Bespoke Itineraries - India
TAJ,TIGERS AND BIRDS - A TOUR OF NORTHERN INDIA - 15 NIGHTS 16 DAYS - 2006-2007
 This Birding trip allows great emphasis on finding Tigers
Day 01:
Arrive New Delhi
Meals: room only
Arrive Delhi International airport. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. Guided city tour visiting sights in New Delhi such as Humayun's tomb, old fort, president's estate, parliament house and India gate. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 02:
New Delhi-Ranthambhor NP
Meals: breakfast
Day room in the hotel. Birding at Okhla barrage and city forest with a guide. Connect overnight train to Sawai Madhopur (railhead for Ranthambhor National Park) at 2140 hours from New Delhi railway station. Overnight in train.
Day 03:
Ranthambhor National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Arrive at 0450 hours and transfer to the wildlife resort. Morning birding around the resort with a guide. Afternoon safari in the park for birding and tiger-tracking. Overnight in the resort.The birds that one can expect around the resort are Grey Francolin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Painted Sandgrouse, Indian Courser, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Southern Grey Shrike, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Variable Wheatear, Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, Common Buzzard etc.
Day 04 & 05:
Ranthambhor National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Morning & afternoon safari in the park for birding and tiger-tracking. Overnight in the resort.
Day 06:
Ranthambhor National Park-Bharatpur
Meals: room only
Morning tiger-tracking with a guide in Ranthambhor National Park. You can have the option of going to the park for tiger-tracking or visiting the 1000-year old fort. You will be transferred to Bharatpur by road (5hours). Arrive Bharatpur in the evening. Overnight hotel.
Day 07:
Bharatpur
Meals: room only
Full day of birding in Keoladeo Ghana National Park on foot and cycle rickshaws with a birding guide.
Keoladeo National Park has some of the finest wetlands in the world and is a world heritage site. Over 400 species of birds find a refuge in the 29 square kilometres of shallow lakes & woodland of the park. A third of them are winter migrants that breed as far as Siberia & Central Asia.
Day 08:
National Chambal Sanctuary
Meals: room only
Transfer to Chambal early in the morning. Morning boat cruise with a guide to see Indian Skimmer, Black-bellied Tern, large flocks of migratory waterfowl,Cranes such as Common, Demoiselle and Sarus; fish-eating Crocodile and Marsh Mugger; Gangetic Dolphin; turtles etc. Return by 1500 hours to Agra. Afternoon visit to the Taj Mahal (closed on Friday). Transfer from the hotel in the evening to connect train to Lal Kuan (railhead for Nainital) at 2130 hr. Overnight in air-conditioned sleeper train.
Day 09:
Sat Tal-Pangot, 15 km from Nainital
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Arrive Lal Kuan at 0830 hours. You will be met and transferred to Sat Tal (2 hours). Full day birding with a guide. Then drive through the forested area of Sat Tal towards Pangot via Nainital. Overnight at Jungle Lore Birding Lodge. One can see a variety of Himalayan species along the way such as Red-breasted Accentor, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Greater and Lesser Yellow-naped Woodpecker, Blue-throated Barbet, Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush, Black Bulbul, Dark-throated Thrush etc.
Day 10:
Pangot
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Explore the forested area of Cheena Peak Range via Snow View Point and Kilbury, the habitat for excellent birding. One can see a variety of Himalayan species along the way such as Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Blue-winged Minla, Spotted & Slaty-backed Forktail, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Khalij Pheasant, variety of thrushes etc. The numerous perennial & seasonal creeks are home to an amazing variety of flora and fauna including the Leopard, Yellow-throated Himalayan martins, Himalayan Palm Civet, Ghoral, Barking Deer, Sambar etc.
Day 11:
Pangot
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner: Two days of birding at Pangot village, Timla Pani and Gughu Khan. These walks can be very rewarding. Overnight stay at the lodge. One can see Crested Serpent Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Woodpeckers such as Brown-fronted, Streak-throated, Rufous-bellied etc. Thrushes such as Dark-throated, Mistle etc. Striated Prinia can be seen in the terraced fields. Warblers such as Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Greenish, Golden-spectacled, Grey-hooded Warblers. Flycatchers such as Rusty- tailed,Verditer, Tickell's Blue, Rufous-bellied Niltava etc., Orange- flanked Bush Robin, Blue-capped Redstart. Laughingthrushes such as White-throated, Striated & Streaked, Chestnut-crowned etc. Look for Accentor, Upland Pipit, Blue-winged Minla, Whiskered Yuhina etc.
Day 12:
Mongoli Valley-Corbett National Park
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Drive early morning to Bajun (1 hour) and trek into Mongoli Valley. The trek will last about 4 hours. Packed lunch will be served. Drive to Corbett National Park from Mongoli (3 hours) stopping en route to look for Ibisbill. Overnight stay in a cottage at Tiger Camp. One can see crested Woodpeckers such as Greater Yellownape, Scaly-breasted, Speckled Piculet etc. Large flocks of Slaty-headed Parakeets, numerous Spotted and Oriental Turtle Doves, Grey Bushchat, russet sparrow. Cuckoo: indian, oriental, large-hawk and eurasian. Large-billed Crow, Grey Treepie, Black-headed Jay, Maroon Oriole, Large Cuckoo Shrike,Tits such as Rufous-naped,Black-throated & Yellow-browed and smaller numbers of Black-lored and Green-backed. White-tailed Nuthatches, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches and Bar-tailed Treecreeper.
Day 13:
Dhikala Forest Lodge (Corbett National Park)
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Drive early morning to Dhikala tourism zone. Arrive at the main tourist complex, Dhikala - check in. Afternoon visit to the grasslands for birding. Overnight stay at Dhikala Forest Lodge. Birding in the lower jungle track along the Ramganga river is very rewarding for water birds such as river lapwings, waders, mergansers and other waterfowl. While relaxing at the lodge or visiting the grasslands one can see Large-tailed Nightjar, Jungle Owlet, Spot-bellied Owl, Common Stonechat, Black Francolin, Purple and Crimson Sunbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Black-shouldered Kite, Hen Harrier, Changeable Hawk-eagle etc.
Day 14:
Corbett National Park
Meals: breakfast, dinner
Morning elephant safari through the grasslands and dense forests. This is the best mode of transport for wildlife viewing. Return at 0900 hours for breakfast and then spend time till lunch on a watchtower overlooking a water hole. Drive to Tiger Camp. Arrive Tiger Camp for dinner.
Overnight stay.Some of the best birding areas of Dhikala are Sambhar Road and Khinanauli. One can expect to see Great Slaty Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Puff-throated Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Pallas's Fish Eagle etc.
Day 15:
Corbett National Park-Delhi
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Morning bird walk at Kumeria and a walk from Garjia temple to Tiger Camp. Return for lunch. Afternoon drive to Delhi. Overnight in the hotel. One can look for Black Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, Brown Fish Owl, Little & Spotted Forktail, Yellow-bellied and White-browed Fantail, Crested Laughingthrush, Black-winged Cuckoo Shrike, Little Heron, Wallcreeper, Red-breasted Parakeet, Short-billed and Long-tailed Minivet, Brown Dipper, Ashy-crowned Sparrow lark etc.
Day 16:
Delhi
Meals: breakfast
Morning excursion to Sultanpur bird sanctuary (2 hours drive one way) with a guide. Rooms for wash and change. Dinner. Transfer to the airport to connect flight to the next destination. One can expect Indian Courser, Greater Flamingo, Great White Pelican, Sarus and Common Crane, Shikra, Indian Thick-knee, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Crested Serpent Eagle and a lot of other waterfowl.
Tour Cost (on per person basis) Valid till September 2007
- £1600 Delhi to Delhi
- Single room supplement £225
- For British Clients the flight guide price is £400-450 including taxes
The above cost includes only:
- Accommodation on twin sharing basis
- 2 nights and a day-rooms in Delhi Hotel Sunstar
- 3 nights in Ranthambhor National Park Tiger Den or Tiger Moon Resort
- 2 nights in Bharatpur, Bharatpur Forest Lodge or Laxmi Vilas Palace
- 3 nights in Pangot Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
- 3 nights in Corbett 2 nights in a cottage at Tiger Camp and a night in Dhikala Forest Lodge
- 2 nights in train Air-conditioned sleeper trains
- Meals as per the itinerary
- Guided culture tours in Delhi & Agra with monument entrance fee
- Birding cruise on Chambal river in National Chambal Sanctuary
- Birding with a good local rickshaw guide in Bharatpur as per the itinerary
- Jungle visits in Ranthambhor NP with a naturalist in a jeep, open truck and on foot, as per the itinerary
- Jungle visits in Corbett NP, Sat Tal & Pangot with a bird guide in a jeep, elephant back and on foot, as per the itinerary
- Park entrance fees in Bharatpur, Ranthambhor & Corbett National Park
- Rail fare: Delhi-Ranthambhor; Ranthambhor-Bharatpur; Agra-Lal Kuan
- All airport, railway station & surface transfers.
Above cost does not include:
- Optional tours/excursions
- Personal & incidental expenses
- Tips, laundry, phone calls, bottled water, alcohol, camera fee etc.
- Meals unless specified and meals in transit
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