Discover a magical world set amid the ancient Vindhyan Hills, guarded by an ancient fort, teeming with breathtaking wildlife. The moist deciduous forest of Bandhavgarh is dominated by Sal trees in some areas while bamboo and open grasslands predominate in the northern region in the park. The Park has a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km. The topography varies between steep ridges, undulating landscapes, sal forest and open meadows.
To spot a tiger in the wild, to behold its majestic being and take in the beauty of its stride is an experience that can seldom be compared to anything else in the world. Being the tiger capital of the world, at Bandhavgarh, this experience is not happenstance but rather a common occurrence. On this Photo Tour you will not only experience but be provided with multiple opportunities to make spectacular images of this royal beast.
Nestled in the wild regions of Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh’s landscape is made up of lush forests, steep ridges and open meadows. Known for its vast population of the royal Bengal tiger, Bandhavgarh is also home to a splendid variety of animals and avian life alike. Keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready to catch glimpses of mammals such as jackals and jungle cats along with birds that range from vultures, Malabar pied hornbills, blue-bearded bee-eaters to white-eyed buzzards, stork-billed kingfishers and more!
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- 4 nights and 3 full days exploring the incredible forest of Bandhavgarh
- Gives ample opportunities to photograph tigers in the wild
- A whole array of other endemic fauna and flora
- Expert natural-history and photography guidance by Skipper Sachin Rai
DEPARTURE
TOUR ITINERARY
Please note: This Tour commences at Bandhavgarh on 22 April and end at the same place after breakfast on 26 April.
With great excitement for the next three days, we arrive in Bandhavgarh and check in to the hotel. After a round of mutual introduction, the Skipper briefs us on the Tour and we’re off to dinner and some shuteye. A lot is to come.
We depart with packed breakfast early in the morning. Full day permits allow us to enter the park 15 minutes before the regular tourists enter, thus providing some opportunity to track the tiger through their pug marks and also if lucky, have an exclusive sighting for a brief short period.
Bandhavgarh has three different zones and we will have access to all the three zones. We will keep shuffling between these depending on the tiger movements. While regular tourists exit the park at 11am, we will have the liberty to stay inside the park from dawn to dusk.
Our lunch will be sent to one of the gates and we shall pick that up and proceed for our safari again. We will also be allowed to exit 15 minutes later than the regular tourists do, hence giving us a chance to stay back at some of tigers favourite water holes.
After spending close to 12 hours inside the park, we will come back to the property and meet up after freshening up to discuss and strategise the second days programme.
We leave early again and decide based on the previous days activity on which area to focus on. There are subadult cubs in both Tala and Magdhi zones and we would concentrate on trying to track them down. One tigress also has very small cubs now and we can hope to see her with her cubs close to some water body in the summer.
It can get very hot in the afternoon and that would mean we might get lucky with some tiger sightings in the afternoon too. We could get lucky if some of them chose to come to the water body which has a little bit of shade, which makes it photographically productive too.
By the third day, we would have known the movements of certain individuals for sure. If we keep tracking one family, then it is quite easy to find out where they could be the next morning, particularly if they have made a kill.
We will spend our last day trying to ensure we have photographically good sightings as opposed to just increasing the count of number of tigers we have seen on the trip.
We check out after breakfast and take the cab back to Jabalpur airport or the closest railway station based on what you all have booked for yourselves.
COST AND TERMS
- Twin-sharing accommodation in comfortable lodges
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) as mentioned in the itinerary
- Guide and Photography Skipper services
- Safari permits and guide fees
- Any airfare
- Camera fees if any
- Travel to Bandhavgarh and back from your respective place, closest airport or railway station.
- Any kind of personal expenses or optional tours, extra meals and beverages ordered
- Insurance, laundry and phone calls
- Bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
- Vaccination, visa and insurance expenses
- All applicable taxes
- Anything that is not listed under ‘inclusions’
- INR 50,000 as advance for confirmation of participation for the Tour
- Balance to be paid 90 days before the tour
All figures per person.
- INR 50,000 non refundable
- 100% of the Tour fee 90 days before the tour.
Please note: The date of written (email) communication of intent to cancel is the date considered for calculation of the cancellation fees.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Anybody above the age of 18 (unless accompanied by an adult) and interested in nature and wildlife photography will enjoy this Tour thoroughly.
Of course! This Tour is meant for newbies as well as experienced photographers. Beginners will get all the advantages of learning on and off the field from the photography mentors. In fact if you are a fresher, you should jump on this great photography learning opportunity and sign up right away!
Since guests of our Tours travel from different parts of the country by different modes (road, rail and air) as per their preferences, it is convenient for the Tour to start from the destination. We will however provide the assistance you need in arranging your pick up and drop.
Since it is a free roaming animal, it is never easy to commit to sightings. But considering that the photography mentor has travelled there multiple times every year for the last two decades, his in-depth knowledge of tigers and every individual for that matter, will surely help us get good sightings. Bandhavgarh is known to be one of the finest places in India to see tigers.
Because it is a full day photography tour, we would be limiting our group size to only 7 participants. We will be using two vehicles which means one vehicle will have the photography mentor and three participants while the other vehicle will have four participants.
Absolutely yes! We will be happy to customise this tour for you based on your preferred dates. Kindly write to us and tell us your preferred time of travel and we shall get back to you with a tentative itinerary and quote. This tour can be with or without a photography guide.
BOOK YOUR TOUR
Dates don’t work for you?
In case these dates do not work for you and you would wish to travel on your own at your own convenience dates, then do write to us.
We will customise a tour for you on your preferred dates. This can be with or without a photography guide. We would ensure you have the best drivers, guides and will also suggest properties based on your preference.
We have close to two decades of experience in the wildlife travel sector and will be able to guide you based on our own experience.