, there are numerous human settlements of cattle herders (Maldharis) with an estimated 20,000 head of livestock (which, incidentally, forms a significant part of the Lion’s diet). There are also places of Hindu worship and pilgrimage as well as sulphur springs at Tulsi Shyam and Kankai Mata. The edges of the park have a large population of the beautiful Indian Gazelle, protected by the religious sentiments of the local people.

The lions of Gir are a majestic animal, averaging 2.75 metres in length, it has a bigger tail tassel, bushier elbow tufts and more prominent belly folds than his African cousin, which has a larger mane. These lions are known as the most endangered lion species in the world.

This is the largest compact tract of dry deciduous forest in the country, protected as Gir National Park and Sanctuary in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, boasting 606 different plant species, 39 species of mammals, 37 species of reptiles, over 300 species of birds and more than 2,000 species of insects.

The Park is a breeding ground for migratory birds and the avifauna of Gir includes a variety of raptors and many other significant species, including Lesser Florican, Osprey, Indian Pitta, Red-headed Vulture and many more. It also supports a variety of reptiles, including the Indian python and the Indian star tortoise, and possibly one of the highest populations of Marsh Crocodiles in the country. Gir also has one of the densest concentrations of Leopards in India. A Crocodile rearing and research Centre is adjacent to Sadan Lodge, here they rear the hatchlings, that will be released back into their natural habitat.

Immerse yourself in this magical place for the next two days. We will do morning and afternoon Jeep Safaris returning to the lodge for lunch and dinner.

 After our final breakfast at Sasan Gir this morning, we will head out to Velavadar, which is about 210km away, the drive will take us approximately 5 hours.

On our way, we will visit an archaeological site of the Indus Valley Civilisation, the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent. The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1700 BCE. Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati River on the trade route.

After this interesting stop, we will continue to our overnight accommodation for lunch, which will be followed by an afternoon Jeep Safari. We will enjoy a great dinner and then a good night’s rest for another busy day tomorrow.

Today we spend the day in the Velavadar National Park. We will be doing morning and afternoon safaris, and our meals will be enjoyed back at the lodge.

Velavadar National Park is known for its large Blackbuck Antelope population with successful conservation programs for the Blackbuck, Wolf and Lesser Florican (a bustard). Velavadar is also one of the few places where Wolf is prolific in India, though they are rarely seen in the daylight.

Indian Wolf which is a subspecies of Gray Wolf moves in smaller packs and are less vocal than Gray Wolf. This is the most endangered population of Gray wolves in the world. Jackal, Jungle Cat and Hare are more easily seen during the day. Indian Foxes are crepuscular and nocturnal, and spend daylight hours under vegetation or in dens. Nilgai more commonly known as Blue Bull which is the largest Asian Antelope can be spotted in the park as well as Wild Boars.

The birds that can be seen include Sirkeer Malkoha, Painted Francolin, Chestnut-bellied and Spotted Sandgrouse, Rufous-tailed, Crested and Sykes’ Larks, Red-rumped Swallows, Desert, and variable Wheatears. There will be many raptors as well especially Short-toed Snake Eagle, Imperial, Steppe, Tawny, Geater and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Laggard Falcon, Hobby, Common Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, White-eyed and Long-legged Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Shikra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and occasionally Northern Goshawk. Rarities include Stoliczka’s Bush Chat.

After a hearty morning breakfast we will have our last safari in the park hoping to connect with the species we might have missed. Afterward, we will head back to our lodge for lunch. We will then continue our journey to the town of Ahmedabad. This will be an approximate 4-hour drive of about 170km.

Ahmedabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the second-largest producer of cotton in India. On arrival we will check in and enjoy dinner, getting an early night’s rest for our early flight tomorrow morning.

We will have an early morning flight from Ahmedabad Airport to Nagpur. Upon arrival at the airport, we will be transferred to Pench National Park which is about 100km away, this will approximately be a 2-hour drive. After a leisurely lunch at our lodge, we will explore Pench National Park on a jeep safari.

In the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, Pench National Park is in the districts of Seoni and Chhindwara. It is named after the pristine River Pence which flows through the park, Pench National Park is one of the most popular Wildlife Reserves in India. The park is mentioned in the famous story ‘The Jungle Book’, written by the renowned English Author Rudyard Kipling.  

The Park sprawls over a massive area of 758 sq. km and is rich in wildlife, which will offer us an opportunity to indulge in one of the finest wildlife experiences in India. Since its inception as a wildlife sanctuary in 1965, the park has protected numerous wild creatures including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Jackal, Peafowl, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Indian Leopard, Fox, Striped Hyena, Monkey, Gaur, Barking Deer, Four-horned Antelope and Indian Wolf. In 1992, the sanctuary was proclaimed as a Tiger Reserve.

Cheetal Deer and Sambar Deer are frequently spotted grazing in the open areas along the roadside and on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. Jackal might be seen scavenging for food throughout the park. Wild Dog packs of up to 15 or more have been spotted close to the Reserve’s Chhedia, Jamtara, Bodhanala, and Pyorthadi sections. In the summer we might find Gaur herds by streams and bamboo groves. Sloth bears, which are vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, prefer the forest they feed on fruit, ants, and termites. They have a long lower lip and palate which is used for sucking up insects. Langurs are very common in Pench.

After a very exciting first jeep safari in this great park, we will return to our lodge for dinner and a well-deserved rest.

For the next two days, we will explore the amazing Pench National Park, doing a morning and afternoon jeep safari every day. Meals will be at our comfortable overnight accommodation.

The undulating topography of the Park supports a mosaic of vegetation and over 1200 species of plants. The area of the Park is crisscrossed by a number of streams and ‘nallahs’, most of which are seasonal. As the river dries up toward the end of April, a number of water pools known as ‘dohs’ are formed that serve as a water source for the wildlife.

The area is dominated by a fairly open canopy, mixed forests with considerable shrub cover and open grassy patches. This habitat favours a high population of Chital, Sambar, Wild Boar & Blue Bull (Nilgai). Pench Tiger Reserve has the second-highest density of herbivores in India. The area supports a large number of Gaur (Indian Bison), Sambar, Barking Deer, Chousingha (Four-horned  Antelope), Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) and Wild Boar. The key predator is the Tiger followed by Leopard, Wild Dog and Wolf. Other animals include Jackal, Fox, Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Jungle Cat, Common Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, Ruddy Mongoose, Hyena, Porcupine, and Ratel.

There are over 325 species of resident and migratory birds including the Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, and 4 species of vultures: White-rumped, Egyptian, Long-billed and King Vulture. In winter thousands of migratory waterfowl including Brahminy Duck, Pintail Duck, Bar-headed Geese, Coots, Pochards, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard and so on visit pools and reservoirs within the park. The other fauna present includes 50 species of fish, 13 amphibians, 37 reptiles, 105 butterflies, 100 Moths, 20 spiders, 35 dragon and damsel fly and numerous other insects.

After a hearty breakfast, we will go out on our final morning jeep safari in the wonderful Pench National Park. We will then proceed to Kanha National Park. The drive of about 210km should take us 5 hours. On arrival, we check in to our lodge to freshen up and enjoy a good dinner.

This morning, we have an early start, after coffee and biscuits we go on our morning safari in Kanha National Park.

The Park is the only habitat of the rare and endangered Hard Ground Barasingha/Swamp Deer. Their numbers grew from 66 to 600-700 after being put in special enclosures to encourage breeding and avoid extinction. The Kanha Tiger Reserve, known as the largest central Indian highlands, has various avifaunae, with over 300 species of birds. Some of the birds you may encounter during your safari are the Scarlet Minivet, Black-hooded Oriole, Malabar Pied Hornbill and many more. There are places where Brown Fish Owl roost inside the park, we might even be lucky enough to see this magnificent Owl.

On both nights here we will enjoy all meals at our lodge in Kanha.

Today we end our wonderful tour with a last jeep safari in Kanha. We will travel to Raipur which is about 200km away, the drive will take approximately 6 hours. In Raipur, we board our flight to New Delhi, where we will overnight.