Taj & Tiger Tour

Taj & Tiger Tour

Duration: 11 Nights / 12 Days
Places Covered: Delhi - Ranthambore - Bharatpur - Agra - Bandavgarh - Kanha - Nagpur - 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. Overnight will be at Delhi.

Day 02 :
Delhi - Ranthambore:
By train: Golden Temple Exp: 2904 Dep:07:50 Arr:13:10

Transfer 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.

Overnight at resort.

Day 03:
Ranthambore

A full day game viewing inside the jungle.

Overnight at the resort.

Day 04:
Ranthambore - Bharatpur : Keoladeo Ghana National Park
By Train: Kota Jan Shatabdi: Dep:07:00 Arr:09:00
Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Bharatpur. Reach and Transfer to the Hotel. Proceed to explore the bird national park. Return to the lodge in the evening and relax. Overnight at Bharatpur.

Day 05:
Bharatpur - Agra:
By Surface: 40 Km 1 Hrs.

Early morning RICKSHAW RIDE at the Bird Park. Breakfast at hotel. Proceed to Agra. enroute visiting Fatehpur Sikri (The old deserted town of Mughal Dynasty) on arrival check in into hotel.

AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.

Reach Agra. Check in at hotel.

Overnight at Agra.

Day 06:
Agra - Umaria (Bandavgarh):
By Train: Uttakal Ganga Exp: 8478 Dep: 16:00 Hrs Arr: 06:15 Hrs
After breakfast explore the Agra city and do the sightseeing of Agra Fort as well as the Taj Mahal.

In the Late afternoon our company representative will give you the Transfer to the Railway station for the Train to Bandavgarh.

Overnight train to Bandavgarh.

Day 07:
Arrive at Bandavgarh

Upon arrival you will be received by our representative and start from Bandavgarh.

Drive to Bandavgarh. Reach and Relax in the resorts.

Bandavgarh 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. These have been found in the old state of Rewa for Many years. Maharaja Martand Singh captured the last known in 1951. This white Tiger, Mohun is now stuffed and on display in the Palace of Maharaja of Rewa. Prior to becoming a National Park, the forests around Bandavgarh had long been maintained as a Shikargah, or game preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa. The Maharaja and his guests carried out hunting - otherwise the wildlife was well protected. It was considered a good omen for Maharaja of Rewa to shoot 109 tigers. His Highness Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh shot 111 Tigers by 1914.

There are 32 hills in this part of the park, which has a large natural fort at its center. The fort's cliffs are 2625 feet (800 meters) high, 1000 feet (300 meters) above the surrounding countryside. Over half the area is coverd by Sal forest although on the upper slope it is replaced by mixed forest of sal, saj, dhobin, and saja. Winter temperatures (Nov-mid-February) vary from almost freezing at night to around 68 degree Fahrenheit in the daytime. Summer nights are also cooler than the daytime temperatures, which rise to 104 degree Fahrenheit. This park is closed during the breeding season, which coincides with the monsoon (July-October). Rainfall in the park averages50 inches (120cm) per year.

Bandavgarh has been a center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and there are references to it in the ancient books, the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, stopped at Bandavgarh on his way back to his homeland after defeating the demon King Ravana of Lanka. Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge between the isle of Lanka and the mainland, are said to have built Bandavgarh's Fort. Later Rama handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as Bandavdhish "The Lord of the Fort". Lakshmana is the particular God of the fort and is regularly worshipped in a temple there.

The oldest sign of habitation in the park are caves dug into the sandstone to the north of the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century BC. Various dynasties have ruled the fort, for example, the Maghas from the 1st century AD, the Vakatakas from the 3rd century AD, From that time onwards Bandavgarh was ruled by a succession of dynasties including the Chandela Kings of Bundelkhand who built the famous temples at Khajuraho. The Baghel Kings, the direct ancestors of the present Royal family of Rewa, established their dynasty at Bandavgarh in the 12th century. It remained their capital till 1617 when the center of court life moved to Rewa, 75 miles (120Kms) to the north. Without royal patronage Bandavgarh became more and more deserted until forest overran the area and it became the royal hunting reserve. This helped to preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas made full use of their rights. Each set out to kill the auspicious number of 109 Tigers.

At independence Bandavgarh remained the private property of the Maharaja until he gave it to the state for the formation of the National Park in 1968. After the park was created poaching was brought under control and the number of animals rose dramatically. Small dams and water holes were built to solve the problem of water shortage. Grazing by local cattle was stopped and the village within the park boundaries was relocated. The Tigers in particular prospered and the 1986 extension provided much needed forest to accommodate them.

Bandavgarh is justifiably famous for its Tigers, but it has a wide range of other game. The undergrowth is not as dense as in some northern terai forests, but the best time to see the park inhabitants is still the summer months when water becomes more scarce and the undergrowth dies back.

Do the Afternoon safari and relax in the evening at the resort and overnight will be at Bandavgarh.

Day 08:
Bandavgarh

A full day game viewing inside the jungle. (Two safaris)

Trip to the Bandavgarh 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. Apart from the avatars, well worth seeing are three small temples of around the 12th century. These temples are deserted but the fort is still used as a place of worship. Kabir Das, the celebrated 16th century saint, once lived and preached here. The natural ramparts of the fort give breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. The fort still belongs to the Maharaja of Rewa and permission is required to visit it. However permission is available locally and no trip to Bandhavgarh is complete without making an effort to climb up the fort. The staff of the resort carries your lunch while you are busy negotiating the trek to the fort.

Morning till evening, see the wild life by jeeps and elephants etc, also
visit the fort said to have been built by Lord Rama, the hero of the great Indian epic Ramayana.

Overnight at the resort.

Day 09:
Bandavgarh - Kanha:
By Road
255 km in 6 hr

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.

In 1930s, the Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries - Hallon and Banjar of 250kms to 300kms each. Though one of these was subsequently disbanded .The area remained a protected one until 1947. Depletion of the tiger population in the year that followed led to the area being made an absolute sanctuary in 1952.

Patient watching should reward the visitor, with a sight of Indian Fox, Sloth bear, Striped hyena, Jungle cut, Lepord, Mouse Deer, Chausingha or four horned antelope, Nilgai, Ratel and Porcupine Kanha has some 200 species of birds. Watchers should station themselves in the hills, where the mixed and bamboo forests harbour many species and in the grassy forest clearings. Water birds can be seen near the park's many rivulets and at Sarvantal, a pool that is frequented by water birds and the area in front of the museum.

Excursion to Kawardha just east of the Maikala Range (up to 1100m) to the south east of Kanha National Park, Kawardha is a small town in Chhattisgarh (34 forts) region of M.P. In this remote area Maharaja Viswaraj Singh has recently opened his palace to visitors. It provides a delightfully quite unspoiled contrast with India's big cities and with the much busier tourist circuit of Rajasthan's 'palace circuit'. This town is in the center of the Baiga tribe, who live in forest surrounding the town, and these are several eleventh century temples in the immediate region.

Reach in the afternoon and relax at the resort.

Overnight at the Kanha Resort.

Day 10:
Kanha
A full day game viewing inside the jungle. Overnight at the resort.

Day 11:
Kanha - Jabalpur - Delhi
180 km in 4 hr
Train name: Mahakaushal Exp: Dep: 16:10 Arr: 10:45

Proceed for the morning safari into forest.

Proceed to Jabalpur after lunch.

Nagpur popularly known as Orange Capital of India is also the second capital of Maharashtra. The Gond King of Deogad, "Bakht Buland Shah" laid the city's foundation in the year 1702. This city derived its name from the river Nag that flows through it. Nagpur was the capital of Madhya Bharat State (C.P. and Berar) after Indian independence and in 1960 the Marathi majority Vidarbha region was merged with the new state of Maharashtra.

Reach and transfer to the Railway station for the train to Delhi.

Day 12:
Delhi - Home:
Upon arrival in Delhi you will be received by our representative and transferred to hotel for the day. Spend day relaxing at the hotel or spending time at local markets. Transfer to the airport in time for flight home.

Transfer to Airport for flight to Home.