Incredible India
Birds, Tigers, and the Taj Mahal
November 21 - December 5, 2008

What could be more thrilling than tracking a Tiger! Beyond the crowded, colorful, pulsating cities of India lie national parks and reserves that house an incredibly rich array of animals and offer memorable wildlife viewing opportunities that rival the plains of Africa. Conservation efforts have resulted in the establishment of several reserves to protect Tigers. This tour is designed for the wildlife enthusiast and offers the chance to see some of the most spectacular wildlife in Asia including the rare and elusive Tiger. During our travels, we’ll also have the chance to experience and learn about the diverse cultural heritage of this welcoming country.

The itinerary includes the fabulous Bharatpur sanctuary now known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park and is literally filled with water-loving birds. Sightings here can include Sarus and Common Cranes, Black-necked, Woolly-necked, and Painted Storks, Pheasant-tailed and Bronzed-winged Jacanas, and endemics including Indian Courser, Indian Scops Owl, Jungle Owlet, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, and Orange-headed Thrush. From here, we visit the magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra - truly one of the architectural wonders of the world. We’ll also take a boat safari on the Chambal River to look for Indian Skimmer, Bonelli’s Eagle, Black-bellied Terns, Red-crested and Ferruginous Pochards, Bar-headed Goose, Demoiselle Crane, Great Thick-knee, the endemic Gangetic Dolphin, and the endangered Gharial.

The second half of the tour explores Kanha National Park in the remote wilderness of Central India and the famed setting for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Here, the tour focuses on finding Tigers in the wild. During early morning and late afternoon jeep safaris, we’ll search for this magnificent animal and, though there are no guarantees, we have an excellent chance of getting terrific views of tigers. As we search the jungle and grassland habitats, we’ll likely see a number of other mammals of the park including Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barasingha, Indian Muntjac, Golden Jackal, Indian Mongoose, Common Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Sloth Bear, and Jungle Cat. Among the many birds possible are Red Spurfowl, Red Junglefowl, Green Bee-eater, Jerdon’s Leafbird, Large Cuckooshrike, White-bellied, Spangled and the very common Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Asian Paradise-flycatcher, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama, Puff-throated Babbler, Grey-breasted Prinia and the shy Indian Scimitar-Babbler.

 

ITINERARY

Day 1 – November 21, 2008 - Depart US
Plan for an overnight flight from the US arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport on the morning of Day 2.

Day 2 –November 22, 2008 - Arrival Delhi/Okhla Barrage Bird Sanctuary
After arrival in Delhi, we will be transferred to a country resort for breakfast and freshening up. Though our resort is in the city proper, lush, sprawling grounds and colorful flowers make it a charming and relaxed setting. You’ll have the chance to rest or you can bird the lovely grounds where Oriental Honey Buzzard, Bank Myna, White-browed Wagtail, Rose-ringed Parakeet, and Five-striped Squirrel can be found in the gardens. In the afternoon, we will visit Okhla Barrage Bird Sanctuary, an internationally recognized Important Bird Area on the outskirts of Delhi. Among the species possible here are Marsh Babbler, White-tailed Stonechat, Striated Grassbird, Greater Flamingo, Painted Stork, Black Headed Ibis, and good number of ducks including Northern Shoveler, Pintail, Ruddy Shell Duck, Tufted Duck, and Indian Shag. Accommodations at Ashok Country Resort, Delhi.

Days 3 & 4 – November 23 & 24, 2008 - Bharatpur
On Day three, we travel by coach to Keoladeo Ghana National Park, better known as Bharatpur. Stops will be taken along the way to view the numerous pools and marshes lining the route, and we could see Egyptian Vulture, Sarus Crane, White-tailed Lapwing, and Black Drongo. We’ll hope to be at Bharatpur for an afternoon visit to this world-renowned sanctuary. Keoladeo is one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species. Depending on the volume of seasonal rains, as much as two-thirds of the park can be covered with water. The remaining one-third of the park is dry deciduous forests and extensive grasslands creating diverse habitat that supports a variety of species. Resident water birds such as Black Necked and Painted Storks congregate in large mixed colonies islands in the wetlands. Grassland species such as the endemic Indian Courser forage in open areas. Mammals such as Golden Jackal, Striped Hyena, Fishing Cat, Nilgai, roam the park and it is possible to see reptiles such as Indian Python.

On Day 4, we’ll spend the entire day in and around Bharatpur to look for Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Sociable Lapwing, Black Bittern, Indian Scops Owl, Spotted Little Owl, Dusky Eagle Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Steppe, Greater Spotted, Indian Spotted, Imperial Eagle, Common Kestrel, and Eurasian Hobby. Specialties we might see here include the magnificent Sarus Crane. Large-tailed Nightjar, and the Siberian Rubythroat. Accommodations are at the luxurious Laxmi Vilas Palace just outside Bharatpur.

Day 5 – November 25, 2008 - Bund Baretha
Today we will visit Bund Baretha, a large reservoir surrounded by arid countryside approximately 40 km from Bharatpur. Along the way, we’ll check the open fields for Ashy and Plain Prinia, Indian Black Robin, Common Stonechat, Ashy-crowned Finch-Larks, Southern Grey Shrike, Indian Silverbill and the colorful and entertaining Indian Roller. We’ll stop at roadside pools to look for Wire-tailed Swallow, White-tailed Lapwing, Common Teal, Citrine Wagtail, and Grey-throated Sand-Martin. On the way up to the reservoir overlook we’ll look for Yellow-eyed Babbler, White-capped Bunting, Brown Rock-Chat, and Eurasian Hoopoe. At the Bund, we’ll scan the open water for Cotton Teal, Red-crested Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, and Ferruginous Duck, and watch the shores for Bronze-winged Jacana. River Tern is possible here as is the endemic Indian Skimmer. We’ll return to Bharatpur in the afternoon for one last visit.

Day 6 – November 26, 2008 - Taj Mahal/ Sur Sarovar Sanctuary/Bear Rescue Center
Very early this morning we will travel to Agra to visit the magnificent Taj Mahal. One of the true wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is a monument built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. For twenty-two years 20,000 men labored day and night to build this masterpiece, which has held the world “awestruck” ever since.

After our visit, we will enjoy breakfast in Agra and then proceed to Sur Sarovar Lake located 20 kms from Agra. Here we’ll look for Dalmatian and Spot Billed Pelican, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Eurasian Spoonbills, Great Egret, Common Cranes, Sarus Cranes, and a host of other birds. Close to the sanctuary is the Bear Rescue Center. We'll visit the center and see efforts to the protect of Sloth Bears of India and around the world. After lunch, we will travel to Chambal River Lodge and where we will spend the next two nights.

Day 7 – November 27, 2008 - Chambal River Sanctuary
Today we visit the Chambal River, one of the India’s most beautiful river systems. The National Chambal Sanctuary was formed to protect this pristine river ecosystem and its varied flora, aquatic life, and avifauna. The Chambal River harbors a variety of aquatic life including Gangetic Dolphin, Great Thick-Knees by Steve Birdfreshwater turtles, River Otters, and various species of fish. The river has a population of over 1,600 Gharials and 200 Marsh Crocodiles. The environs of the river are a true bird watcher’s delight. From November to March one can see several species of migratory and resident birds on and around the river. Species in abundance include Bar-headed Geese, Brahminy Duck, and Common Teal. Other species possible include Crested Lark, River Lapwing, Great Thick-knee, Desert Wheatear, Red-crested Pochard, White-browed Wagtail, Pied Kingfisher, and Little Ringed Plover. If we are lucky, we’ll see the beautiful Indian Skimmer – the Chambal River holds the highest population in the world.

Day 8 – November 28, 2008 – Chambal River/Return to Delhi
This morning, we will enjoy another boat safari on the Chambal River. We’ll look for River Terrapin, Indian Mud Turtle, and Soft Shell Turtle, as well as any birds we missed yesterday. Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Indian Roller, Verditer Flycatcher, Black Hooded Oriole, and Asian Koel are among our quarry. Later on, we will depart for Delhi and our lovely resort for the night.

Day 9 – November 29, 2008 – Flight to Jabalpur/Kanha National Park
Today we depart from Delhi early and fly to Jabalpur. After a brief stop for breakfast at a local hotel, we will drive through the central Indian hills to Kanha National Park. On arrival, we will check in to Tuli Tiger Resort for five nights.

The Tuli Tiger Resort
Located in the buffer zone of the Kanha National Park, Tuli Tiger Resort has 18 air-conditioned cottages set amidst lovely grounds. There is a private natural lake within the boundary of the resort, and each room has a telephone and private facilities with running hot and cold water and shower. The resort also has an audio / video theatre, pool table, library, swimming pool, and a restaurant offering Indian and Continental Cuisine. This lovely hotel will be our home base as we search the park for tigers and other wildlife.

Days 10 to 13 – November 30 – December 3, 2008 - Kanha National Park
We spend the next three days exploring Kanha National Park. This wonderful reserve is a true wilderness, incorporating a wide variety of habitats, from a crescent of hills up to 3,000 feet high, to undulating grasslands, to stands of bamboo, to dense Sal forest. The hills are cloaked with deciduous trees and a perennial lake and several small pools provide year-round drinking for a wide array of resident mammals. The combination of river valleys and steep rocky escarpments provides habitat for all manner of indigenous wildlife. We’ll take early morning and late afternoon jeep safaris into the park to maximize our chances of seeing Tigers, as they are most active at these times. Though there are no guarantees, we have an outstanding chance of finding and observing Tigers, often at very close quarters. If possible, we will also search for Tigers in a more traditional style – by elephant – an exhilarating experience that depends on the success of the Park’s Tiger trackers. During our search, we’ll see other species likely to include Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barasingha, Four-horned Antelope, Blackbuck, Indian Muntjac, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal, Ruddy Mongoose, Common Langur and Rhesus Macaque. If we are very lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a Leopard, Sloth Bear, or Jungle Cat.

During our game drives we will have opportunities to see a strong supporting cast of bird species in the forests including Jungle Bush-quail, Red Spurfowl, Red Junglefowl, Rufous and Streak-throated Woodpeckers, White-naped Flameback, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Common Hawk-cuckoo, Jungle Owlet, Emerald Dove, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Golden-fronted and Jerdon’s Leafbirds, Large Cuckooshrike, Long-tailed Minivet, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Indian Yellow Tit, and Thick-billed Flowerpecker. Dense stands of bamboo inside the forests are attractive to species such as Black-naped Monarch, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, White-rumped Shama, Puff-throated Babbler, Grey-breasted Prinia, and the shy Indian Scimitar-Babbler. The extensive grasslands are dotted with numerous pools providing excellent habitat for Painted Francolin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Pin-tailed and Greater Painted Snipes, the recently-split Indian Stone-Curlew, Greater Spotted Eagle, Black Ibis, Lesser Adjutant, the scarce Rufous-fronted Prinia, Bay-backed and Brown Shrikes, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Indian Bushlark, Red Avadavat, and the very scarce endemic Green Avadavat. Needless to say, wildlife and bird watching in Kahna is exhilarating!

Day 14 – December 4, 2008 - Kanha/Nagpur/Delhi
This morning we will have one last safari and chance to see the other wonderful wildlife of Kanha. Later in the morning we will transfer to Nagpur and fly to Delhi for the night. Accommodations at Ashok Country Resort, Delhi.

Day 15 – December 5, 2008 – Depart Delhi for US or home destination.

Leaders: Peg Abbott and Avijit Sarkel

This journey is offered in association with SUNRISE BIRDING, LLC

 

 

Cost of the Journey Cost of the 15 day journey, $4495.00 per person from Delhi, is based on double occupancy and includes: * Double occupancy accommodation * All transfers, meals, sightseeing and excursions as per the itinerary in exclusive chauffeur-driven air-conditioned car(s) and coach * Services of an English-speaking Indian guide * Entrance fees to monuments and parks * Game viewing as per the itinerary along with the entrances including elephant charges but excluding camera fee * Porterage * All tips except Bharatpur Naturalist and the Indian tour leader * All inland flights Not included: * Roundtrip flight from US to Delhi * Expenses of personal nature such as hard/soft drinks, laundry, phone/fax calls, tips etc. * Any item not mentioned in the “Includes” section * Tips for the Bharatpur Naturalist and the Indian tour leader (at your descretion). * Visa/Passport fees * Camera fee - Applicable at all National Parks and monuments: * Kanha – INR 300 for Video and INR 40 for still per day * Bharatpur and Chambal INR 250 for video * Taj Mahal INR 25 for video (restricted usage). Expert local guides are with us throughout the journey. Peg Abbott of Naturalist Journeys will accompany this group if the minimum number of persons is met. The cost is based on a minimum of 8 persons, if fewer than eight sign on, there may be a small group surcharge (typically $300-$500) applied. The journey is limited to 14 persons. Single supplement is $995.00. Travel Arrangements You are responsible for planning your flight to and from Delhi. Photo Credits: Photos c/o Sunrise Birding, LLC.

 

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