Most Inspirational Moment
Any time spent in the presence of a tiger was simply magical. I’ve been lucky enough to see wildlife all around the world but these magnificent animals take the prize for sheer magnetism. Unfortunately our first tiger sighting in Ranthambore was accompanied by a hideous cacophony of shouting and screeching as canters reversed into each other to try and get into the best position. I hated the whole noisy circus, but looking at the photos now, I only remember the majestic beauty of my first gorgeous tiger. Jeep game drives in Kanha and Bandhavgarh were a lot more civilised!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Harish was a great tour leader, a real ‘fixer’. The trip ran very smoothly due in no little part to the care he put in to arranging as much as he could for us; from trying to sort out our jeep routes in advance, to changing our train seating so as to keep the group together. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of India kept the wildlife junkies among us fully informed. He was also good company.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Even in March/April with lunchtime temperatures nudging 40 degrees it was still freezing in the early morning, especially in Kanha, where we each wore four layers, a blanket and some even had hot water bottles! Overnight trains were either sweltering or freezing, so have the appropriate clothing to hand. Occasionally there is a cavernous gap between meals, so have a few muesli bars or similar with you: they’re also useful if you get an upset stomach and can’t face curry (you can go off curry quite quickly!). Take the longest image-stabilised lens you can, plus lens cleaning gear to combat dust (also a scarf or similar to stop your hair turning into a fright wig). My 70-300mm lens was the best option for photographing tigers from the back of elephants. Do as many optional game drives (especially in the morning) as you can and don’t miss a single elephant ‘tiger show’ as it’s the best way to get close-ups. Use manual focus or you’ll end up with lots of fuzzy tigers behind pin-sharp foliage! Because we were a small group (7, reduced later to 6) our tips bill was proportionally higher (tips are a flat rate per vehicle and not per head, and NOT related to service!); with the optional game drives it all adds up. Would I go again? Just try and stop me!
Suggestions
The awful statistics about the demise of the tiger really hit home once you’ve witnessed these monarchs of the jungle in their own habitat. Having seen the extensive bureaucracy in India at first hand, it would appear that contributing to initiatives at the ‘business end’ of tiger conservation (like those supported by Exodus) may be the only way to save this incredible species. The latest tiger census figures were released during our trip; the opinion of the guides and other experts we spoke to in Kanha was that these ‘official’ numbers weren't so much massaged as plucked out of thin air. The thought that tigers may be extinct in the wild within 20 years is utterly depressing. Wildlife lovers need to do more than just take photographs now.