Itinerary

The Indian subcontinent is one of the world's most stimulating destinations. From its mélange of human cultures to its spectrum of wild habitats rich with exotic animals, India offers an intense experience of all that makes adventure travel captivating. This safari focuses on India’s natural realm, renowned for its dramatic rivers, fabled jungles and profuse big game. Ecotourism has been integral to conservation in India, and our travels directly benefit the continued existence of some of the world’s most precious vanishing species. We also experience India’s vibrant cities, a dramatic counterpoint to our time in the wilds.

Day 1: Delhi, India

Arrive in New Delhi and transfer to the Taj Mahal Hotel. This afternoon we explore the city on a rickshaw ride that brings alive the many layers of its complex history. We also visit the Jama Masjid and take a stroll through the bylanes of Old Dehli. This evening we enjoy a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Raipur / Kanha Tiger Reserve

Fly to Raipur and drive to Singinawa Jungle Lodge in the heart of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. The park offers India’s best tiger viewing, while the grasslands and deciduous forest also support chital, sambar, common langur, wild boar, Indian bison, sloth bear, Asiatic jackal, wild dog, rhesus monkeys and occasionally leopard. Kanha is also home to the world’s last population of barasingha, an endangered swamp deer with 12-point antlers. Once a hunting ground for imperial rulers and viceroys, Kanha is now one of India’s most important wildlife reserves.

Days 3 - 5: Kanha National Park

Our explorations include morning and evening game drives in Jeeps, and safaris on elephant back. (Elephant rides cannot be guaranteed, as they depend on the successful tracking of the tiger by the mahouts.) At the close of each day we retire to the superb comforts of our lodge.

Day 6: Nagpur / Kolkata

Drive to Nagpur this morning and fly to Kolkata (Calcutta), where we settle in at the luxurious Oberoi Grand Hotel. This classic landmark is over 125 years old, exuding Victorian elegance yet offering every conceivable modern amenity.

Day 7: Kolkata

We spend the morning touring Kolkata, the third-largest city in India and the capital under the British Raj from 1772 until 1911. While the city experienced a melding of traditions during the British Empire, it was also the locus for a fierce movement for Indian independence, prompting the Crown to move the capital to Delhi. Kolkata has a strong literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage, and its creative energy is palpable.

Day 8: Jorhat / Kaziranga

This morning we fly from Kolkata to Jorhat, and then drive to Haroocharai Tea Estate. Following lunch on the grounds, we embark on a tea garden tour where we may observe local workers harvesting leaves, as well as learn how raw leaves are processed into a delicious tea. After our visit, we continue by road to Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The park, which borders the sacred Brahmaputra River, was created in 1926 as a refuge for the one-horned rhinoceros. Once hunted nearly to extinction, today this two-ton beast is a conservation success story, rebounding to more than 1,600. We stay at the new Diphlu River Lodge.

Days 9 - 11: Kaziranga National Park

Morning and afternoon Jeep drives reveal the park’s diverse habitat, a mix of elephant grass, thorny rattan cane, tracts of semi-evergreen forest and shallow swamps. The reserve boasts an amazing variety of wildlife, including wild buffalo, hog deer, hoolock gibbons, elephants, pythons and tigers. Waterfowl abound, too: egrets, pond herons, river terns, black-necked storks, fishing eagles and pelicans. In the river one may find otters, gharials and dolphins.

Day 12: Guwahati / Delhi

We drive a half-day to Guwahati to catch our afternoon flight to Delhi, with the rest of the day at leisure.