Where to go and accommodation in India
To help you plan your trip here is an overview of the tiger reserves and national parks which give you the best wildlife experiences and tiger sightings, along with some of the other amazing places to visit.
We use good quality accommodation and in some places we can offer a range of accommodation. Typically when visiting wildlife reserves and national parks the accommodation is in a camp, with traditionally styled buildings. The accommodation mentioned here is just a sample. For tailor made trips we will talk to you about the type of accommodation that will suit you best.
Bandhavgarh
Bandhavgargh is a relatively small National Park by Indian standards but it is considered one of the best places in the world to see tigers. It is made up of rocky hills, sal forests, marsh land and beautiful meadows. Wildlife viewing is by open vehicle or elephant back. There are opportunities to visit the temple situated high on the escarpment inside the park and to see local villages. Here we use the comfortable and welcoming Jungle lodge or the luxurious Bandhav Vilas.
Corbett
Corbett National Park is situated in the Kumaun foothills of the Himalayas and named after Jim Corbett the famous hunter turned conservationist. Picturesque hilly ridges run down to grassland and bamboo forest. Famed for its tigers and elephant population, Corbett is the classic safari destination. Leopards live in the hilly terrain while sloth bear can be found in the lower regions. Here we will stay at either Tree Top Country Inn or Dhikala Lodge.
Kahna
Kahna is a vast stunning and diverse park consisting of a high plateau overlooking dense sal and bamboo forests, swamps, streams and lakes. As well as providing great opportunities to see tigers it is one of the best places to see the secretive gaur (Indian bison), the endangered barasingha (swamp deer) and the rare dhole (Indian wild dog) plus over 250 species of bird. Here we stay at the Kahna Jungle Lodge, Kipling Camp or the Royal Tiger Resort.
Kaziranga
Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam is a UNESCO world heritage site and is known for its great bio-diversity. It is made up of mixed savannah grassland, evergreen deciduous forest and swamp. It is one of the last strongholds of the one horned Indian rhino and the list of other mammals is impressive and includes tiger, elephant, gaur, barasingha, hog deer, sloth bear, hoolock gibbon, jackal, otter and jungle cat. Over 100 species of migratory birds add to the list of resident species at various times of the year. Our accommodation will be the Bon Habi Resort.
The other parks to consider are Ranthambore where tigers are sometimes to be found among the temple ruins or near the beautiful lake. Pench , which was the location for the famous "elephant cam " T.V footage of tigers, or Gir , home of the asiatic lion. South India also has it's share of wildlife and bird sanctuaries with Periyar National Park being the best known.
If you want to experience some of India's cultural and historical sites, your choice is almost endless. Here are just a few of the sites to consider, but there are many more.
Delhi the capital of India, a city of bustling streets where the old world of markets and narrow streets meets the modern world of prosperity, technology and new buildings. Some of the key sites to visit here are:
India Gate, a majestic arch built in 1931 as a memorial to the Indian soldiers killed in the 1st World War.
The Red Fort or Lal Qila, a huge palace surrounded by red sandstone walls is one of India's best known buildings arguably only the Taj Mahal being more well known to international toursist.
Raj Ghat, situated on the banks of the river Yamuna is where the "father" of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi was cremated in 1948.
Humayun's Tomb , a magnificent Mughal building also built of red sandstone is the tomb of emperor Humayun on which the Taj Mahal was later modelled.
Jaipur the "pink city" and capital of the colourful state of Rajashthan. Jaipur is called the "pink city" because of the reddish colour wash that was applied to the old city walls as a symbol of welcome to a visiting prince. Some of the notable sites here are:
The Amer Palace, built in 1592 a classic Rajasthani palace fort that contains a fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles.
The City Palace, covering over one-seventh of the area of the walled city and contains the Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace), Shri Govind Temple and the City Palace Museum.
Hawa Mahal, "palace of the winds" an ornate five storey building designed and constructed to catch the breeze.
Agra, famous for the Taj Mahal. The notable attractions here are:
The Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. A stunning building, constructed of Jodhpur marble and semi precious stones, took 22 years to build and is rightly known as one of the "seven wonders of the world".
Agra (Red) Fort, considered by many to be more impressive than the Red Fort in Delhi, the external walls are also built of red sandstone, from here Shah Jahan lay on his deathbed gazing across the river to the Taj Mahal.
Agra sloth bear rescue centre. This is one of four centres around India established to care for bears that have been "rescued" from their life of misery as a "dancing bear", fortunately now a practice in decline as a result of centres like this. Prior permission is required to visit the centre.
The Cities generally have a range of good quality to luxurious hotel accomodation.
