NORTHERN INDIA

a classic tour combining birds, tigers and the Taj Mahal

For Photos see our Photo Album.

For anyone with a love of natural history, the chance to see a magnificent Bengal Tiger in the wild is an opportunity not to be missed. At the Project Tiger reserve of Bandhavgarh, in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, there is an excellent chance to see these magnificent creatures, alongside numerous other animals and birds.

Add to this a classic tour of Northern India's Golden Triangle; Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, plus the delights of Bharatpur, and you have the ingredients of a truly epic wildlife and cultural holiday.

In the semi-desert of Rajastan we will look for Desert Wheatear, Indian Courser and White-capped Bunting. At Bharatpur, our quarry includes Black-necked Stork, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Sarus Crane. Chambal Safari Lodge is a great place to see Indian Skimmer, as well as Gangetic Dolphin and Gharial. The forest at Bandhavgarh holds Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Spurfowl and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. The Amber Fort and Taj Mahal provide a distraction from the birding just long enough to give us an appetite for more birds.

We will spend two nights in Delhi, two nights in Jaipur, three nights at Bharatpur, two nights at Chambal Safari Lodge near Agra and three nights at Bandhavgarh, giving us plenty of time to find all these birds and more….

Taj Mahal, Andy Woodall, 2004

ITINERARY - DELHI

Our flight arrives in Delhi a little before midnight, so it is a relief that our hotel for the first two nights is just a few minutes away. Our first full day will be spent birding at a leisurely pace in the vicinity of Delhi. In the morning we will visit the Yumuna River, with its abundant ducks, waders, herons, gulls and terns. In the afternoon we will look for small birds in the vicinity of the fourteenth century Tughlaqabad Fort. Key species in the marshes include Indian Shag, Bar-headed Goose, River Lapwing, White-tailed Plover, Great Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Rosy Pipit, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Striated Babbler and Black-breasted Weaver.

Painted Sandgrouse, India 2004. Paul Willoughby

In the dry countryside surrounding the fort we will hope to find Brown Rock Chat, Indian Bushlark, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler and the ubiquitous and noisy Grey Francolin.

The following morning we will leave Delhi, travelling to Jaipur, stopping en route at the wetland oasis of Sultanpur. After the hustle and bustle of the city, the calm of Sultanpur is most welcome. The abundant birdlife is welcome too! The reserve is centred around a jheel (a shallow lake surrounded by a raised bank) and hosts nesting Painted Storks as well as Sarus Crane and Spot-billed Duck. Black-shouldered Kites are particularly common here. In the surrounding dry grassland and scrub we can hope to find Indian Roller, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Large Grey Babbler and Red Avadavat.

Shrikes are a feature of the area, with Isabelline, Bay-backed, Southern Grey and Long-tailed all expected. The most conspicuous mammal here is the Blue Bull or Nilgai, a large antelope. There is also the chance of Small Indian Mongoose and Jackal. After a full morning at Sultanpur we will drive to Jaipur for a stay of two nights.

Jaipur, Andy Woodall, 2004

JAIPUR

To most tourists, the riches of Jaipur are limited to its magnificent Amber Fort and to the breathtaking gems and fine carpets on sale behind dusty shop fronts. We can also appreciate the stark rocky hillsides, beautiful lakes and exciting birdlife which combine to make the city a must on any visit to Northern India. We will spend half a day visiting the traditional tourist sites, plus two full mornings of birding.

Desert Wheatear, Eastern Pied Wheatear, Long-billed Pipit, Grey-necked Bunting, Indian Courser, Jungle Bush Quail, Sirkeer Malkoha and Rufous-tailed Lark are all possible. Across the road from our excellent hotel is the Jal Mahal, a large lake which holds hundreds of birds including Indian River Tern, Marsh Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint and Greater Flamingo.

Birding by Rickshaw at Bharatpur, Andy Woodall, 2004

BHARATPUR

On day five we will drive east to Bharatpur, and the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, for a stay of three nights. Hardly needing introduction, Bharatpur is one of the most famous bird reserves in the world. Walking along raised banks we can expect Bluethroats in abundance, along with small numbers of Siberian Rubythroats and Smoky Warblers. Waterside trees hold Marshall's Iora, White-browed Fantail, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker and Indian Grey Hornbill. Being such a well-watched area, many nocturnal birds can be seen at their daytime roosts. Local guides can show us roosting Indian Scops Owls, Collared Scops Owls, Dusky Eagle Owls and Spotted Owlets, as well as Jungle and Large-tailed Nightjars.

We will be hoping for a good monsoon prior to our visit which will allow thousands of Painted Storks and other waterbirds to nest. Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Greater Painted Snipes, Black Bitterns, Brown Crakes, Cotton Pygmy Geese, Black-necked Storks, Common Cranes, White-breasted Kingfishers and Citrine Wagtails are amongst the multitude of birds we can expect to see.

Eagles are one of the main attractions of Bharatpur, as they give fantastic views. Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted, Indian Spotted, Bonelli's and Steppe Eagle were all seen at close range on last year's visit. More unusual was a Lesser Fishing Eagle, found by our local guide, that spent the whole winter here and was the first sighting ever at Bharatpur!

On day eight we will leave Bharatpur. We will visit the Taj Mahal at Agra, allowing plenty of time to walk around the grounds and inside this magnificent building. Later in the day we will transfer to the Chambal Safari Lodge, just east of Agra, for a stay of two nights. Here we will take a boat trip to see Gharials, Muggar Crocodiles and Gangetic Dolphins, and we have a great chance of seeing Indian Skimmer and Great Thick-knee.

Statues can be found in the jungle at Bandhavgarh. Tigers dwell in the depths of the bush here. - both pictures taken by A Woodall on our tour 2004

BANDHAVGARH

On day ten we will drive to Agra and catch the overnight sleeper train to Umaria, a short distance from Bandhavgarh. This wonderful place was discovered for Bird Holidays by Phil over 15 years ago!

Having failed to see Tigers at many of the more famous sites, a local he had befriended at Ranthambore directed him the the best site in India to see Tigers. Within an hour of arriving, he had already found one. We will spend three nights here, at the very comfortable Royal Tiger Resort tented camp, on the doorstep of one of India's premier tiger reserves. Game drives by both jeep and elephant offer us the best chance of seeing Tiger anywhere in the world. On our last visit we saw three.

These are offered morning and afternoon, each day. Birding excursions are also available to look for the numerous species which inhabit Bandhavgarh's lakes and forests. Oriental Darter, Lesser Adjutant and Red-naped Ibis are amongst the waterbirds. In the air there are Red-headed, White-backed and Indian Vultures, Bonelli's Eagles and Changeable Hawk-eagles.

In the forest we can hope to see Crested Tree Swift, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Small Minivet, Blue-winged Leafbird, Orange-headed Ground Thrush and Black-headed Oriole. At a hill fort, fruiting trees attract flocks of Malabar Pied Hornbills.

During the game drives we can expect sightings of Painted Spurfowl, Red Junglefowl and Brown Fish Owl. Each client can choose on a daily basis whether they want to join the game drives or birding trips. In practice, most will probably do game drives until they are satisfied with their views and photographs of tiger .… On day 14 we will again take the overnight train, this time to Delhi, allowing plenty of time to connect with our flight back to the UK.

PACE Breakfast will normally be taken at 7.30am, except at Bandhavgarh, when an earlier breakfast is required before the 6.30am game drives. Long breaks during the day at Bandhavgarh will allow people to catch up on their rest. There is an uphill walk to the hill fort at Bandhavgarh; otherwise there is no uphill walking.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD Full-board accommodation will be provided, with two nights at the Hotel Orchid in Delhi, two nights at the Hotel Trident in Jaipur, three nights at the Hotel Bagh, Bharatpur, two nights at the Chambal Safari Lodge near Agra, three nights at the Royal Tiger Resort, Bandhavgarh and two nights on sleeper trains (sharing only). All accommodations are of a high standard and all offer continental cuisine as well as a wide choice of local dishes. Most lunches will be taken at our hotels.

PRICE INCLUDES ….. All birdwatching excursions with expert leader and local guides, full-board accommodation, local transport by coach, two sleeper train tickets, soft drinks at meal times, all safari activities (jeep drives, elephant rides, boat trips), all reserve and site entrance fees, return flights to Delhi, and flight and airport taxes.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED Travel insurance, payable at the time of booking. Items of a personal nature, alcoholic drinks, laundry, tips, etc.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Return flights from most UK airports to Delhi (via Amsterdam) using the scheduled services of KLM. Outbound flight departs early morning, return flight arrives back mid-morning.

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