At the heart of every forest, moreso with forests like those in Central India that are as old as time, zealously guarded by gnarled, old roots and dense canopy, lies a story.
The Tiger Trails itinerary will take you through 6 jungles: the lesser-known Panna forests with its geologic resources of diamonds and emeralds, the once-glorious Gond kingdom of Bandhavgarh, the popular, well-explored Kanha that features on every wildlifer’s list, the Pench corridor that forms a continuum with Kanha, and the offbeat Satpura National Park that is emerging as a veritable sanctuary for wildlife today, ending with Tadoba Tiger Project with its revolutionary conservation model in Maharashtra, each with their own stories.
Walk on the Wild Side with Inescape Travel and discover the lore of the jungle!
Trail through Central India’s wildlife parks on cycling trails, jeep safaris and walking adventures through the core jungles
Camp out in the jungle’s buffer zones where the nights are alive with the music of the wildCanoe or kayak on the waters of the backwaters of the Denwa river on the fringes of Satpura National ParkSet off on day-long cycling expeditions into forest corridors where one can catch glimpses of wildlife at their most unguardedTrain your young ones to listen to jungle lore, and learn about wildlife tracking, bird spotting and camera-trapping – all essential skills for the budding naturalist
Capture moments at your own pace and navigate without restrictions on full day photography permits through Bandhavgarh, Kanha or Pench national parksThe Satpura National Park is a government-run initiative to protect India’s greenest corridor for biodiversity, whose zones are irrigated by the Denwa and Sone rivers. The Satpura region is named after a west-to-east running hill range that divides India into two sections: the northern river plains and the mountains, and the southern peninsula. Part of the mosaic of central Indian forests, Satpura hosts a wide variety of biodiversity and provides a refuge for species like the common leopard, the wild dogs, the Indian bison or gaur, the sloth bear, among others. The area is also a haven for bird life, with forest-dwelling and river-dependent species and a rich diversity of raptors. Nighttime also comes alive to the sound to nightjars and bats, and one can ponder over mysterious scuffles in the undergrowth under a starry velvet sky.
During your stay in Satpura, you can choose to encounter wildlife in a number of ways:
On the journey back from Satpura to Bhopal, stop off en route at Bhimbetka – a site of prehistoric cave paintings. Bhimbetka, amusingly translates to ‘the seat of Bhima’, a demigod fathered by Vaayu, the wind god and is a character in the epic poem, Mahabharata. Yet it can trace human settlement way before the time of the epic poem, all the way to South Asian Stone Age 30,000 years ago, and it does so with cave rock paintings. A fascinating Paleolithic gallery that documents not just early human life (offering one of the earliest evidences of dance) but also the variety of wildlife in the region present through hunting scenes. Drive on towards Bhopal for a day of cultural activities.
Leave your hotel early this morning, and catch the express train from Bhopal to Khajuraho. Enjoy breakfast aboard the train, with lovely views of deep-cut ravines and snaking rivers. Upon reaching Khajuraho, lunch at one of the hotels, before setting off the explore the famed temples. Our temple trail is an evocative way to experience history of a bygone era, with a narrative of the Chandela dynasty, the temple construction and the city’s name. Khajuraho has some of the best preserved temples in the country, with intricate stone carvings that have the finish of wood or metal and while the erotic sculptures have brought it to the attention of the world, there is a far deeper symbolism to the art. Later, a one hour drive will bring you to Panna National Park. Check-in by late evening at your accommodation skirting the Panna National Park.
Panna is a city of tribes and sages, of rajahs and colonial loyalties, of meadows and evergreen forests, of tigers and diamonds, and could be your doorway to Central India. The lesser known Panna National Park, has seen a success of the tiger reintroduction programme, a lesson that other national parks would do well to emulate. With a good mammal population and a rich raptor activity indicating a healthy ecosystem, the park offers an offbeat experience for wildlifers looking to avoid the hassle and formalities of more popular destinations. Explore Panna’s wildlife by jeep or boat safaris:
This morning, a 5-hour drive from Panna will lead you to the Bandhavgarh forests. Bandhavgarh can also be reached from Jabalpur airport, 3 hours away. For those who’d like to connect our River Song itinerary to this one or prefer to avoid long drives, private aircrafts can also be chartered from Khajuraho or Varanasi to the Umaria airstrip near Bandhavgarh.
Cradled amidst the picturesque hills of Central India, the renowned tiger reserve of Bandhavgarh was a former hunting ground for kings. If the thick bamboo forest and dense greenery with streams, rivers and waterfalls are not enchanting enough, the 1st Century fortress ruins and the rich biodiversity make Bandhavgarh a favourite for wildlifers and photographers alike. Shutterbugs can avail of a full-day permit to optimize their time and have an uninterrupted wildlife photography experience.
There are many ways to take in Bandhavgarh’s wildlife, here are a few suggestions:
A four hours’ drive from Bandhavgarh will take you to Kanha, one of India’s most popular wildlife destinations. Kanha can also be accessed from Jabalpur airport after a 3-hour drive or from the Nagpur airport with a 5-hour drive. You could also charter an aircraft from Jabalpur or Nagpur to the Baihar airstrip near Kanha, to shorten the journey and enjoy aerial views of the lush forests that inspired Rudyard Kipling.
Kanha’s vast grassland-and-forest ecosystem plays host to a bewildering diversity of wildlife. From the raptor populations of its Bamhnidadar plateau, to the tigers, jackals and wild pigs that roam its open meadows, to its more elusive creatures that frequent the Sondar and Babathenga tanks – Kanha offers an exclusive wildlife experience. Kanha National Park was one of the first areas in India to fall under the Project Tiger conservation program to save the Royal Bengal Tiger. Kanha boasts abundant mammal populations and diverse bird life, and it offers sanctuary for the endangered barasingha (12-horned) deer, the black buck, the lesser florican among others. The presence of the barasingha, or the hard ground swamp deer (Branderi barasingha) in Kanha is largely due to the research of George Schaller, the author of “The Deer and the Tiger”, written in 1967 that highlighted the plight of the species. This led to a first-of-its-kind stockade breeding of the barasingha within the national park boundary, with populations bounding back in 1972-73. For serious photographers, full-day jeep permit is available – for an intimate wildlife photographing excursion.
Over your 3-day stay in Kanha, tap into the forest’s pulse with our recommended activities:
After breakfast, a 4-5 hour drive away from Kanha is the Pench National Park. Pench can also be accessed from Nagpur, with a 5 hours drive.
Named after a river that flows through the region, the Pench district hosts one among many patches of Central India’s forests – and the Pench National Park is a corridor for wildlife across this diverse habitat of forest and grassland. The rich biodiversity of the area had been recorded in an ancient official document of the emperor Akbar, a Mughal ruler and the park continues to support large populations of herbivores, creating a favourable environment for carnivores – the most-sought after being the Royal Bengal Tiger. Forming a continuum with the Kanha forest, Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book is often attributed to this jungle as well. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel, meet your naturalist and plan your safaris ahead. At Pench, a full-day photography permit can be availed to make the most of your jeep safari into the park:
A three to four hour drive from Pench National Park, will bring you to Nagpur, the city of oranges – your overnight halt. Located at the heart of India, Nagpur vies for a role in connecting the country’s road and railway networks and thereby its inland trade routes. With a zero milestone landmark in the city, Nagpur was used as a central point for all colonial period measurements of distances across the subcontinent. As a metropolitan in a state that has vested its capital in the city of Mumbai, Nagpur has struggled to define its own identity; people speak Hindi rather than the regional Marathi, an industrial hub has emerged in an area largely dependent on agriculture, and is the arid gateway to the wildlife parks of Central India.
Early morning, head south from Nagpur and a two-hour drive will bring you to Tadoba-Andhari National Park. Nagpur also has an airport, with connections to Mumbai – and this could be the starting point of a wildlife itinerary as well.
Named after a deity of local tribes, Tadoba and the Andhari river, the Tadoba-Andhari forest forms an important link between the Central India forests and those across the peninsula. Tadoba’s watering holes include the river and a lake – and during the severe summers in the region, are the lifelines for biodiversity. Tadoba’s checkered landscape of hills and meadows, cliffs and caves, dense forests and tribal villages offers refuge for a diversity of species. However, with the proximity of the tribal villages to the forests, Tadoba is also the stage for numerous man-wildlife conflicts – and offers an interesting insight into the lives on the periphery of wildlife reserves
Drive back to Nagpur airport for your homeward bound flight.
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We have you covered! We will email you as items in your order ship, or if there are updates on the status of your order. Can’t find the email?Click here to check the status of your order.
We have you covered! We will email you as items in your order ship, or if there are updates on the status of your order. Can’t find the email?Click here to check the status of your order.
We have you covered! We will email you as items in your order ship, or if there are updates on the status of your order. Can’t find the email?Click here to check the status of your order.
