Duration: 19 Nights / 20 Days
Destination Covered: Delhi - Corbett - Nainital - Mukteshwar - Delhi - Ranthambhore - Bharatpur - Agra - Umaria (Bandhavgarh) - Kanha - Jabalpur - Delhi
Day 01: Delhi
Company
representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in
Delhi late in the night or midnight. Transfer to your hotel. Relax. DELHI, the capital of kingdoms and empires is now a sprawling metropolis with a fascinating blend of the past and the present. It is a perfect introduction to the composite culture of an ancient land. A window to the kaleidoscope - that is India.
Overnight will be at Delhi.
Day 02: Delhi - Corbett
Breakfast will be at hotel.
Drive to CORBETT National Park.
On the way we will stop at Ramnagar and look for the fabulous IBISBILL amongst the riverside boulders.
JIM CORBETT National Park - One of the greatest National Parks of Asia. Corbett is five hundred and twenty acres of forests, hills and grasslands, fed by a frisky river - A bio-diversity that is rich, rare and precious. This Park is the perfect habitat for the tiger, elephant, hog deer, birds and other wildlife species that is fast vanishing from the earth.
Relax in the evening at the resort restaurant. Overnight will be at resort.
Day 03: Corbett
Enjoy a full day birding along the riverbanks and in the nearby green area. Overnight will be at the resort.
Day
04: Corbett National ParkAfter breakfast drive inside the forest and full day BIRDING in the park.
Corbett National Park protects a large tract of forest and savanna in the Himalayan foothills, and was India's first National Park. In winter is quite cold in these areas and birds descend from the higher levels of the Himalayas to add to the park's bird riches. The variety of birds in this area is fantastic and moreover the area has its own population of tigers. The lodge inside the park is BASIC but with private facilities and the location is great!!!
Overnight will be inside the forest at rest house in DHIKALA.
Day 05: Corbett National Park
Enjoy full day BIRDING in the park. Overnight will be inside the forest at rest house in DHIKALA.
Day 06: Corbett National Park - Nainital
Breakfast will be at the guest house.
Drive to Nainital. The road is uphill and the scenery spectacular. Nainital lies beside a glacial lake and is backed by a crater like ridge with snowcapped peaks beyond rising to over 2600 m. The area is a mixture of
pinewoods,
open country and small lakes, and the views from some of the hills behind the
town are simply fantastic. Here LAMMERGEIERS and HIMALAYAN GRIFON VULTURES soar overhead.
Reach by late afternoon and enjoy the evening birding around the resort.
Overnight will be in Nainital.
Day 07: Nainital
Breakfast will be at the resort.
Enjoy full day birding in and around Nainital. Walk among the area's forests and fields in search of resident and migrant mountain birds. Including RED FLANKED BLUETAIL, STREAKED LAUGHING THRUSH, ALTAI
ACCENTOR
AND GOLDEN BUSH ROBIN for some spectacular birding. Overnight will be in Nainital.
Day 08: Nainital - Mukteshwar
Breakfast will be in the resort.
Proceed to Mukteshwar - 52 km from Nainital and 6 km from the resort. It is at the height of 2286 m and famous for IVRI campus, thickly wooded forests and majestic view of the Himalaya, near by in the stone hole of Chauli ki Jali dedicated to Lord Shiva where people come to pray for children.
Enjoy some beautiful birding for the rest of the day.
Birds included will be as per list attached (birds around Mukteshwar) and time will pass fast.
Overnight will be in a small but beautiful mountain resort.
Day 09: Mukteshwar - Delhi
Early morning birding will be around the resort.
Proceed for Delhi after breakfast.
This will be a long drive and you will need to relax on reaching Delhi.
Overnight will be in Delhi.
Day
10: Delhi - RanthambhoreTransfer to the station for train to SAWAI MADHOPUR after breakfast.
Reach and transfer to the resort. Evening free at the resort and you can relax or watch some slides on the tiger.
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, at the junction of the Aravalis and the Vindhyas, is a unique example of natural and historical richness, standing out conspicuously in the vast, arid and denuded tract of eastern Rajasthan, barely 14 kilometers from Sawai Madhopur.
The lakes abound with aquatic vegetation including duck weeds, lilies and lotus.
A haven for a multitude of wild animals, the Park boasts of playing host to tigers, leopards, the elusive caracals, hyenas, sloth bears, wild boars, crocodiles and so on. Besides, there are over 300 species of birds, from the majestic Crested Serpent Eagle to the exotic Golden Oriole. Asian Paradise Flycatcher is also found here.
Overnight will be in Ranthambhore.
Day
11: RanthambhoreEnjoy the TIGER SAFARIS & BIRDING inside the jungle.
Overnight will be at the resort.
Day 12: Ranthambhore - Bharatpur
Proceed to Bharatpur after breakfast.
Just 176 km from Delhi is a very special wilderness - the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world.
Reach and check in at the hotel. Proceed on RICKSHAW for viewing the birds. RICKSHAW PULLERS have been trained by the forest department in bird watching and are knowledgeable.
Return to the lodge in the evening and relax.
Overnight will be at Bharatpur.
Day 13: Bharatpur - Agra
Proceed for the early morning RICKSHAW RIDE at the Bird Park.
Breakfast
will be at hotel. Enjoy the second round of BIRDING IN BHARATPUR.
Proceed to Agra in the evening.
Reach Agra. Check in at hotel.
Overnight will be at Agra.
Day 14: Agra - Umaria (Bandhavgarh)
Proceed to visit Taj after breakfast. Enjoy battery van ride to the Taj.
TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes, intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
Proceed to station for train to UMARIA. Overnight will be on train.
Day 15: Arrive at Bandhavgarh
Reach
UMARIA and transfer to Bandhavgarh. Reach and enjoy breakfast.Bandhavgarh is a new National Park with a very long history. Set among the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh with an area of 168sq miles (437sq km) it contains a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game, including a large number of Tigers. This is also the White tiger country.
Where birds are concerned, keep a look out for white browed fantails, steppe eagles, green pigeons, grey malabar hornbills, black and white malabar hornbills (quite a rare sighting), blossom headed parakeets, parakeets, blue bearded bee eaters, green bee eaters, white bellied drongos, owls, Jerdon's and gold fronted leaf birds, minivets, woodshrikes and the lovely paradise flycatchers.
Enjoy a full day of birding inside the jungle. (Two safaris).
Day
16: BandhavgarhEnjoy birding inside the jungle and on the periphery. (Two safaris)
Trip to the Bandhavgarh Fort: The oldest fort in India - considered to be more than 2500 years. One-hour trek up the fort is worth the effort. The charm of this trek lies in discovering these monuments in the jungle, unspoiled and unexplored. Some of the statues lie off the main path and so it is best to take a guide.
Overnight will be at the resort.
Day 17: Bandhavgarh - Kanha
After breakfast drive to Kanha.
This is the place that has been described by RUDYARD KIPLING in his great book "The Jungle Book". Located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha National Park is a tiger reserve that extends over an area of over 940 square km. A horseshoe shaped valley bounded by the spurs of the Mekal presents an interesting topography. Steep rocky escarpments along the edges offer breathtaking views of the valley. Realizing the danger on the Tiger population in the country, the Government started the "Project Tiger" at Kanha and in 1974 the area was declared a Tiger reserve. The park is also the habitat of the high ground Barasingha.
Reach
in the afternoon and relax at the resort. Overnight will be at the resort.
Day 18: Kanha
Enjoy a full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris) There would be a lot of birding today as we would take roads around the forest to places not frequented by people and in the bushes.
Overnight will be at the resort.
Day 19: Kanha - Jabalpur - Delhi
Proceed
for the morning safari and birding into forest.Proceed to JABALPUR after lunch. Reach and board overnight train to Delhi.
Day 20: Delhi
Reach and check into hotel for the day.
Visit to SULTANPUR BIRD SANCTUARY for some afternoon birding with packed lunch.
Return to Delhi in the evening and after a FAREWELL DINNER proceed to the airport in time for flight home.
