Trips & Tours: Tigers and Taj Mahal

On arrival you will transfer to your comfortable hotel and look forward to sightseeing in the capital tomorrow.

Your tour takes in the city’s principle sights including the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and India Gate. There will be time to visit the famous Chandni Chowk and the large Laxmi Narayan or Birla Temple.

Taking to the rails we travel into Rajasthan, the Land of Princes, to Bharatpur, home to Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Notwithstanding its own fort and a famous temple the town is most renowned for the reserve where a series of water-catching bunds or dams were created to provide a habitat for birds, principally for the sport of the Maharaja. Today the waters attract vast numbers of birds of many species and whether with a prior interest or not a visit is a must for all travellers to the region. You’ll explore by rickshaw – the best way to see this reserve.

Some 400 years ago the great Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri atop a rocky ridge 37km west of Agra. It was the first planned city in the Indo-Islamic style and was created with great vision and energy, but it was completely abandoned little more than a decade later. Today it remains much as it would have been when it was left, a masterpiece in red sandstone.

Later you will arrive in the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra.

Early this morning just as the sun starts to rise you’ll enter the courtyard of the world’s greatest monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Legends around its construction are many and centre around where its materials came from – all over the then Mughul Empire, from as far away as Persian and Central Asia.

Built to house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Emperor Shah Jehan’s wife the white marble glows softly in the early light, in winter often partly hidden by lingering mists. On close inspection the white marble is in many places inlaid both outside and in with precious and semi-precious stones in a style known as pietra dura. Words cannot easily convey the beauty of the Taj Mahal, a visit is essential to appreciate it.

After your visit to the Taj you’ll head south to the little town of Orchha. Sat on the Betwa River this quiet backwater was once the seat of the Bundela Rajas and their legacy includes amazing cenotaphs, a palace and several temples. 400 years old these monuments are in vary states of repair, adding greatly to the romantic atmosphere of the town.

So popular is Orchha with visitors who make it to the town we have a lowed a full day free to explore. After an included visit to the palace you are free to explore - wander the ruins at leisure as monkeys and langurs play in the trees, visit the ghats and walk to the cenotaphs – all are recommended.

A morning drive leads you further into the heart of India, and the little town of Khajuraho. Built between the 10th and 12th centuries AD as the greatest architectural achievement of the Chandella dynasty the temples here at Khajuraho appear to have been forgotten about soon after construction. Victorian travellers rediscovered the resplendent temples which were at that time lost in scrubby forest. The classical shapes of the shikars (tapering towers) of these wonderful temples are profusely carved with scenes of everyday life. One theme however stands out above all else, the delicate sensuality and forthright eroticism of many of the sculptures.

After breakfast you’ll set off for Panna National Park, arriving around lunchtime. Excitement builds before you set off this evening for the first of many game drives here in India, searching for some of the country’s spectacular wildlife. Panna sits in the tracts of the Vindhyan range and the Ken River runs through it. For such a small park (540sq km) there is much to see with more than 20 species of mammals to be found. These include nilgai and chowsingha, chinkara, sambar, chital, tiger, leopard and wild boar. 230 species of birds have been recorded with vultures, eagles, kites, parakeets, warblers, many water birds, partridges and weavers.

An early start is needed for the long journey to Bandhavgarh National Park, a drive of around 7 hours. On arrival check in at your hotel and look forward to tomorrow’s early-morning game drive.

Bandhavgarh National Park is one of India's premier wildernesses with what is a relatively high population of tigers and wonderfully atmospheric 1700 year-old fort atop a high plateau which dates back to 300 AD. Covering some 448 sq km the National Park was founded in 1968. The park area has been inhabited for millennia, evidenced by the fort which legend has it has associations with Rama and Lakshman of Hindu mythological fame.

Made up of grasslands and dry, deciduous forest with many waterholes Bandhavgarh an ideal habitat for much of India’s endemic wildlife, which includes nilgai, chowsingha, chinkara, wild boar, jackal, wild dog, fox, porcupine, honey badger as well as deer, leopard and the royal Bengal tiger.

Almost 250 species of birds have been recorded with hornbills, shrikes, drongos, bee-eaters, parakeets and flycatchers listed amongst many others

During your stay you’ll enjoy two game drives, one this morning and one in the evening.

Another early start enables us to cover the distance to Kanha in one leg today, thus maximising our time in the region.

The Jungle Book is arguably Kipling’s most famous work and the Kanha area was the inspiration for his writings. Large, at over 1,945 sq km, Kanha is one of the world’s premier protected nature-viewing regions, a green, densely forested wildlife oasis and perhaps the best place in the world to see the endangered tiger in the wild.

The Satpara Hills are cloaked in sal forest, easy then to imagine Kipling’s legendary characters at home here, with many other mammals, reptile and birds to see beside. All the usual suspects can be found with a prodigious amount of birdlife to boot and your two games drives today should be extremely rewarding excursions.

Your wildlife-viewing adventures continue today with 2 further game drives in the park.

A morning’s drive takes you to Pench Tiger Reserve. Little-known and seldom-visited Pench is one of the rising stars of India’s Project Tiger. Covering some 750 sq km the forest here is teak, rather than sal. With a high population of deer and other game which includes the Indian bison, the gaur, it has a healthy population of tigers, leopards and other apex predators.

Today you’ll head out on your last game drives, one this morning and the other this afternoon.

After your adventures in some of India’s premier parks its time to return to the capital. You’ll drive to Nagpur and connect with a flight to Delhi. On arrival you’ll transfer to your hotel for a last night.

Your tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to the airport.