- Embark on 15 game drives
- Visit the magnificent Taj Mahal
- Support the TOFTigers campaign to protect biodiversity and restore habitats

India Tiger Safari
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Reviews
Add your own reviewTiger Heaven
I’ve seen lots of wildlife all over the world but the buzz you get seeing a Tiger is up there with the best. Traveling in what many see as the peak Tiger viewing period of April, I was lucky enough to come across 20 individuals, some fleeting, some ridiculously close. The supporting cast of other wildlife is also impressive. If you would like to see why, check out my video of the trip – https://youtu.be/1DJV8K421dA
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing a tiger suddenly appear out of the Jungle and then melt back into it. Early on in the trip we had one Tiger road crossing where we were the only Jeep there, will remember the Tigress stopping for a few seconds to look at us. Seeing Tigers is something different, you hear the alarm calls of the deer so you know there is a Tiger or Leopard somewhere nearby, but it's only by the skill of the guides second-guessing the Tiger's possible movement and a slice of luck which will result in a sighting. Sometimes you will join a large group of jeeps at a spot, sometimes you will find your own hopefully.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Krisha is the best, he has been doing this for several years now but still has the same excitement we had and knew his stuff.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Most has been covered in the other reviews, Jeep Envy (I didn't see a Sloth bear, the other Jeep did!) but I'm sure it all pans out. Yes, it can be pot luck on the guides you get and one left me very frustrated. Just try to accept it is what it is and help them find the wildlife. Be prepared for very early starts so you catch the golden hour. We were getting up at around 0430 and getting back around 11 am in the morning slots but soon learned to have a siesta before the meet-up again at 1530. It's not like Africa where you tend to see lots of animals, you have to seek them out so patience is needed. You may go a while and not see a lot, then a roosting Owl lifts the spirits as an example.
Suggestions
If like me, you haven't been to India before, maybe go out a day early and do a full Delhi city tour. On the way back on the trip, you will probably only have a few hours in the afternoon in Delhi so barely scratch the surface. I had a full day at the start of the trip and did most of the major sites and was well worth it.
A Fabulous Trip - Tigers and more
Angela was on our trip – I do not really feel that I need to add anything to her post. Just that it is a FABULOUS TRIP. Go with the flow and enjoy. Experience the anticipation of spotting the animals, birds etc. See everything as a bonus- you are travelling into their environment.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the tigers and leopards - it can get quite emotional when you seeing them walking towards and past your vehicles. The trip to the Taj Mahal - was very busy but worth it. We dressed up for it as had spent so long in dusty safari clothes
Thoughts on Group Leader
Krishna - was a fabulous - a very knowledge and informative guide. he helped make the trip
Advice for Potential Travellers
We took plugs for India and a USB charging block which served us well. As Angela mentioned the card machines sometimes didn't work so take plenty of cash. Most hotels and lodges exchanged GB pounds but the rates could be variable. Take dust covers for your cameras - and lens cleaning stuff. Plenty of batteries and SD cards! you can get carried away on the Tiger and leopard sightings. Plus phones/ Small video recorders to record the moments when the tiger walks towards you. Travel in the safari jeeps can be very dusty and also very bumpy. Take plenty of tissues and hand sanitizer. Swimming costumes - most of the lodges have a small pool you can cool off in.
Suggestions
Try and experience some of the sightings through your eyes and not through the lens! Hard I know as always trying to get the perfect shot but it is well worth it. Especially if you get to experience the animals behaviour and their interactions with each other. Just go for it - you will not be disappointed.
Tigers, Leopards and So Much More
What an amazing holiday! We were incredibly lucky with our sightings, not only of tigers but also of leopards (I think our group had 6 individual leopard sighting by the end), wild elephants, Indian Wild Dogs, jackals and the most fabulous array of colourful birds (peacocks, rollers, eagles, vultures – the list is long!). As has been mentioned in previous reviews, there are things to be aware of with the trip, but providing your participate with your eyes open, patience and the right attitude, you will have an absolutely wonderful time: 1) Jeeps are assigned per national park, so the people you share the jeep with will remain the same throughout that national park. Our jeeps were changed up between the parks, so we had three different jeep combinations by the end. 2) If you have one jeep which is not full, the Exodus guide tends to stick in that jeep due to space and comfort. Whilst this is understandable, it does mean that some group members had much more access to the trip leader and his expertise compared to others. 3) Do not expect tigers on every drive or even every day. They can be very elusive and with all things in nature, nothing is guaranteed. We had our first tiger sighting on Drive 2 (one jeep had an amazing view of two separate tigers, the other three jeeps had much lesser views of one tiger). We then did not get another good tiger sighting until Drive 8. And then on Drive 10, the tigers decided to give the most amazing show, with 6 tigers in one day. There was a point when we were leaving Pench where we were joking that we would have to rename the trip ‘India Leopard Safari’, as my jeep had had 3 good leopard sightings and only one glimpse of the backside / ears of a tiger, but by the end of the holiday, the tigers were most definitely the star of the show. 4) As has been mentioned before, it can be difficult when the different jeeps are in different sectors of the parks and thus seeing different things. On our trip, one jeep got two incredible sightings on Day 1, whereas with the different jeep allocations between parks, it took until the very end of the holiday for two members of our group to have an equivalent amazing sighting. Some members did not get a good leopard sighting at all, whereas other jeeps got two or three. It really is just luck and you have to go with the knowledge that each person’s experience will be different. 5) There is so much more to see than just the tigers, so it is important to not get hung up on just seeing them. You can go for days without a glimpse of stripes, so take the time to appreciate the beauty of the parks and the other incredible wildlife that is available. 6) The success of the safari drives can be rather dependent on the quality of the park-assigned driver and guides, some of whom are better than others. I think that every jeep in our group had issues with their driver / guides at some point; however as these change almost every day, you just have to put it behind you and focus on the next drive. Thankfully, with 15+ drives, there is plenty of time for everyone to have the amazing encounters and experiences within the parks.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the five tigers (mum, three cubs and a young male) in the waterhole at Banghavgarh was truly something special. Watching them interact and relax in the water, before coming out and walking right past our jeep was an experience I will never forget. Driving around the corner in Kanha NP and finding a leopard casually wandering down the side of the road, before crossing right in front of us and disappearing into the trees. We were the only jeep around lucky enough to witness the beautiful big cat just going about his business, thoroughly unconcerned by us. Our guide was so excited by the sighting, as leopards are very rarely seen in Kanha, which really added to the experience. Watching the pack of Indian Wild Dogs with puppies in Kahna NP, playing in the water and on the road in front of us, before heading into the trees to jump around on some fallen logs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Krishna was absolutely fabulous. His knowledge and passion for the country and wildlife was obvious and he went out of his way to ensure that we all had an amazing time on the trip and all got to experience that magical moment of the first tiger sighting. He was always in good humour and was ready to answer our questions and provide plenty of additional information on the areas and conservation activities going on around the national parks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1) Take buffs for your face and your camera equipment - the roads, especially in Bandhavgarh, are very dusty. 2) Go with the right attitude - there is more to see than just tigers and you will get out of the drives what you put in. 3) Take lots of bug spray and put it on under your clothes in the afternoon - the insects bit through clothing, especially in Pench NP. Non-DEET sprays like Incognito work well on the insects there. 4) European plug adapters worked everywhere we went. 5) Card machines did not work in all the resorts, so ensure you have cash available as well. ATMs stops can be made on the travel days between the parks. 6) Even in April, a light fleece and rain jacket were beneficial. It can be chilly in the mornings, and two of our drives were pretty much a wash-out from the rain. The jeeps are open-top, so if it rains you will be getting wet. 7) There are a lot of early mornings (4.30am early) and bumpy rides (really not suitable for anyone with a bad back). Although the trip is rated leisurely, it is not really relaxing.
Suggestions
The train trip was absolutely fine and really nothing to worry about. I probably got the most sleep I had on the whole holiday on that train (a solid eight hours!).
Tigers WOW!
We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly people and we all got on well. Our trip started a day later than usual because of Diwali so we didn’t get the chance to do an optional game drive (we’d have done a 16th drive just to maximise any tiger sightings) as Bandhavgarh park is closed on Wednesday afternoon so our 15th drive was on the Thursday morning before leaving for the train. And, again because of the day’s delay, we went to the Taj at sunrise rather than at sunset and were treated to a beautiful blue sky and lovely light. We saw tigers on our very first game drive, a mother and her cubs were resting on rocks at a bit of a distance but easily spottable once we got our “eye” in. We saw a glimpse of a stripey back on drive 2 but then nothing tiger-wise until drive 8 when a magnificent male briefly stepped out in front of our jeep before melting back into the bush. We saw a leopard in the far distance on drive 14 and then on drive 15 at the very last minute we had a tiger dash past all the waiting jeeps into the bush. The other jeep with our fellow travellers had a wonderful tiger sighting in Bandhavgarh (the jeeps did different zones) and, I must admit, it’s hard not to be envious when others have an experience that you don’t. We were happy for them but…..
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.
Suggestions
Don't expect to see tigers so that when you do it's a bonus. Tigers can melt into the bush surprisingly easily for big animals. Remember to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the jungle and the other animals rather than focussing just on wanting a tiger/leopard (the leopards are more elusive than the tigers!) and have a good time.
Tigers WOW!
We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly people and we all got on well. Our trip started a day later than usual because of Diwali so we didn’t get the chance to do an optional game drive (we’d have done a 16th drive just to maximise any tiger sightings) as Bandhavgarh park is closed on Wednesday afternoon so our 15th drive was on the Thursday morning before leaving for the train. And, again because of the day’s delay, we went to the Taj at sunrise rather than at sunset and were treated to a beautiful blue sky and lovely light. We saw tigers on our very first game drive, a mother and her cubs were resting on rocks at a bit of a distance but easily spottable once we got our “eye” in. We saw a glimpse of a stripey back on drive 2 but then nothing tiger-wise until drive 8 when a magnificent male briefly stepped out in front of our jeep before melting back into the bush. We saw a leopard in the far distance on drive 14 and then on drive 15 at the very last minute we had a tiger dash past all the waiting jeeps into the bush. The other jeep with our fellow travellers had a wonderful tiger sighting in Bandhavgarh (the jeeps did different zones) and, I must admit, it’s hard not to be envious when others have an experience that you don’t. We were happy for them but…..
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.
Suggestions
Don't expect to see tigers so that when you do it's a bonus. Tigers can melt into the bush surprisingly easily for big animals. Remember to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the jungle and the other animals rather than focussing just on wanting a tiger/leopard (the leopards are more elusive than the tigers!) and have a good time.
We saw tigers!
We travelled to India solely to see tigers in their natural habitat and we were not disappointed. We saw tigers in each of the three national parks we visited as well as many other animals, most notably three sightings of a leopard. The accommodation used on the trip was, we felt, of a good standard. We appreciated the pool at each of the hotels and went to the pool every day after the morning game drive.
Most Inspirational Moment
In Kanha National Park our jeep drew up to a crossroads to see a tiger walking along the road on the right. The driver turned the jeep so we were facing this big, male tiger. The tiger continued to walk along the road towards us and the driver reversed the jeep a short way, the tiger continued his walk towards us and we reversed again. This went on for 1km! We saw the tiger scent mark and casually stroll along. This was just an incredible encounter with only our jeep present. It was beyond our greatest expectation and when we saw how excited the driver and guide were after this experience we knew just how special it had been.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was very well organised and efficient. He was always approachable and we were happy with the manner in which he organised the group briefings. He was friendly and easy to get along with.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Even when travelling in April I still required a thin fleece for the early morning game drives. You do not need to pack a lot as clothes dry so quickly in the heat. Remember to take a small bag for your camera, tissues etc on the game drives.
Suggestions
We should have been informed before the start of the trip that the arrangements in Nagpur were changed. We did not receive the notification and it was only by luck that we returned to the hotel for the rescheduled transfer to Pench. In Agra we would have preferred more time at the Taj Mahal. The trip prior to this to the marble shop did not interest us. Although the hotels in the National Park were of a good standard the hotel we stayed in on the last night in Delhi fell short. Initially we had planned to stay on in that hotel as our return flight was not until the following morning. We were so glad they could not accommodate us and we found a much better hotel at a very reasonable price near to the airport. We think that Exodus should use a higher standard hotel for the last night.
Fabulous Experience
The overall trip experience was superb and the opportunity to see the tigers at three different National Parks was incredible. The inclusion of a visit to Agra (and its attractions) was a great way to finish a wildlife holiday. The overall itinerary was well thought out, the accommodation and transport were good, all local staff were always friendly, helpful and efficient. Himanshu’s knowledge, manner and professional leadership were particularly outstanding.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were many inspirational moments: seeing the tigers at close range; seeing so many tigers (our group saw 25 different tigers, at 28 sightings); visiting the Taj Mahal and the opportunity to experience a little of the Indian culture.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Himanshu is an outstanding tour leader. He is friendly, professional, efficient, calm, caring and really went “the extra mile” to meet the individual needs of everyone in our group. All of this he successfully did in a calm, professional and positive manner, nothing was too much trouble. His extensive knowledge of the tigers (their names, family history, behaviours etc.) was exceptional. His genuine enthusiasm and passion for the tigers and their preservation, inspired us and added greatly to the whole wildlife experience. Himanshu’s additional understanding of what makes for good wildlife photography was a real bonus.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Good things come to those who wait and to those who get up early! Collectively our group had 28 tiger sightings, the tigers when we encountered them were a sight to behold. Sometimes we had no tiger sightings for a few days, other times a few well camouflaged stripes sleeping in the grass, then we were treated to fabulous displays of a tigers walking on the road past the jeeps, going to the water hole, drinking and taking a bath … awesome!
Suggestions
Usually we had 2 game drives a day, a 5 hr safari in the morning (departing at 5am) and a 3 hr safari before sunset (departing around 3.30pm). In the mornings we were served tea/coffee before departure, then searched for tigers until around 9am. Tiger depending, the jeeps then went to a fenced-in area, for breakfast and a bathroom-stop. Breakfast was a ‘packed-lunch format’ served on a table cloth on the bonnet of the jeep. It was a mixture of western and Indian foods, great. The game drive then continued, after which we returned to the Safari Lodge. We were greeted by hotel staff with face cloths and a cool drink. Afternoons were then free to sit by the pool, sleep, purchase lunch or do whatever folk chose. After the evening safari dinner was usually served between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. The food at all of the Safari Lodges was varied and delicious. We used a number of different modes of transport. We travelled by taxis between the three National Parks, the taxis were comfortable and air-conditioned. The jeeps at the parks were great, bring a scarf or neck gaiter for the dust. The Sleeper Train was fun – just don’t expect to get much sleep! The standard of cleanliness and comfort on the train was better than we had expected, one night was perfect. The minibus was comfortable and air conditioned. All drivers were friendly and welcoming. Our local guides in Agra and Delhi were knowledgeable with good English. All in all this India Tiger Safari trip was an excellent experience, to be recommended.
Taj and Tigers= terrific.
26 encounters with tigers,(I lost track of how many different ones – think it was 17) one sloth bear and a leopard. That’s a safari. Loved the landscape and all the animals from Langurs to Deer to the beautiful Indian Rollers.Tiger moments from 3 brothers in a water hole to single sightings were wonderful. Taj Mahal took my breath away.
Most Inspirational Moment
Loved the Sloth Bear appearing just before we left the park for the evening. A late and lovely surprise. Did the whole tree scratch just in front of us. Much to all our delight,3 out of four of our jeeps were there and able to enjoy the encounter. Loved the excitement after a tiger walked just behind our jeep and I realised I was shaking with the adrenaline buzz.. I had too big a lens on my camera but boy will I remember the moment.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kryshna was helpful, knowledgeable and entertaining. He was very organised. Jet Airways folded whilst we were In India but there was no stress for us as the back up team had alternatives for us all in a couple of days. Kryshna liased with the office and all was sorted out.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It is all in the lap of the gods when it comes to sightings. We were very lucky although we were helped by the heat as they were all at the water holes. The jeep system has been criticised by others but I think it is good that the Park Authorities are trying to control numbers and tourist behaviour.
Suggestions
Enjoy. The sheer arrogance and power of a tiger is a sight to behold
Good trip which could be great
We thought we should start by explaining why we would score this trip a 4 rather than a 5;
1. On the game drives seating is allocated so you have no say on who you share a drive with (other than your partner) or what zone you visit. As a result, the groups often go to different zones and there didn’t seem to be any rationale as to who was doing what and when.
2. There is some seat rotation however we found this to be extremely limited, therefore out of our 10 fellow travellers we didn’t spend any game drive time with 6 of them.
3. Because of point 1 and 2 we had the understandable issue of some people experiencing better spotting (especially tigers) than others. Our group seemed to have the least sightings and were happy for the others but a tad jealous. That said we had a great group, who were very respectful and with our encouragement were happy to share their experiences and photos, which we loved.
4. Vijay joins a jeep on each game drive and due to the need for a local guide, regardless of whether Vijay is with you or not, when he joins your drive the 3 in the back tend to have an uncomfortable time (this seemed to be the overall view of the group). Although Vijay rotates which Jeep he joins, for us, we had a group of 3 jeeps meaning that for a 1/3rd of the time we had 5 in the jeep not the advertised 4.
5. As with all of these trips there are a few travel days, which was absolutely fine, however the opportunity to mix up the groups up wasn’t taken.
6. As a consequence of the above points we had limited quality time with 6 of our 10 fellow travellers, which was a shame.
Putting the above points aside, we wouldn’t want to give the impression that we didn’t have a great time because we did. In the end we saw 16 tigers which was far more than we thought we would. The majority of these came in the last few drives and we were really pleased we took the option of the additional drive, during which we saw 3 tigers, 2 of which were mating.
We also saw a huge array of other wildlife although we didn’t see a leopard.
The hotels were perfectly fine, although we would agree the food option as a tad repetitive.
Loved the train journey and what really adds to this trip is the visit the Taj Mahal which is a true wonder of the modern world.
Most Inspirational Moment
Has to be the 90 minutes we spent with a young male tiger, on game drive 15, it was incredible!! We were lucky enough to be first on the scene and because of this and due to it being in one of the smaller zones we didn’t have to go through the “jeep scum” that takes place in the bigger zones.
Thoughts on Group Leader
It seemed to us this is a pretty tricky trip to lead, given the pressure to ensure everyone has the “once in a life time” tiger experience they are hoping for and the added stress of the train journey. During our trip it was Tracey’s birthday and without asking Vijay organised a birthday cake and even bought her a present, which was very much appreciated. We thought he managed the subject of tips well and gave the group the option of allowing him to manage this which everyone agreed was the best option. Vijay provided the group a summary towards the end of the trip detailing how the tip money had been spent which was a little unnecessary but a nice touch. We both loved how excited he got when a tiger was spotted and he waited at the lodge entrance for all the jeeps to return and was always keen to hear how successful the drives had been. Overall, we would say Vijay was an excellent group leader and we both enjoyed his company.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read Jackie’s review “its not all about the tigers” with interest as in reality its really difficult to avoid the trip from not being so. We can only suggest you remain patient and enjoy the wildlife that you do see. Out of 16 tigers we saw, our first sighting was on drive 8, with 4 being on drive 15 and 3 on the additional drive. The trip notes are pretty decent and offer any additional info you may need.
Suggestions
We are sure some of the fellow travellers would give the trip a 5, and with some fairly basic changes we would agree that the trip should rate a 5. This was the second time we have visited India with the aim of seeing tigers in the wild and this trip offers an excellent opportunity to do so at a very reasonable price. Compared with our previous experience, we came away with the opinion that everything was being done, that can be, to help tigers survive and we got the impression that numbers are on the rise which is fab news!! This was certainly reflected in the fact we our many more tigers this time than the last time we visited (should add this wasn’t with Exodus). In summary, we would certainly recommend the trip to others.
It wasn't all about the tigers
A well organised and interesting trip but we had disappointing tiger sightings. All the hotels and lodges were of a very good standard for India and the staff helpful and pleasant. The food was good and not too spicy, though a bit repetetive. The lodge at Bandhavgarh was very good with an excellent swimming pool and beautiful gardens.
Most Inspirational Moment
Giving my bananas to the elephants. Seeing the Taj Mahal Seeing the 2 tiger cubs
Thoughts on Group Leader
Vijay organised everything very well and ensured we were all at the right place at the right time, though at times it was not easy to understand all he said. He took care of all the tipping, which made life much easier.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Plastic is not allowed in the parks, so take something else to protect your camera from the dust, which is worst in Bandhavgarh. You need the smaller 3 round pin plugs, but the European 2 round pin works everywhere. The lunches were all served buffet style at 500 rupees and were very similar to the evening meals. It was possible at Pench to order from the a la carte menu but the order took a long time, at Kanha it was buffet only, but at Bandhavgarh it was possible to get omelette and delicious chips. Take mosquito spray and anti histamine and hairdryer if needed.
Suggestions
We saw 3 glimpses of tigers in Pench and Kanha but it was not until the last day at Bandhavgarh (game drive 14) that we had a good sighting of 2 year old cubs. We did see other birds and animals but between the hours of 6-8am and 4.30-6.30pm the emphasis is all in the tigers as they sleep during the day. The trouble with this is that the drivers in Bandhavgarh are under so much pressure in the 3 days you are with them to get you a tiger sighting that they definitely do not keep to the 20kph speed limit and race around the park like rally drivers when they hear of a sighting. We reached nearly 80kph one evening in a terrifying 10 minute race to try and see a tiger! Also, elephants are used to flush out tigers and one time elephants were sent into an area of high grass where it was known there were 4 very young cubs. At Bandhavgarh the jeep allocations were not done evenly in the 3 zones. They had been booked months before, but we nearly ended up in the same zone 4 times.
Start
Finish
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Sunday Saturday
28 Jan 2024 27 Jan 2024
Monday Monday
12 Feb 2024 12 Feb 2024
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18 Feb 2024 17 Feb 2024
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04 Mar 2024 04 Mar 2024
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10 Mar 2024 09 Mar 2024
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25 Mar 2024 25 Mar 2024
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24 Mar 2024 23 Mar 2024
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08 Apr 2024 08 Apr 2024
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07 Apr 2024 06 Apr 2024
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22 Apr 2024 22 Apr 2024
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14 Apr 2024 13 Apr 2024
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29 Apr 2024 29 Apr 2024
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06 Oct 2024 05 Oct 2024
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21 Oct 2024 21 Oct 2024
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02 Nov 2024 02 Nov 2024
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27 Oct 2024 26 Oct 2024
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11 Nov 2024 11 Nov 2024
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03 Nov 2024 02 Nov 2024
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18 Nov 2024 18 Nov 2024
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17 Nov 2024 16 Nov 2024
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02 Dec 2024 02 Dec 2024
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24 Nov 2024 23 Nov 2024
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09 Dec 2024 09 Dec 2024
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01 Dec 2024 30 Nov 2024
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16 Dec 2024 16 Dec 2024
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12 Jan 2025 11 Jan 2025
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27 Jan 2025 27 Jan 2025
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26 Jan 2025 25 Jan 2025
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10 Feb 2025 10 Feb 2025
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09 Feb 2025 08 Feb 2025
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24 Feb 2025 24 Feb 2025
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16 Feb 2025 15 Feb 2025
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03 Mar 2025 03 Mar 2025
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23 Feb 2025 22 Feb 2025
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10 Mar 2025 10 Mar 2025
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02 Mar 2025 01 Mar 2025
Monday Monday
17 Mar 2025 17 Mar 2025
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09 Mar 2025 08 Mar 2025
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24 Mar 2025 24 Mar 2025
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23 Mar 2025 22 Mar 2025
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07 Apr 2025 07 Apr 2025
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30 Mar 2025 29 Mar 2025
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14 Apr 2025 14 Apr 2025
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21 Apr 2025 21 Apr 2025
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13 Apr 2025 12 Apr 2025
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28 Apr 2025 28 Apr 2025
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20 Apr 2025 19 Apr 2025
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05 May 2025 05 May 2025
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07 Oct 2025 06 Oct 2025
Wednesday Wednesday
22 Oct 2025 22 Oct 2025
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20 Oct 2025 19 Oct 2025
Tuesday Tuesday
04 Nov 2025 04 Nov 2025
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26 Oct 2025 25 Oct 2025
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10 Nov 2025 10 Nov 2025
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02 Nov 2025 01 Nov 2025
Monday Monday
17 Nov 2025 17 Nov 2025
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09 Nov 2025 08 Nov 2025
Monday Monday
24 Nov 2025 24 Nov 2025
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View Trip NotesSunday Saturday
16 Nov 2025 15 Nov 2025
Monday Monday
01 Dec 2025 01 Dec 2025
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23 Nov 2025 22 Nov 2025
Monday Monday
08 Dec 2025 08 Dec 2025
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07 Dec 2025 06 Dec 2025
Monday Monday
22 Dec 2025 22 Dec 2025
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View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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