Trail The Tiger
Duration: 12 Nights / 13 Days
Day
1: Delhi
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport
in Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.
DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with
a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction
to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope -
that is India.
Overnight will be at Delhi.
Day 2: Delhi - Udaipur Breakfast at hotel.
Breakfast will be at the hotel. Transfer to airport for flight to Udaipur.
Reach and check in at hotel.
The city of Dawn, Udaipur is a lovely land around the azure lake, hemmed in
by the lush hills of the ARAVALLIS. A vision in white drenched in romance and
beauty, Udaipur is a fascinating blend of sights, sound and experiences and
inspiration for the imagination of poets, painters and writers.
Its kaleidoscope of fairy-tale palaces, lakes, temples, gardens and narrow lanes
strewn with stalls, carry the flavor of a heroic past, epitomizing valor and
chivalry. Their reflection in the placid waters of the LAKE PICHOLA is an enticing
sight.
Udaipur is the jewel of MEWAR -a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200
Years.
Proceed for Evening Motor launch cruise on the placid waters of Lake Pichola.
From he boat you will be able to view the city of Udaipur as it rises majestically
above the lake in the middle of the Rajasthan desert. Also visit the Jag Mandir
Palace - the other island palace in the middle of the lake. Spend some time
at the Jag Mandir Palace.
Overnight
will be at Udaipur.
Day 3: Udaipur
Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
Proceed for sightseeing tour of Udaipur in the afternoon, stopping first at
City Palace. Here you will marvel at rooms with mirrored walls and ivory doors,
colored glass windows and inlaid marble balconies and the Peacock Courtyard.
Also visit the lovely Sahelion-ki-Bari Gardens, the Jagdish Temple and the local
folk Museum.
Relax in the evening.
Overnight will be at Udaipur.
Day 4: Udaipur - Jaipur
Breakfast will be at hotel.
After breakfast drive to beautiful Pink City - Jaipur.
Reach and check in at hotel.
JAIPUR - The origins of the beautiful city of Jaipur can be traced back to the
eighteenth century, during the reign of Jai Singh II who ascended the Amber
throne in 1699. Jaipur today, epitomizes the spirit of Rajputana. In-spite of
growing into a bustling metropolis, it still retains it's character and history
- A beautiful fusion of the yesteryears and modernity. Popularly known as the
Pink City because of the extensive use of the locally abundant pink plastered
stone, painted so in honor of the visit of the royal consort of Queen Victoria.
Jaipur thrills the soul with its massive forts, magnificent palaces, exquisite
temples and lush gardens.
Proceed for sightseeing of the city.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture,
the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It
houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories
built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory consisting
of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is a
prominent landmark in Jaipur. Its five-storey structure of sandstone plastered
pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The palace has
953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal was a royal
grandstand for the palace women.
Overnight
will be at Jaipur.
Day 5: Jaipur
Breakfast to be served at the hotel.
Proceed for excursion to Amber Fort in the outskirts of Jaipur. Elephant ride
ascent to the fort.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace. Its
construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his descendent
Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful
fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate expression.
Explore the city markets. Overnight will be at Jaipur.
Day 6: Jaipur - Ranthambore: By Road 155 km in 3 hr Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to SAWAI MADHOPUR.
Evening free at the resort and you can relax or watch some slides on the tiger.
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, at the junction of the Aravallis and the Vindhyas,
is a unique example of natural and historical richness, standing out conspicuously
in the vast, arid and denuded tract of eastern Rajasthan, barely 14 kilometers
from Sawai Madhopur. Get in tune with nature for a luxury holiday in the heart
of the jungle. Ranthambhore - perhaps the best place in the world to sight a
tiger in the wild. The Ranthambhore National Park has had more Tiger sightings
than any other National Park in the country. It has come to be known as "The
land of the Tiger", where most of the documented footage of this majestic
beast has been recorded.
It spreads over a highly undulating topography varying from gentle to steep
slopes; from flat-topped hills of the Vindhyas to the conical hillocks and sharp
ridges of the Aravallis, from wide and flat valleys to narrow rocky gorges.
An important geological feature the 'Great Boundary Fault' where the Vindhya
plateaus meet the Aravallis hill ranges, meanders through the Reserve. The rivers
Chambal in the south and Banas in the north bind the National Park.
Ranthambhore forest is of tropical dry deciduous type, further classified as
Dhok climax forest because of the predominance of Dhok (Anogeissus pendulla)
found nearly everywhere. Dhok is an extremely hardy tree, capable of withstanding
prolonged droughts. The leaves of this tree are good fodder and they are browsed
by herbivores, and form a significant part of their diet. Even the dry, fallen
leaves, eaten by them, are rich source of nutrition.
Palas or Cheela
or
the Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperms) blooms magnificently around mid-April.
During the period, Kachida and Anatpura provide an amazing view, like a forest
on fire. Around Kamaldhar massive Gum trees (Sterculia urens) with smooth white
trunk stand out conspicuously. Similarly, Gurjan (Lannea coromandelica) with
greyish trunks at the banks of the lakes and soft wood Salar (Boswellia serrata)
dotted atop hills are noticeable.
Fruits of Ber (Zizyphus spp.) and 'crocodile bark' Tendu (Diospuyros melanoxylon)
are highly relished by Sloth Bears.
The lakes abound with aquatic vegetation including duckweeds, lilies and lotus.
A haven for a multitude of wild animals, the Park boasts of playing host to
tigers, leopards, the elusive caracals, hyenas, sloth bears, wild boars, crocodiles
and so on. Besides, there are over 300 species of birds, from the majestic Crested
Serpent Eagle to the exotic Golden Oriole.
Tiger, at the apex of the food chain, lord over the kingdom in a subtle way.
Solitary by nature, it operates in stealth. Therefore tiger sightings, frequent
as they are, are always a matter of chance. However, even evidences of tiger's
activities are very exciting.
The other kinds of cats found in Ranthambhore are Leopard (Panthera pardus),
Caracal (Felis caracal), Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis), Fishing Cat (Felis
viverrina) and the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus). Besides the big cats, the other
large predators found in Ranthambhore include Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Wolf,
Wild dog (or Dhole), Jackal, Indian Fox, Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Common
Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, Ratel (or Honey Badger), Marsh Crocodile
and the Indian Python. There are two species of Antlers, namely the Spotted
Deer (or Chital) and the Sambhar Deer, and, two kinds of Antelopes, namely the
Indian Gazelle (or Chinkara) and the Bluebull (or Neelgai). Black Buck (another
kind of antelope), which is rarely found in the National Park is common in Devpura
area, in the outskirts of the park.
Overnight will be at resort.
Day 7: Ranthambore
A full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris)
Overnight at the resort.
Day 8: Ranthambore - Bharatpur
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Bharatpur.
Just 176 km from Delhi is a very special wilderness - the Keoladeo Ghana National
Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The Maharaja of
Bharatpur artificially created the lake and wetland in the 19th century. By
building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation canal,
he converted this
low-lying
area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few years, the new wetland
surrounded by marginal forests was able to support thousands of water birds.
Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird watchers.
Over 375 species of birds are found here and raised paths, camouflaged by babul
trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by boat in the early hours
of the morning is also unforgettable experience. The cacophony is unbelievable
as painted storks, open bills, spoonbills, egrets, cormorants, white ibis and
multitudes of others, tend their young. Jacanas with their iridescent colors
and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading
over the floating vegetation.
Every year Bharatpur waits with bated breath for the arrival of the Siberian
cranes. There are only two wintering places for this rare species one in Iran
and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful birds with their distinctive red
beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 km from their summer retreats.
Colorful kingfishers, graceful pelicans rare Siberian cranes and Trans- continental
fliers - the migratory water - fowl are amongst the 375 species of birds found
in the Keoladeo National Park. The most spectacular nesting is that of the egrets,
storks, herons and cormorants, which make over 10,000 nests every year. This
makes outstanding bird havens of the world. The park covers an area of 28.73km.
The story of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is incomplete without an account of the
migratory waterfowl. The most prominent waterfowl coming to this park are bareheaded
and greyleg geese. Ducks also create a lot of fluttering in the lakes. The ducks
usually found here are pintail, widgeon, common shelduck, shoveler, garganey,
teal, etc.
Attracted by the influx of the waterfowl the predatory birds-tawny eagles, spotted
eagles short-toed eagles imperial eagles and fishing eagle also arrive. They
all form the apex of the biological pyramid of the sanctuary and complete the
avian food chain of the ecosystem. There are large herds of the nilgai, chital,
wild boar and fear cows in addition to a few herds of sambar.
Reach and check in at the hotel. Proceed on RICKSHAW for viewing the birds.
RICKSHAW PULLERS have been trained by the forest department in bird watching
and are knowledgeable.
Return to the lodge in the evening and relax.
Overnight will be at Bharatpur.
Day 9: Bharatpur - Agra
Early morning RICKSHAW RIDE at the Bird Park.
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Agra.
AGRA:
Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village
of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the
name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught
up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow
galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city
of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects
its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk down the narrow bustling streets
of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.
Reach Agra and then proceed to visit Taj. Enjoy battery van ride to the Taj.
TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is
always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah
Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.
This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by
Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect
symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately
carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
Proceed for sightseeing to the AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor
Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within
is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.
Visit Itmadullah's Tomb built by Empress NOOR JEHAN in memory of her father
(The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj).
Take train to Jabalpur in the evening. Overnight would be onboard the train.
Day 10: Jabalpur - Kanha
Reach Jabalpur and you would be transferred to Kanha.
This is the place that has been described by RUDYARD KIPLING in his great book
"The Jungle Book". Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh,
Kanha National Park is a tiger reserve that extends over an area of over 940
square km. A horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal presents
an interesting topography. Steep rocky escarpments along the edges offer breathtaking
views of the valley. Realizing the danger on the Tiger population in the country,
the Government started the "Project Tiger" at Kanha and in 1974 the
area was declared a Tiger reserve. The park is also the habitat of the high
ground Barasingha.
In 1930s, the Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries - Hallon and Banjar
of 250kms to 300kms each. Though one of these was subsequently disbanded .
The
area remained a protected one until 1947. Depletion of the tiger population
in the year that followed led to the area being made an absolute sanctuary in
1952.
Patient watching should reward the visitor, with a sight of Indian Fox, Sloth
bear, Striped hyena, Jungle cut, Lepord, Mouse Deer, Chausingha or four horned
antelope, Nilgai, Ratel and Porcupine Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers
should station themselves in the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbour
many species and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can be seen near
the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is frequented by water
birds and the area in front of the museum.
Excursion to Kawardha just east of the Maikala Range (up to 1100m) to the south
east of Kanha National Park, Kawardha is a small town in Chhattisgarh (34 forts)
region of M.P. In this remote area Maharaja Viswaraj Singh has recently opened
his palace to visitors. It provides a delightfully quite unspoiled contrast
with India's big cities and with the much busier tourist circuit of Rajasthan's
'palace circuit'. This town is in the center of the Baiga tribe, who live in
forest surrounding the town, and these are several eleventh century temples
in the immediate region.
Reach before lunch and proceed for an afternoon GAME DRIVE to view TIGERS.
Overnight will be at the Kanha Resort.
Day 11: Kanha
A full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris)
Overnight will be at the resort.
Day 12: Kanha - Nagpur
Proceed for the morning Game Drive into the forest. Proceed to Nagpur.
Nagpur popularly known, as Orange Capital of India is also the second capital
of Maharashtra. The Gond King of Deogad, "Bakht Buland Shah" laid
the city's foundation in the year 1702. This city derived its name from the
river Nag that flows through it. Nagpur was the capital of Madhya Bharat State
(C.P. and Berar) after Indian independence and in 1960, the Marathi majority
Vidarbha region was merged with the new state of Maharashtra.
Overnight will be at Nagpur.
Day 13: Nagpur - Delhi
Breakfast will be at hotel.
Transfer to airport for flight to Delhi.
Proceed for
a full day tour of Old & New Delhi.
OLD DELHI - A sightseeing tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting the Raj Ghat
- the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated; Jama Masjid - the largest
mosque in India and the Red Fort - once the most opulent fort and palace of
the Moghul Empire.
Take a cycle rickshaw ride from Jama Masjid to Chandni Chowk.
NEW DELHI - An extensive sightseeing tour of New Delhi would include a visit
to the Humayun's Tomb, the Qutub Minar, a drive along the ceremonial avenue
- Rajpath, past the imposing India Gate, Parliament House, the President's Residence
and would end with a drive through the Diplomatic Enclave.
Transfer to airport for connecting flight home.
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