CENTRAL INDIA
KANHA & GUJARAT
The wonderful jungles of Madhya Pradesh, at the geographical heart of India, were the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s Junglebook. The state’s jewel in the crown, and indeed one of India’s national treasures, is Kanha National Park.
A cordon of volcanic hills surround a central valley that teams with abundant and very visible wildlife, so much so that Kanha is probably the prime spot in India for mammal photography. Kanha has had great success in both securing the future locally of the Tiger and providing opportunities for visitors to see this most magnificent of mammals. Indeed during our seven day visit we expect to see them on several occasions. Herds of Sambar, Chital and the rare Barasingha are joined by abundant birdlife, the forests home to brilliantly coloured Minivets, Pigeons, Orioles and Junglefowl. Stately Gaur patrol the edges of the grassy ‘maidens’ where we might encounter a pack of hunting Dhole, a group of Langurs barracking a hunting Jungle Cat, or perhaps a Python content on a sunlit bough…
Almost extinct at the turn of the 20th century, the Nawab of Junagadh protected the twenty remaining Asiatic Lions in what is now the Gir National Park in southern Gujurat. Numbers have since increased to over three hundred and Gir hosts a similar number of Leopards. Wild Boar are abundant and so too a range of other herbivores, and birds include Demoiselle Crane, Marshall’s Iora and Pallas’s Fish-Eagle. Dropwings, Waxtails, Dartlets and colourful Skimmers are among a rich variety of Odonata. The salt steppes and arid plains of the Little Rann of Kutch offer altogether more abundant birdlife as huge flocks of both Lesser and Greater Flamingo take turns round lagoons fished by flotillas of three species of Pelican. This is the best area to see Indian Wolf as well the highly endangered Asiatic Wild Ass which ekes sustenance from dry grasslands inhabited by Sandgrouse, Indian Coursers and MacQueen’s Bustards. To complete our trawl through Central India’s fabulous wildlife we’ll visit the shimmering grasslands of Velavadhar to enjoy herds of splendid Blackbuck.
INFORMATION
Focus
Mammals, Birds and Dragonflies. Landscapes and a little Culture.
Leaders
and local naturalists at all locations.
Walking
Very easy, no more than two or three miles a day, and always at a relaxed pace, ideally suited to photographers.
Included in the Price
All flights. Accommodation, transport and meals in India. Services of your leaders. Please note; items of a personal nature including travel insurance, visas, drinks and tips are not included.
Group Size
Minimum group size is 4 and the maximum is 14. Only one leader will accompany a group of 8 or less.
Accommodation
We start with four nights at the Birder’s Lodge, its comfortably furnished rooms and cottages set amid a private mango orchard right by the entrance to Gir National Park. After a night at the pleasant Nilambagh Palace in Bhavnagar we meet a little local royalty, the descendants of the Nawab Zainkhan, who own and run Deserts Coursers. Set by a lake in the Little Rann of Kutch, the ‘koobas’ are like little cottages and are made in the local architectural style yet are fitted with en suite facilities and modern comforts inside. For the remainder of the tour we move to Kanha and the superb Baagh Resort. Beautifully designed and decorated rooms are thoroughly modern yet on arrival you feel like you are entering one of the local villages as the reception area has kept the distinctive local architecture to fit in with the surroundings. A memorable place indeed. There is one overnight train journey in sleeper accommodation from Ahmedabad to Jabalpur on this tour.
Climate
Warm and sunny. Occasionally quite hot in the afternoons, though pleasant for much of the day and cool in the early mornings. Rain is unlikely.
How To Book
Download a booking form (or contact us and we will send you one to you) from the Booking Information section. Complete and send to us. You will receive confirmation of your place and a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information. Mammal, bird and dragonfly checklists are available.
