Tiger and Leopard safari in India and Sri Lanka
18 days from £4500*
Overview
From a photography point of view in India this means fewer daylight sightings of leopards, as they adopt a more full on nocturnal lifestyle in the buffer areas of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to avoid conflict with tigers. There are certain regions of India, for example the Sirohi region of southern Rajasthan, where leopards adopt a certain niche, in barren rocky terrain close to villages and survive by predating on livestock and dogs. However those of us lucky enough to have visited tiger sanctuaries in India like Bandhavgrah and the world famous leopard sanctuary at Yala, can see the similarities of big cat dominance oh so clearly! I have witnessed B2 at Bandhavgarh and his swagger, which left you in no doubt who was the 'boss' of the Tala Zone and I have seen exactly the same behaviour in large male leopards in Zone 1 of Yala. Here where they are the only big cat on this beautiful island, they thrive and appear equally nonchalant towards the human occupants of the safari vehicles who come to see them - big cat magic right before your eyes!
Itinerary
This is a Small Group Tour
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May 16
Arrive at Delhi airport where you will be met and assisted with an internal flight to Nagpur. On arrival you will be transferred to Svasara Resort at Tadoba national park.
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May 17
Morning and afternoon private jeep safaris in a wildlife sanctuary known for tigers, sloth bears and wild dogs
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May 18-21
Four more days of morning and afternoon private jeep safaris in Tadoba national park
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May 22
Connect with internal flights to Mumbai and then onto Colombo; where you will be met and transferred to the Jetwing Beach at Negombo
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May 23
After breakfast we will be transferred to our private camp at Wilpattu. We will then enjoy our first private jeep safari looking for leopard and sloth bear
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May 24&25
We will be up early for two full day safaris looking for a variety of wildlife in this beautiful national park
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May 26
We will transfer from Wilpattu to Yala, with a spectacular stop at the World Heritage site of Sinharaja. Overnight at the Blue Magpie.
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May 27
We drive on to Yala and check-in to our private camp before heading to Zone 1, which has a high density of leopards
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May 28-30
We will explore different zones of Yala national park, getting away from the crowds, but still enjoying beautiful scenery and an excellent chance to see leopard, sloth bear and Asiatic Elephants.
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June 1
It’s time to leave Yala and reflect in comfort what we have seen and enjoyed. We will drive back half-way to Colombo and stop at the luxurious Lighthouse Hotel in Galle
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June 2
A really relaxed morning before starting the final drive to Negombo (close to the international airport) and overnighting at Jetwing Beach
Meals
Cost (in 2017): £4500 per person based on two people sharing a double/twin room throughout. Costs do not include international flights apart from the flight between Mumbai and Colombo.
Single Person supplement £860
This tour will be led by the owner of Wildlife Trails, Allan Blanchard.
There will be a maximum of 3 to 4 clients per jeep.
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* Based on 2 persons and not including flights