Back in the early 2000's, rumours drifted across from rural southern Rajasthan, that there was a new big cat paradise in India and this was one where the Leopard - not the Tiger - ruled! It is important to remember that tiger sanctuaries are far from the best place to see leopards as they are out competed by their striped cousins. A visit to the Bera region of Rajasthan, is like stepping back in time two hundred years. The traditional Rabari trbes still make a living from their colourful goat herds and it is these goats that form a large part of the Leopards diet. Astonishing levels of tolerance by local villages to see beautiful spotted cats have created an unofficial sanctuary for leopards and it has become one of our very favourite wildlife locations in India - Yes, we are regular visitors!
When to go:
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best time to visit -FEB
Safari Style: BESPOKE WILDLIFE
Day 1
Arrival
Early morning departure from London Heathrow (or selected other UK airports) to Delhi. We can offer you a range of flight options from both London and regional airports. For morning arrivals into Delhi we can organise a range of bespoke cultural, foodie and birding tours, at an additional cost.
Accommodation : Imperial Hotel
Accommodation Description and Gallery
Quite simply one of our personal favourites (worldwide), and winner of many awards since opening in 1936, Art Deco inspired colonial architecture and expansive art and antique collection found throughout its 4 storeys. Has hosted many notable VIPs and celebrities, and it was here that Nehru, Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten met to discuss partition. Spacious guest rooms with marble floors and heritage furnishings, en suite bathrooms, room service is a real treat. With a choice of great restaurants, a bakery, and poolside snacks, high tea or 'elevenses' on the verandah is hard to resist. With a spa, gym and large outdoor swimming pool surrounded by a formal garden and mature trees; an oasis of calm and comfort in the central of historic Delhi.
Day 2
Morning train from Delhi to Ranthambhore
A train journey in India is always an ‘experience’ and with full support from our local staff and with a specially prepared packed brunch, you will board the day train to Ranthambhore. On arrival in Ranthambhore enjoy the station ‘tiger art’ before driving 30 minutes to the wildlife lodge with the best location in Ranthambhore. A delicious lunch awaits you, before enjoying your first private jeep safari in the most famous tiger sanctuary in India
Accommodation : Sherbagh Tented Camp
Accommodation Description and Gallery
The original boutique Indian safari camp opened in 2002 and set under indiginous trees in private land close to the park, now operated by the Sujan group. Intrinsically linked to notable figures in the tiger conservation story. Only a dozen luxury safari tents with verandas, attractive and comfortable interiors with marble and local stone shower rooms attached. Locally grown produce served Rajasthani and continental style in a variety of settings, room service and bar available. Your stay includes all three meals plus high-tea, laundry, complimentary mineral water and free wifi. There is a swimming pool and Ayurvedic spa teatments available (extra charge).
Day 3
Morning and afternoon private jeep safaris
Awaken your senses with the sights, sounds and smells of the Indian Jungle, as you enjoy morning and afternoon private safaris in this most beautiful of tiger sanctuaries. In between safaris you will be taken on a private journey back through time, as you walk up through the ramparts to the top of the century Ranthambhore Fort.
Accommodation : Sherbagh Tented Camp
Day 4
Morning and afternoon private jeep safaris
Ranthambhore national park has a zone system which runs from 1-10 and there are resident tigers in every one of these zones. With our expert local agents who have been booking safaris for Wildlife Trails since 1997, we will ensure you have a balanced approach to your safari and the chance to visit different areas of the park.
Accommodation : Sherbagh Tented Camp
Day 5
Morning train journey from Ranthambhore to the blue city of Jodhpur
A more leisurely morning before you connect with your afternoon train to Jodhpur, a packed dinner will be given to you for the journey. Evening transfer to overnight in Jodhpur, the 'Blue City'.
Accommodation : Ajit Bhawan
Accommodation Description and Gallery
Built for Maharaja Ajit Singh in 1927, this red sandstone property features authentic charm and grandeur with traditional Rajasthani design elements in six acres of grounds. From personal experience, you might like to indulge in a longer stay here, a day to explore the city and an extra one to simply relax! Individually furnished AC cottages and stylish tents are arranged around lawns and courtyards. Offers a swimming pool and a choice of popular restaurants/ bar. Don't forget to explore the classic car and carriage collection.
Day 6
Blue city tour and afternoon jeep safari at Jawai
This morning you will be taken for a private tour of the spectacular Mehrangarh Fort; with its mesmerising view of the famous blue city below. Then enjoy a beautiful rural 2 hours drive to the splendidly isolated and luxurious Sujan Jawai.
Accommodation : Sujan Jawai Bandh
Accommodation Description and Gallery
Operated by the Sujan group, a true luxury tented camp with ten stylishly appointed tented suites, designed by Anjali and Jaisal Singh, benefiting from air-conditioning, a private sundeck and en suite shower rooms. With a swimming pool with spectacular views to the hills, public lounge area with bar (extra charge) and a professional team of staff to ensure your enjoyment. Your stay includes all three meals plus high-tea, laundry, complimentary mineral water and free wifi.
Day 7
Morning and afternoon jeep safaris at Jawai
As beautiful as it is to see a leopard in the gorgeous morning light, this is far from the only activity available in this rural paradise. It truly is one of the most scenic areas in the whole of Rajasthan and to learn about the charismatic local Rabari tribes and their inter relationships with the goat herds that are an important part of their livelihood and the Leopards which predate them, is to witness something truly remarkable.
Accommodation : Sujan Jawai Bandh
Day 8
Fly from Jodhpur to Delhi
After breakfast you will be transferred privately by road 3 hours to Jodhpur airport to connect with a flight to Delhi. On arrival you will be met and transferred 15 minutes to Aerocity where you will enjoy the comfort and convenience of the Novotel Aerocity.
Accommodation : Novotel Aerocity
Accommodation Description and Gallery
Just 10 minutes drive from the airport, so a Delhi traffic jam isn't your first experience on arrival! A well-equipped modern hotel with friendly and efficient staff, free wifi and 24 hour snacks available in the sports bar. Spacious AC guest rooms with attached glass walled shower rooms (don't worry there is a blind if you prefer more privacy), TV, tea/ coffee making facility and well sound-proofed. With a choice of restaurants and impressive fresh breakfast buffet with 'live kitchen' service, a gym and outdoor pool. For the adventuorous it is only a short walk to the local metro station for trains to the heart of the city.
Day 9
Final Departure
At an appropriate time – at least 3 hours before your international flight departure – you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the appropriate gate at Indira Ghandi international airport.
Pricing Info & Dates
Price £4680 per person based on two people sharing
Valid for travel Oct 1 2020 to April 30 2021
Includes:
Includes £100 donation to the Tiger Trails Foundation
entry fees, guide and vehicle costs at National parks
all meals at wildlife lodges, breakfast only in city hotels
soft drinks and local wine/ beer included at Jawai Bandh
tours, transfers and transport as detailed in the itinerary
Excludes
Cost of international flights
Cost of travel visas and insurance
Soft drinks and alcohol at hotels and wildlife lodges (except Jawai Bandh)
Tipping at hotels, wildlife lodges and for activities
Located in private land close to the park, standing in 10 acres of grasslands, small water holes... Click for More Detail
Reduce cost by £200 to £300 pp per night
Accommodation Description and Gallery
Located in private land close to the park, standing in 10 acres of grasslands, small water holes and planted indigenous trees that attract a variety of wildlife. Accommodation is in stylish safari tents, four large air-conditioned en suite rooms in the main house or spacious self contained AC cottages with private verandahs. There is a small fresh water plunge pool, a 3km wildlife walk through the grassland, evening campfires in the winter, well-stocked bar and food, often organic, is sourced locally and prepared in Rajasthani and continental style. All meals are included (vegetarian only).
This property is a mixture of opulent ‘Mughal’ architecture for the main building, with... Click for More Detail
Upgrades from £140 pp per night
Accommodation Description and Gallery
This property is a mixture of opulent ‘Mughal’ architecture for the main building, with landscaped gardens containing 25 spacious luxury tents. Each air-conditioned tent has a large double bedroom with marble bathroom and freestanding bathtubs. There is a private deck for sunbathing and a walled garden surrounds each tent ensuring complete privacy. An air-conditioned restaurant serves Indian and Continental cuisine and there is also a bar, swimming pool and amphitheatre with live performances by local artistes.
Outstanding from planning, throughout the whole trip and home again
We had a 13 day tour to India, mostly wildlife as this was what we wanted and a little element of city & culture. Day in Delhi staying at the Imperial, apart from noisy traffic getting to the...el it was an iconic place to be, so much hitory and staff who had been there 30yrs and proud of what they did. then onto 5 days at Ranthambor - 2 incredible Tiger sightings with so many other species, onto Agra and the Taj Mahal and then the Saptura National Park.
Great time was taken in the planning, we were given lots of options as to how to make the trip up including time of year and how to maximize wildlife sighting.
By Sarah
Thursday June 28, 2018
A truly stunning holiday, wildlife and photography experience
Three weeks in India with the fantastic wildlife photographer and teacher, Trai Anfield, concentrating on finding and photographing tiger and leopard, as well as experiencing all the cultural...ders of this extraordinary country. The trip exceeded all expectations. We stayed in a wonderful selection of safari lodges, tented camps, forts and palaces, experienced the food and customs of the regions, visited and spent time with the local people and were in Udaipur to celebrate the paint festival, Holi. Out of all the game drives we did over the three weeks, on only two did we return without having seen either tiger or leopard. A truly outstanding experience in every respect, made even more special by the dedication of Trai Anfield to make sure that her clients had the best possible tuition and opportunities to take the photograph of a lifetime.
Excellent in every respect. Everything worked perfectly. The booking arrangements, information and assistance before the trip, local guides and local arrangements all worked extremely well and the trip content, compiled in collaboration with Trai Anfield, was outstandingly brilliant.
By Andrew and Nichola
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Fantastic Trip to India with Wildlife Trails
We have recently returned from a 16-night trip to India, organised by Wildlife Trails. It was a tailored trip, encompassing safari in Kaziranga and Corbett with city breaks in Mumbai, Kolkata and...hi to catch some IPL cricket. Essentially we were on a 16-night, 5 centre itinerary, no more than 3 nights in any one location, involving many and varied transfers by road, rail and air. The chaos which characterises India, and is certainly part of its charm, can cause frustration for travellers – unless they are travelling with Wildlife Trails, who have partnered with ground agents in India who have the knack of short-circuiting the chaos and arriving everywhere with comfortable punctuality, every time. A thoroughly professional service, enabling our party of 4 to fully enjoy the wonderful experiences India has to offer. We had dedicated wildlife drivers/guides during our stays at both Kaziranga and Corbett – in both cases they were very friendly, we were very well looked after by them, and they greatly enriched our experience of the wildlife. We were blessed with tiger sightings at both Kaziranga (2 different tigers on 2 different days!) and Corbett – where we close enough to the tiger to consider it an encounter rather than a sighting. And Rhino galore (including being amongst a sizeable herd on elephant safari), and wild elephant galore, and deer, and monkeys, and fabulous birds. Accommodation at both National Parks was very good, as were the meals. During our city breaks we had guided tours of each city. Our guides were all punctual, very knowledgeable and friendly – our experience of all 3 cities was certainly enriched by our guides. The agents and drivers who assisted with our transfers to and from airports and railways stations were unfailingly polite and helpful – we were delivered to our seats on the train in Kolkata and met at the carriage door when we arrived 19 hours later in Delhi. Kirsty from Wildlife Trails worked with us over several iterations of our itinerary – always offering positive suggestions and responding promptly and fully to our questions. Putting the trip together with Wildlife Trail was a pleasure in itself – and I’m very happy and impressed to be able to say that everything went according to plan. We would all four have no hesitation in recommending Wildlife Trails to anyone considering a wildlife adventure in India.
By Dave and Alison
Tuesday May 22, 2018
Our 1st time to Kipling Camp, amazing holiday
WE had 2 nights in Delhi at Claridges, perfect as always, 3 nights at Kipling Camp,excellent staff, guide, rooms and best of all picnic by the river to bath the beautiful 'Tara' the...phant. Went on to Bandhavgargh 'Bandhav Villas' where we have stayed 5 times, treated like Royalty, the rooms have been upgraded, 6* service and most of all 22 Tiger sightings including mother and 3 cubs, wild dogs and other wild life. What else can one ask for?
We have used 'Wildlife Trails' now for at least 7 times. They are very knowledgeable, flexible, good listeners as to what you want to do/see, have really become our 'travel friends'. They arranged tours to India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania for us. They have give an excellent service and have good 'local partners' to be there for you.
By Sarah and Klaus
Thursday February 22, 2018
An excellent way to see iconic & endangered Indian wildlife.
It was a great itinerary that allowed us to see all the iconic and unique wildlife of India in the company of excellent guides, thoughtful drivers and accommodation hosts. In Gujarat we saw wild..., birdlife including migrating bar headed geese, asiatic lions - which are not as easy to see as you might think and need persistence, Black buck, Indian wolf & jungle cat with leopard, tiger and a very fast moving sloth bear in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The accomodation was excellent particularly Blackbuck Lodge @ Velavadar and Reni Pani @ Saptura and everywhere had top notch hospitality. Travel was by car, train and plane - travelling in India takes some acclimatisation but the drivers and meet & greet guides were very professional and made it as easy as they could! overall it was a well put together holiday which flowed and allowed us to experience India and Indian wildlife at its best.
Very efficient and put together; a well thought through itinerary.
By Julie
Monday February 12, 2018
Superb Central India safari/tiger watching trip
10 days in Pench, Nagzira, and Tadoba NPs, looking for tigers, sloth bears, leopards and more. I can't praise enough the way the whole trip was arranged and run, and the parks are magnificent...doba is where you're most likely to see tigers, and we saw ten different ones, including two mothers with 2 and 4 cubs!, Nagzira is possibly the most beautiful, scenery-wise, but big cats are very hard to see - however, birding is phenomenal and wild dogs a real treat, Pench is in-between the two).
Wildlife Trails is a very responsive, responsible and proactive operator, and our trip to India proved great value for our money. We're returning customers and, after an earlier, amazing trip in 2004, we chose Wildlife Trails again for this tiger watching trip with a couple of friends. Hope to have a chance to return to India again in a few years, obviously with Allan & Kirsty!
By Antonello
Thursday February 8, 2018
Our trip came up to all our expectations
We focused on wildlife and quiet destinations. We tried not to do too much internal travel so we could relax in fewer places and get to understand the local areas. My husband did not want to go to...ia, he came back saying how wonderful it was and what a fabulous experience it had been. I cannot praise Wildlife trails enough for creating a trip that gave us such a good insight into the real India.
Wildlife Trails were efficient, prompt and very friendly. Good at sending out information and links so that you can do further research into the holidays. Also sends out holiday hints which is very useful
By Nancy and Geoff
Monday January 1, 2018
Beloved India
In November 2017 we re-visited India - Pench & Kanha National Parks. We have been many times before though each drive in these parks provides a new experience. The terrain may be familiar but...ry visit is different as, when wildlife watching, every moment is different from the last. Evocative sounds promise surprises around every bend. This time there was the added bonus of seeing everything so green when we are mostly used to more parched summer scenery. This just adds to the thrill of seeing an almost unrecognisable view - almost different parks. We were lucky enough to see a tiger family in Pench & two beautiful tigresses in Kanha. Add to this wild dogs, leopard, all the prey animals and birds, much water in the lakes & rivers and we had a feast of wild life watching to add to our memories.
Wildlife Trails have been our preferred tour operator since 2003. Allan & Kirsty Blanchard feel like friends as we have spoken so often to them that they understand what we want from our holidays. And they deliver every time. Their operation is small & personal yet with a wealth of experience. Each time we discuss a planned trip it is a partnership of ideas so we feel very involved in the process.
By Avril and Brian
Saturday June 25, 2016
Fantastic
Nothing was left to chance. All arrangements went like clockwork and with great people to deal with. Accommodation was great throughout and the safaris in central India were unbelievable with lots...great wild life sightings especially the majestic Tiger. I got 15 sightings due to great guides knowing their business. The arranging of the tour was done brilliantly and with so much patience as I thought I was being so fussy. Allan and Kirsty were great to deal with.
All guides were professional and helpful. No language problems.
By Greg
Sunday May 1, 2016
Tiger Safari Ranthambore, India
My friend and I booked a 7 day holiday with Wildlife Trails and we cannot praise this company and their associates in India too much. Everything went according to plan. We were fetched from the...port, taken to a nice hotel nearby and the next day a taxi from the New Delhi associates were taken us to the train station to Madhapour/Rajastan where we were fetched by car and taken to an excellent hotel close to the tiger reserve and after that we were taken twice a day on safari and were looked after by a great guy who could really could not do enough for us. I have been 5 times to India before,each time I loved it and this was my 6th and the best. My friend who had never been also enjoyed every minute of this.
I think my above comments are sufficient. Wildlife Trails could not have been any better.
By Lianne
Sunday April 10, 2016
Incredible India - Brilliant from start to finish!
We travelled through Rajasthan and Madaya Pradesh over 16 days and using various transport -internal flights, train and private drivers and guides. The trip was wonderful; courteous and competent...vers, incredible guides and with amazing accommodation throughout. Highlights included Amber Fort in Jaipur, Ranthambore, Ramathra Fort and lake and exquisite Reni Pani and Satpura. Tigers (we saw a few), leopard, jackal, hyena, porcupine, deer, snake - so much wildlife and wonderful, welcoming people - we loved it all. A perfect and exciting mix of culture and natural history.
We knew what we wanted and spent a lot of time looking for a company that we felt had the right vibe for us. We found that in Wildlife Trails and their contacts in country (India). Wildlife Trails listened to what we wanted, considered our budget (not huge) and quickly came up with a suggested itinerary. Wildlife Trails know India well and delivered. The whole experience in country was very organised and transfers were seamless. We highly recommend and will undoubtedly travel with them again.
By Hilary and Steve
Friday March 11, 2016
First experience - incredible India
We chose Wildlife Trails for our first visit to India because of the award from Travel Operators of Tigers (TOFT). We appreciated Kirsty and Allen insider knowledge and patience as we constructed...itinerary to suit our interests in wildlife and birds. The complex 30 day itinerary included 11 hotels, 4 train journeys, 3 internal flights, 13 transfers and lots of wonderful safaris in Satpura, Tadoba, Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Ranthambhore, Leopards Lair and Kaziranga. We are independent travellers. This was our first experience of an AITO company for over 10 years. It will not be our last holiday with Wildlife Trails.
Thanks to Wildlife Trails and their local agents everything worked out perfectly. Kirsty and Allen provided practical tips and always answered email and telephone queries promptly. We valued the safety net, oversight and action from their Indian agents; for example when there were problems with transfers, everything still ran to plan.
By Irene and Dave
Tuesday December 29, 2015
NORTHERN INDIA WILDLIFE TRIP
A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE OF TRAVELLING. ORGANISATION WAS EXCELLENT AND SOME LOVELY LOCATIONS WERE VISITED.THERE WAS LOADS OF FANTASTIC WILDLIFE TO SEE SUCH AS LEOPARD, STRIPED HYENA, RHINO,...NBILLS, RAPTORS AND A VERY GOOD VARIETY OF OF OTHER BIRD SPECIES.
THE SERVICE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND VERY WELL ORGANISED. THE OPERATOR PUT IN 100% AT ALL TIMES TO ENSURE THAT THE TRIP WAS RUNNING WELL AND THE CLIENT WAS HAPPY AT ALL TIMES.
By Matthew
Sunday December 27, 2015
Enjoyable, a good insight into local life
We booked a 5 night trip to Ranthambhore National Park with Wildlife Trails as a follow on to a cycling trip as we wanted to see tigers. Our trip was well organised and the hotel was good. Our...al contact, Mr Vipul Jain was excellent. We saw tigers on 3 of our 7 safaris with the last afternoon being the best! We also saw a lot of other wildlife and met local villagers. We would strongly recommend Wildlife Trails to other travellers
Everything was well organised by Wildlife Trails, we would travel with them again
By Jane and Neville
Tuesday December 22, 2015
An amazing experience
Great holiday at Kanha and Pench national parks in India. Well organised. Great tiger sittings and plenty of other wildlife. Excellent lodges very close to the parks. Memorable experience and good...ue.
Very willing to listen to and understand our requirements. Presented several options and tailor made an itenary to include everything we wanted. The the whole holiday was really well organised. Provided us with a lot of information about the parks and lots of hints and tips. Excellent service before the holiday and during the holiday. The local agents kept in touch with us all throughout the holiday to ensure that everything was ok. The holidays were well researched and It was obvious that Allan and Kirsty were very knowledgeable about the destinations and the accommodation. Will definitely use Wildlife trails again and highly recommend them to anyone who wants to go on a wildlife experience.
By Ranji and friends
Thursday June 25, 2015
Bandhavgarh Wildlife and Jungle Experience
My husband & I spent 15 days in Bandhavgarh at the hottest and driest time of year. Daily temperatures frequently reached 47 Celsius but the heat is much drier than in the UK so can be...erated if you are sensible. If you want to see wildlife and especially tigers the hottest driest part of the year is the best in our opinion. We've been travelling to India in late May/early June for 9 years now and we've always seen tigers. This year sloth bear, leopard, civet cat, chinkara, nilgai, changeable hawk eagle, barking deer and vulture sightings were also excellent. We visited 4 zones of Bandhavgarh National Park including the newly opened Kithauli-Panpatha buffer zone which is stunningly beautiful and for the first time in 2015 will remain open during the monsoon rainy season. The other zones visited were Tala (good sightings of tigers, leopards, sloth bears, varied birdlife including the rare emerald doves, Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher, serpent eagles, long necked vultures, Egyptian vultures and King vultures; we also saw civet cat, ruddy mongoose, sambar deer, barking deer, chital and plenty of wild boar); Magdhi (some good tiger sightings, chital, sambar deer, wild boar,and many birds); Kithauli (no tigers seen on this visit but birdlife was good and is one of the better zones in which to see the shy Nilgai (also known as the blue bull) and the black backed jackal).
Wildlife trails is especially good at delivering the personal touches which make the traveller feel like a welcome guest and not just another name in a large group. I have a food allergy, it was flagged with wildlife trails when we booked & communicated right down the line to every person involved in meal preparation throughout our stay (even the packed meals for the travel days were spot on). They also arranged for a mobile phone/Indian SIM card for us to use during our trip which is a big help especially when you have two lengthy overnight trips. The safaris were booked exactly as we had discussed and when you speak to Allan or Kirsty about your trip during the planning stage it feels like you are dealing with friends. We have travelled with Wildlife Trails many times over the last nine years to a variety of destinations including India for Tigers, Brazil for Jaguars and Canada for Polar Bears, whenever we plan to watch wildlife they will always be our first port of call.
By Corinne and David
Monday June 15, 2015
India wildlife extravaganza
The animal I most wanted to see were dholes. This was my second trip to India and they alluded me. I know there are no guarantees with nature, but within 2 hours on our first game drive I saw a...k of three right behind the jeep. All in all I saw three packs on five occasions and saw them with puppies and saw them mating. The forest was beautiful with colorful birds especially the Paradise Flycatcher. I saw tigers, sloth bears, several species of deer, tree shrew and a monitor lizard. This trip was more than I could of hoped for. The lodge was very nice and the food was great. I especially enjoyed the movie on Indian wildlife provided nightly. I give it an A++
Wildlife Trails rep was so helpful. He met me at the airport when I arrived and he helped me on my flight home through the airport. It can be scary for a foreigner in a strange place. He put me at ease. All the necessary documents were provided for me when I arrived at my hotel in Delhi and he explained what each document was for. The book on tigers was a nice touch.
By Annie
Monday May 18, 2015
Good trip
All the hotels were very high quality and the staff could not be faulted and were very attentive. The food menus did not totally cater to the European Pallett. The tiger safari was excellent and...would highly recommend this aspect of the holiday. Khem Villas was an amazing place to stay to compliment the safaris. The guides were enthusiastic and eager to show us all the local sights in the areas we visited. The Taj Mahal was amazing. The only down side was the excessive heat which was not in anyone's control.
Excellent company. We received a phone call every day to ask us if there were any problems and to make sure all plans were kept on schedule. Our only problem related to the internal flights where the baggage allowance was not enough and this was not brought to our attention when the flights were booked. It therefore cost extra time and money waiting to arrange payment for the extra baggage. This could have been paid for in advance.
By Phil
Wednesday May 6, 2015
Well organised, enjoyable bespoke holiday
Wildlife Trails organised a great holiday covering 23 days. We saw many animals,over 70 birds, enjoyed visits to tea plantations and spice gardens , temples, forts, museums and beaches. All...omplished in a ver comfortable car, excellently driven by Mr Ali and with very knowegible guides provided where the occasion demanded. All at very reasonable cost staying in good quality hotels. This was our second trip with them and again we were not disappointed.
Excellent. Friendly, flexible organisation who go that extra mile to ensure you get the holiday you want and respond to any requests even after you have left UK. The organisations they use in India checked with us daily to ensure all was well and the guides and journeys had been satisfactory.
By Helen
Wednesday May 6, 2015
Superb wildlife adventure
We visited 3 nature reserves in India - Ranthambore, Tadoba and Gir. The variety of Wildlife we saw was amazing, we had great sightings of Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Sloth Bears, Wild Dogs, Monkeys,...d Boar, deers, birds, snakes, crocs - it was a nature lovers paradise. The weather was good and we met some lovely people, local and tourists. We had some great local food and the staff couldn't do any more for you. We also had a great stay at the end of the holiday in Mumbai on Juhu beach - it was great to stay in a nice place and relax, a great end to a fantastic trip.
We have travelled with Wildlife Trails 5 times and would have used them a lot more if they were covering the destinations we wanted to go to. I'm glad to see they have expanded their list of destinations as they can tailor make some fantastic trips. They listen to what you want and then tailor it to exactly what you have asked for with some good advice if you need it. They can offer good advice as they have travelled to the places they promote and are themselves wildlife enthusiasts. I have found that over the years they have got to know the kind of accommodation and trips we like as they have worked with us to produce the ultimate wildlife adventure and this adds a personal touch to their services. I have to say that their prices are very competitive too. We will definitely travel with Wildlife Trails again!
By Sarah
Monday May 4, 2015
Fantastic Tigers In Corbett National Park
Where to start? Landing in Delhi we were met by Wildlife Trails rep, who gave us both a book about tigers and an itenarary for our tiger tour. The rep came with us in the transfer taxi to...lain everything to us. We were then transported, stopping as we wanted, 6 hours to Tiger Camp, which was very comfortable. The highlight here was being able to go down and sit at the river and watch life go on - washing clothes, scrubbing pots and 3 domestic elephants with their handlers came down and the elephants also had a good soak and a scrub. The scenery is stunning. We had 2 safaris in Birjani region of Corbett. Our driver for the whole time both in Birjani and Dhikala was Alam and we couldn't have asked for better. There was loads of evidence of tigers but we had to wait until the second outing when a tigress and her 2 Cubs came out of the long grass walked a good way up the dry riverbed and disappeared into the grass again. Truly amazing! We then moved to Dikala for a 3 night stay. This was a bit more primitive but adequate accommodation and the food was good. We had safaris both morning and afternoon, in the morning we would come in for breakfast then go back out. The first safari we saw a tiger in the long grass, but not a good view. We had an elephant safari which made us feel a bit like explorers as our elephant seemed to chose her own path. The wild elephants and all the other wildlife would have been an amazing holiday. Alam knew we were there to see tigers and arranged for us to have a stay in one of the towers while the park was closed in the middle of the afternoon. We did see a tiger come silently out of the jungle, cool itself in a waterhole, look directly at us and disappear silently back into the jungle. We did come across another tiger lying in the shade on a road and then imoving into a waterhole for a soak.. When it got up and left the waterhole we watched its, again from a tower, walk into the long grass, lie down and disappear from view except for the swishing of its tail. As you can probably guess from this we had a fantastic holiday and couldn't possibly choose one highlight, there were so many and only a few mentioned here!
We emailed Wildlife Trails, told them what we wanted and they organised everything exactly. We didn't want to spend anytime in Delhi, because we had been there before, and we wanted to optimise our chances of seeing tigers, which we knew wasn't going to be easy, so we had an extra safari. We didn't want to travel to Corbett by train so a road transfer, stopping as we wanted was arranged. We know there was a certain amount of luck in having had so many tiger sightings but the scenery and the elephants would have made the trip. We gave Wildlife Trails the names of 2 or 3 parks and we were given information on each park for us to make the final decision on where we travelled. Kirsty and Allan Blanchard along with the other companies mentioned all went the extra mile to give us a fantastic holiday for a fraction of the price of some of the other big tour operators.
By Alison
Wednesday April 1, 2015
Another wonderful trip to India
We have just spent 2 weeks in Madhya Pradesh visiting Pench & Kanha National Parks. This is the 3rd time to Pench & we keep returning to Kanha as we love it there. As wildlife enthusiasts,...se places can be revisited without ever being the same experience. Surroundings might be familiar but each drive is different. We were a week in Pench staying at Jamtara Wilderness Camp, close to Jamtara gate and village. This is a new camp and the only one at Jamtara. It is a tented camp that feels as if you are in the jungle as it adjoins the buffer zone and the wildlife can be heard & sometimes seen from your tent. The accommodation is spacious and comfortable, hospitality warm & welcoming with delicious food and attentive staff. Sadly the tiger sightings were poor while we were there as we had unseasonal stormy & wet weather. However, the park is beautiful and we saw plenty of other mammals & birds. We spent a week at Kanha Jungle Lodge with our dear friends Tarun & Dimple Bhati. It always feels like coming home when we visit. Kanha Jungle Lodge also feels to be in the jungle as the setting is so natural. Here, the food, the lovely staff and the accommodation are superb. Nothing is too much trouble. Tiger sightings were really good for us here and there is always so much else to see. Scenery & wildlife are just beautiful. The forest guides on the Mukki side of the park are very special, friendly & skilful. Overall it was another memorable trip.
Wildlife Trails have been our tour operator of choice for 13 years. They have looked after us well and we have travelled to many different countries with them. We trust them to provide us with exactly the holiday we've planned in partnership together with them. They pay great attention to detail and ensure that we never have to worry about any aspect of our trip as it has all been very carefully arranged to be trouble free. Leaving us free to just enjoy.
By Avril and Brian
Friday March 13, 2015
Everything Went Well
Overall the trip was excellent with only a couple of very minor problems. Everything was as expected and the whole experience was very enjoyable.
First class company. This is the second...ve used Wildlife Trails and we are already planning another trip with them.
By Michael
Monday February 16, 2015
Tiger safari in India
We were fortunate to see 4 different tigers and 2 leopards (a surprise bonus) when visiting Bandhavgarh & Khana National Parks in India. The local guides were both knowledgeable and helpful... accommodation was great. We also visited the Taj Mahal (which was suggested as an option by Wildlife Trails), and really loved).
Kirsty from Wildlife Trails was extremely helpful in helping us to pull together the itinerary at short notice. She took on board our budget and preferences and was willing to suggest options that maximised our chances of seeing tigers. We would highly recommend this company.
By Joan
Wednesday January 28, 2015
Everything was so well planned that all we had to do was enjoy ourselves
We went to India and Nepal to look for Tigers. We saw them in two different game parks in India. Our accommodation was mostly excellent and never less than good. Our food was excellent with one...eption and that was a hotel we had chosen. Our Guides knew their job and were very good at it. It was an unforgettable holiday and well worth the time and money spent on it. The transport by road and train was amazing, the hotels were small and very interesting.
The Tour Operator set up our holiday with the ideas we gave them. We looked through what they suggested and made one or two changes to suit ourselves. They arranged for a mobile phone, at our request, which had coverage in both India and Nepal in case of emergencies. They provided help on the ground in both countries so that we knew on the whole what was happening. India very organised, Nepal much more laid back, but everything worked smoothly. We wanted to do something extra and were unable to do it on our own as money was required in advance. We emailed the Tour Operator and they arranged for it to happen without any problems.
By Richard and Alison
Wednesday May 7, 2014
Wildlife India
Excellent wildlife viewing. Guides good and lodges hospitable.Saw tigers, sloth bear, wild dog and leopard.
Very reliable and helpful with great knowledge of the subject. Have used many...never been let down.
By David
Sunday April 20, 2014
Indian Wildlife and cultural holiday
Wildlife Trails are a small, family business which takes the time to work with you to plan a trip which is within your budget but allows you do do the things you dreamed of.
By Lizzie
Wednesday April 2, 2014
Tigers in India
I wanted to see tigers in the wild and contacted Wildlife Trails (WT) through the net. Andrew and Kirsty suggested an itinary, which I amended slightly, whilst Kirsty advised of dates that might...better. I travelled to Delhi 26/02/14 and transferred to Kanha National Park. During 5 days there I was priviledged to see one tiger, he (male)followed the jeep for approx 30 mtrs at a distance of approx 10 mtrs. Later transferred to Bandhavgarh National Park, where over 5 days saw two tigers. All three sightings were absolutely fabulous. The organisation of the trip once in India was brilliant, collection, transfer, return to Delhi, accommodation etc. Kirsty provided me with plenty of information for my journeys, details of accommodation, some Hindi phrases, aspects of the philosophy behind wildlife holidays.
Wildlife Trails worked in conjunction with a Delhi company to provide a superb experience. There were absolutely no hitches, glitches whatsoever. As much information as I wanted was provided, with some additional detail. Questions I raise were answered, even if it meant WT contacting local sources.
By Brian
Tuesday April 1, 2014
A fantastic trip with amazing experience!
The trip was fantastic. I visited Sultanpur bird sanctuary in Delhi, Kanha National Park and Satpura National Park. I enjoyed some spectacular sightings of star mammal species such as bengal...er, sloth bear, asian palm civet, rusty spotted cat, jungle cat and asian palm civet. I saw some spectacular birds to such as Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Stork, Grey Headed fish eagle and up to 6 species of owl. I would highly recommend visiting all three national parks as all where very picturesque , well maintained and contained a wealth of wildlife. I would also like to thank wildlife trails for putting together this trip for me and would highly recommend using them for tailor - made itineraries. I will definitely be using them again for future travel. Overall, a very memorable and enjoyable experience. Many thanks!
Wildlife Trails was outstanding. He regularly stayed in contact with me throughout the trip to ensure that everything was going ok. His knowledge and expertise was outstanding!
By Matthew
Tuesday March 4, 2014
"Incredible India" lived up to that title!
My girlfriend and I booked a "Tigers and Temples" style trip in India through Wildlife Trails which was fantastic. India is a hectic place for first time goers but Wildlife Trails...ured it all ran spot on with some easy train connections, great hotels and helpful people on hand to get us around. We visited Bandhavgarh National Park which was our favourite of the two parks we visited, it was a lot colder than Ranthambore, which we visited later in the trip, but it was a lot quieter and the lush jungle was amazing. We encountered six tigers over our six drives there and we were very lucky to track a leopard too on a mountain ridge!! I am not exactly a 'twitcher' but I can see why people love birdwatching and Bandhavgarh was teeming with birdlife as well. We reluctantly left Bandhavgarh by road and visited some great sights in Khajuraho, Agra (Taj Mahal) and Jaipur, also going to Ranthambore National Park. It was a lot different to Bandhavgarh and admittedly were spoiled there, we did not like the busyness of the park at first but the longer we spent in Ranthambore, the more we loved it. Capped off by seeing two rare animals on our last game drive; the striped hyena and sloth bear. India is a wacky and wonderful country and I do not think I have visited anywhere so different to western culture prior. It is a shame that in India personal space is a rarity, you get forever pestered to buy things by locals, which did tarnish our trip a little bit, however, you learn to deal with that and all the other things make it a special place. Thanks again to Wildlife Trails for a memorable trip.
Fantastic organisation and help from Wildlife Trails from start to finish.
By Jack
Monday November 18, 2013
Tiger Safari
Trip from Delhi to Ranthambore, 3 days safari to see tigers, staying at the Nahargarh Fort hotel. Side trips to see the ruined fort and visit the village. on the last day atrip back to Delhi via...pur, visiting the Amber Palace and other sights. No tigers seen (but heard), but a great time. Lovely introduction to India. Strongly recommend the train transit from Delhi, and the flight back from Jaipur - road travel in India is slow and exhausting!
Wildlife Trails were excellent - everything arranged and felt looked after throughout the tour.
By Hugh
Monday October 28, 2013
Tiger safari in Ranthambore incorporating a trip to Chambal river
Visit to Ranthambore national park saw tigers birds crocodiles antelope and all the other amazing site smells of India followed by a river safari to Chambal River then to cap of of an amazing trip...ited the Taj Mahal breath taking and all put together with the help of Wildlife Trails with as least hassle as possible and thoroughly worked out.
Amazing people understood what I wanted and facilitated all my questions in a very timely manor and left nothing out of the whole experience I can't recomend them highly enough for a bespoke holiday of your dreams.