Recommended

India Tiger Safari

Name: India Tiger Safari
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.6 (108 reviews)

108 reviews

Activity

Wildlife

Overview

Embark on a comprehensive wildlife tour of the best tiger parks in India

Bengal tigers are a highly seductive class-A predator; they are also desperately endangered. Seeing one in the wild is intoxicating, which is why this comprehensive safari visits three of the best tiger parks in India. Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh national parks are all ideal for viewing both predator and prey, and with 15 game drives included the chances of seeing the magnificent Bengal tiger are greatly increased. There are many other animals to see, too, but tigers remain top of the agenda throughout, plus we’ll donate £25 to the Tiger Habitat Project for each person who books this trip.

One of Our Top Recommended Trips for 2026… Here’s Why
Single-animal safaris, where you focus your wildlife watching on just one animal, is one of the big travel trends for 2026, providing a deep insight into the subject. With the chance to visit the three best tiger parks in India, you’ll come away from this trip as a true tiger expert − Oliver O’Boyle, destination expert

Key Information

Trip Code: WIW
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: India
Carbon Footprint: 47kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts and 12 dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Arrival and departure transfers

Highlights

Immersive yourself in the wilds of India on an in-depth tiger-watching adventure
Maximise your chances of seeing a Bengal tiger with 15 game drives across three national parks
Search for other wildlife: leopards, sloth bears, monkeys and more
Visit the magnificent Taj Mahal, a New Wonder of the World
Support our Tiger Habitat Project, with £25 donated for each person who books the trip

Itinerary

First Destination: Delhi
Next Destination: Delhi

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Delhi
Next Destination: Delhi

Our adventure begins in Delhi, a colourful and chaotic city full of architectural masterpieces.

Around 6pm, say namaste to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging a group dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Want more time in Delhi? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Indus Biznotel (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

The group will transfer to Delhi Domestic Airport for a flight (around 1hr 40min) to Nagpur. The drive to Pench National Park, where your safari adventures begin, will take approximately three hours.

Accommodation: Pench Jungle Camp (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

Spend two days exploring Pench National Park in the lower southern reaches of the Satpuda hills. It provided inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book and marks our first chance to see our very own Shere Khan.

This designated tiger reserve is home to around 45 Bengal tigers, plus leopards, wolves, monkeys, deer, and nilgai (the largest antelope in Asia). Our two days include four game drives, in which we’ll keep our eyes peeled for the incredible creatures that live here.

Accommodation: Pench Jungle Camp (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

We depart in the morning and drive to Kanha National Park. Although the distance is not far, the journey usually takes approximately four hours. On arrival, there is time to relax by the pool and share wildlife stories with your fellow travellers.

Accommodation: Celebration Van Vilas (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Created in 1974, Kanha National Park is often described as the greatest wildlife reserve in India – during our time here, we go on five game drives to explore it.

The park is vast, encompassing expansive grasslands, plateaus and dramatic rocky escarpments that house hundreds of wildlife species. The tiger population – which currently numbers around 500 – has been affected by poaching in recent years but the huge abundance of animals makes the game drives a memorable experience.

Accommodation: Celebration Van Vilas (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Kanha National Park after breakfast and drive to Bandhavgarh, stopping en route for refreshments. This journey will take approximately six to seven hours. On arrival there is free time to settle in.

Accommodation: Nature Heritage Resort (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Bandhavgarh is one of the smaller national parks and enjoys an impressive setting with a cliff-top fort overlooking grasslands, birch forests and bamboo.

It is home to a wide variety of game, including leopards, sloth bears, jungle cats, wild pigs and, of course, tigers. The healthy tiger population of approximately 60-70 means this park has the highest tiger density of any reserve in India. The park also hosts up to 150 bird species including many on the migratory trail, such as the steppe eagle. During our stay, we embark on six games drives.

Accommodation: Nature Heritage Resort (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we drive for approximately three hours to Katni Railway Station. We stop for refreshments, conveniences and photo opportunities along the way. In the evening, we catch the overnight train to Agra.

Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train

Meals included:Breakfast

Arriving in Agra in the morning, we transfer to our hotel. No stay in Agra would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, built by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The Taj is serenely beautiful and never fails to amaze a first-time visitor – the white marble exterior changing colour according to the position of the sun. Nearby is the imposing Red Fort of Akbar, whose mighty sandstone walls enclose the beautiful white marble Pearl Mosque, palaces, halls, courtyards and fountains.

Please note: In December and January, our Taj Mahal visit is earlier in the afternoon to avoid fog that can limit visibility during sunset.

Accommodation: Howard Plaza The Fern (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast

After breakfast, we begin our journey (approximately four to five hours) back to Delhi, stopping on the outskirts of Agra to visit and support Wildlife SOS. Their work is dedicated to rescuing and caring for sloth bears and elephants. At the Agra Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, we meet an education officer to learn about their vital work and commitment to rehabilitating abused elephants and advocating for their conservation through public awareness campaigns. We take a tour and see some of the rescued elephants and hear their stories.

After this informative visit, we resume our drive to Delhi and check into our hotel. It’s your last night together so the tour leader can help to arrange a group dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Deventure (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast

Our adventure draws to a close after breakfast. If you’d like a little more time in Delhi, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Hotels, lodges and sleeper train

On our search for tigers, we spend 14 nights in hotels and lodges and one night on an air-conditioned sleeper train. The accommodation typically used is on the day-to-day itinerary. However, below are a few of the notable places we stay on this trip.

Kanha National Park: Celebration Van Vilas (nights 5-8)

India Tiger Safari

Just moments from the park entrance, Celebration Van Vilas is ideally placed for our exploration of Kanha. When you’re not out wildlife watching, take a refreshing dip in the pool or treat yourself to an Ayurvedic treatment in the spa. There’s also an outdoor yoga-meditation space, plus a gym and hot tub.

Bandhavgarh National Park: Nature Heritage Resort (nights 9-12)

India Tiger Safari

Immerse yourself in the wilds of India at Nature Heritage Resort, which is just moments from Bandhavgarh National Park. We stay in air-conditioned cottages with views from the balcony over the Vindhyachal hills. There are also two multi-cuisine restaurants serving produce from local farms, plus a swimming pool with loungers. At night, our groups often gather around the campfire, swapping stories about the day’s wildlife sightings.

Katni to Agra: Overnight train (night 13)

Experience an icon of travel: the Indian sleeper train! Our journey takes us from Katni to Agra, skipping the long drive, while also allowing us to interact with the local people and sample the snacks often sold on board. On the sleeper train, you may be sharing a compartment of four mixed-sex beds with members of the public depending on how the seats are allocated.

Worth knowing

Hotels in India usually do not have heating as there are only a couple of months when the weather can get cold. You can, however, request more blankets if needed or the hotel may be able to provide a standing heater for your room. Please talk to your tour leader if you need help in this matter.
On the rare occasion a lodge/hotel is overbooked, the accommodation in national parks will be in fixed safari tents, which are fitted with electric lights and an attached toilet with shower with hot and cold water readily available.
It’s common for hotels in India to have limited times in the day for hot water use to save energy. If you find your shower is cold, please let your leader or reception know so they can make sure the water heater is on.
Within the sleeper train, you may be sharing a mixed-sex compartment of four beds with members of the public, depending on how the seats are allocated.
Single accommodation excludes sleeper trains.

Essential Information

Trip Expert

Krishna Kumar

Expert Leader: India

Introducing Krishna Krishna hails from Bharatpur, the city of birds, in the Rajasthan region of India.

This trip has been rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife Rating of Five. Please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page for more information on our trip gradings, or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

This tour is not physically demanding; however, days can be long (up to nine hours) and busy on occasion, especially when taking the overnight train and driving from park to park. The roads are generally pretty good, but local traffic and/or road damage after the monsoon can slow us down. We travel on comparatively quiet roads for at least half the journey but the road between Pench and Kanha is known to be bad.

Please be aware, there are very early morning starts (4.30am for example) on consecutive days at each national park as this is the best time to get out and spot tigers, which can make for much longer days. We do expect you to have several tiger sightings across this trip; however, the wildlife is free-roaming and unpredictable and we, unfortunately, cannot guarantee you will see tigers or other animals on every game drive. Some days may feel long and uneventful on your search for the elusive tiger but the sightings you do have, are always an exhilarating reward for the wait!

The jeeps throughout the national parks are simple and will often require you to step up into them and have a noticeable step down from them. On the game drives, you will be navigating bumpy tracks for most of the day and this can be uncomfortable for some after a long day in the jeep.

Monuments

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is responsible for the conservation of many monuments in India, including the Taj Mahal. Very occasionally, this means work is taking place at sites visited on this trip. The ASI schedule is never published, so it is impossible to predict when work will take place.

Game drive regulations – book early!
The management of national parks by the Indian authorities and the system for booking game drives is very rigid. The number of 4x4s that can enter national parks has been reduced, and all game drives need to be booked and paid for well in advance.

We must provide a list of client names and passport details at the time of booking each game drive. Once game drives are booked, they are non‐refundable and name changes are not permitted. If you renew your passport after the game drives are booked, you must travel with both your old and new passports so the authorities can ascertain the authenticity of the previous passport mentioned in the booking.

You cannot change or swap 4x4s during the trip. It is four people per vehicle, so please let us know at the time of booking if you are a group of five or more travelling together with separate bookings to ensure you are seated appropriately.

Due to ongoing changes in the system, the following guidelines and conditions now apply to all bookings:

1) We cannot guarantee the operation of any departure until we have the necessary game drives secured. We aim to secure game drives from a variety of gates/zones as per the itinerary, but please be aware that this is subject to availability. The date at which we book the game drives will vary depending on when the booking system allows us to do so for your departure, usually will be around 120 days before travel but this is subject to change.

2) Within 120 days prior to travel it may be possible to book passengers onto a departure after the game drives have been confirmed but additional supplement costs are likely to be incurred. If we have made initial game drive bookings for a departure, we may need to wait until we have a further three or four clients ready to book before we can secure an additional vehicle and spread the cost of any supplement.

3) At the time of booking the game drives, approximately 120 days prior to travel, they are non‐refundable. If for any reason we are unable to secure the game drives and we must cancel the trip, you receive a full refund.

4) We want to encourage you to book this trip as far in advance as possible; we are confident we can secure the game drives needed if passengers are book four to five months in advance of the departure date.

5) It is important we have your correct passport details at the time of booking. If you end up travelling on a different passport, you must carry your old passport, or a photocopy of it, with you. If this isn’t possible, you will need a letter from the passport agency regarding the change of passport, specifying the details of the old passport and the details of the new passport issued.

We regret that these measures are necessary, but we are keen to ensure we secure the game drives as early as possible.

Key information

Start hotel: Indus Biznotel, R-71, Hansraj Gupta Rd, Greater Kailash-1, Block R, Greater Kailash I, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048 (+91 11 4026 7700)
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm.
Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately 30-40 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. Check in is usually around midday. Your tour leader will be meeting up with the whole group later in the day and there will be information at the hotel reception about this meeting. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

We provide free departure transfers for all customers to Delhi Airport (DEL) from the end hotel.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

India

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information.

New Digital Arrival Card

Travellers from the UK, US, EU and Canada must also complete a Digital Arrival Card. This can be filled online up to 72 hours before arrival via the official Indian visa website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival/. This is separate from the Indian e-visa process and this remains the same. Physical cards will remain at the arrival airport until 1 April 2026, at which point the Digital Arrival Card will be made mandatory.

Allow around 1,400 – 2,400 rupees (US$20-US$35) per day for lunch and dinner. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you go to the more expensive restaurants, you will spend more than the suggested amount. In Agra and Delhi, there is a good choice of restaurants and a selection of Indian and Western food. If you are a vegetarian, India is probably one of the best destinations to travel to with a wide range of dishes on offer. Please note, there are usually some non-spicy curries while we’re at the national parks, but these are in limited supply. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. A (large) bottle of beer is approximately 600 rupees (US$7). Mineral water is widely available. Please note, service in restaurants can be quite slow.

During the game drives (days 2–12), lunches can be purchased at the resorts where we’re staying. These typically offer a good selection of both Western and local cuisine. Drinking water is provided during the drives, and a large container is available in the main vehicle for refilling your personal bottles throughout the journey.

September to April is the ideal time to visit these areas of northern India. Days are normally warm to hot and nights cool or mild. Humidity is very low with little or no rain. In March/April and September/October, it can get very hot during the day. Evenings in Delhi and at the game parks can be surprisingly cool. It gets very cold in the early mornings and evenings between December and February.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

Add new review

Felicity Eagles

Added April 2024

Amazing Tiger sightings

We had a truly wonderful trip. The national parks were lovely with beautiful views. We were really lucky and had some wonderful tiger sightings as well as sloth bears & leopards & wild elephants. A large array of birds from different species of Eagles, Kingfishers, Owls and many more. We...

Most Inspirational Moment

The tiger scratching the tree by our jeep or the sloth bear digging for food. Or maybe the elephant charging us & speeding away

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was amazing. He was so knowledgeable and looked after everything for us. He would rotate between the heating safari vehicles each trip & we were always happy when he was in ours as he was a lucky charm. Krishna became part of our group & a friend.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's not Africa so don't expect to see the constant abundance of wildlife you did there. Go on each safari with an open mind & just enjoy the scenery & any animals you do spot, remember it's wild so if you spot a tiger, bear, leopard it's a big bonus! Take bite sprays we did get bite at the lodges in the evenings. The food was amazing. Breakfasts on safaris plentiful so we didn't need to buy lunches. Although limited can be abit hit and miss we could pay our bills by card at the lodges.

Suggestions

I felt you should be given the options of an optional something on arrival. Even if it's just arranging a tuk tuk to a local park. Some of us felt like we needed to keep going to stay in Indian time. So it was difficult having nothing on as a single traveller, not so easy to nap when sharing with a stranger at that point. It felt like the tour didn't really start until day 4 as day 3 was then just a travel day.

Mark Ireland

Added March 2024

Appropriate

Comprehensive game drives in 3 tiger reserves, Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh

Most Inspirational Moment

Encountering a male tiger close up

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, efficient and amusing throughout

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for cold starts so layer up although blankets are provided. Worth doing additional games drives on Wednesday afternoons when Parks are closed. Good guides and drivers who speak good English are at a premium so ask to keep good ones.

Suggestions

Picnic breakfasts disappointing in Pench and Bandhavgarh, would be better to offer either Indian or European alternative

E Sophie Clement-Jones

Added March 2024

Indian tiger safari

Would recommend this to anyone

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger and other wild animal including leopards

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very Good

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go go go!

Suggestions

No

Timothy Walsh

Added February 2024

Wonderful variety of wildlife in stunning scenery

We went on the 15 prearranged game drives plus two extra ones at end January/start of February. We saw leopard at Pench on two drives, but not elsewhere. Saw tiger(s) at each of the three NPs on 7 of our 17 game drives, which is maybe fewer sightings than some...

Most Inspirational Moment

As reported by others the sightings of tiger & leopard were fabulous, but what I remember most is at the very end of our last game drive seeing a jungle cat near the NP exit (similar to a Scottish wildcat). Expect the unexpected. Also enjoyed seeing a pack of wild dogs hunting next to the track. Also saw jackal, gaur, various monkeys, various deer & antelope, wild boar, mongoose, squirrel, tree shrew & tortoise. It is a great trip for ornithologists. We saw various species of kingfisher, vulture, eagle, kite, buzzard, owl, cuckoo, nightjar, hornbill, stork, woodpecker, shrike, oriole etc etc.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was fantastic. He is an expert ornithologist & photographer, great at spotting & identifying the wildlife. Extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife & culture and always ready & willing to pass on his passion, knowledge & expertise. The trip was very well organised & professionally run. He was always patient & ever helpful combined with a great sense of humour. He is a star. I particularly enjoyed the extra events which Krishna arranged & lead eg the guided walk at Pench NP, the visit to the local village at Kanha NP & the filmshow about Bandhavgarh NP.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Being January/early February it was extremely cold travelling in the open topped jeeps early in the morning eg 5am. I wore 5 layers and was still cold (t-shirt, shirt, jumper, fleece, jacket plus hat, scarf, gloves). Each accommodation hands out a blanket, but I needed two and sometimes there were not enough blankets for everyone to have two each. The tracks in each NP are very dusty. The villages around the accommodation and near the NP entrances cook using open wood fires, which makes the air condition very polluted. Delhi is appalling for smog in winter. Therefore I wore a facemask quite often and wish that I had brought a balaclava. It helps to wear a windproof jacket in the jeep, but one you don't mind getting covered in dust. Earplugs are necessary not just for the overnight train, but also in the lodges because on some nights there was loud music & drumming coming from adjacent properties. Krishna arranged for a foreign exchange company to come to our hotel on the first night of the tour and he exchanged various currencies into Indian rupees at a very good rate for us, which was a great help and saved us having to find a foreign exchange place ourselves. We didn't change money at the airport due to the poor rates on offer. For the local flight from Delhi to Nagpur, Krishna was fantastic because he managed to combine all our luggage together in a way which balanced out the overweight bags with the underweight ones so that no excess luggage fees were paid, despite our luggage being significantly overweight! We added on an extra night stay in Delhi at the start & at the end. This helped with getting over the jet lag at the start and gave us extra time for sightseeing at the end. The mosquitoes were worst at Pench NP but also occurred at the other two NPs. Several group members had quite a few bites, but we didn't take malaria pills and we appear to be none the worse. The additional game drive at Pench was a waste of time & money because we saw very little. However the extra game drive at Bandhavgarh NP was fantastic because we saw a beautiful sector which others didn't go to and we had great sightings of tiger. When the guide sat at the front of the jeep and I was in the back row (or vice-versa), I had difficulty hearing what the guide was saying. Therefore I found it best to sit in the middle row because my hearing is not so good anymore.

Suggestions

FAO EXODUS. I have given this trip 4 stars instead of 5 stars for the following reasons: We were sent vouchers for staying an extra night at the Deventure Hotel at the start, but the day before we flew out we were advised that the first night had been changed to the Bloom Hotel, which is much inferior and rather like Faulty Towers. In the first room they put us in the shower room floor was flooded by a leaking pipe. In the second room the door wouldn't lock. Breakfast was poor. This hotel is not of the required standard. Unfortunately I haven't had a satisfactory explanation from Exodus as to why we were moved. My health at the end of this trip was significantly worse than at the start due to the very poor air condition in Delhi and in the villages near each NP. I used a facemask. I suggest that the trip notes should mention that the air quality is poor and that a facemask could be beneficial. In the grounds of some of the NP lodges ground staff were burning leaves and there were open wood fires. This added to the poor air quality & isn't good environmentally. Should it be discouraged by Exodus? When we got on the overnight train I discovered that my seat/bed was double booked and claimed by a stranger. Thankfully Krishna sorted it out and I got another bed. The foreign exchange company were very helpful on the first night at the hotel, but they didn't give out any receipts. Please would Krishna remind them in future to give out receipts? The Nature Heritage Resort at Bandhavgarh didn't label their dishes at the evening meal, whereas the other two lodges did so. Could this resort be encouraged to do so? Despite Krishna telling us that we would be moved around in the jeeps so that we didn't always share all the game drives with the same trip members, this switching happened very little. We shared a jeep ride with only around a third of the other trip members. The jeeps are open with no seat belts and some tracks are very bumpy. Sometimes the jeep drivers drive too fast and I was in danger of being thrown out of the jeep. On at least three occasions our or other jeeps drove up to where a tiger was and it then got up and moved back into the bushes. Occasionally there were up to 20 jeeps chasing a tiger with too much noise & chatter, which caused disturbance & isn't good. Perhaps the number of jeep licences should be decreased further? The trip notes could be improved as follows: Krishna mentioned an app for identifying the local bird species. Could this app be mentioned in the trip notes? In the list of essential equipment I suggest that a sweater & fleece are both needed, not one or the other. I suggest bringing a scarf and bandanna as well as a warm hat &/or balaclava. Under the section on extra expenses, it states that money change facilities are available at the hotel in Nagpur. This is untrue because we didn't stay in a hotel in Nagpur! It should explain that a money exchange company will come to the hotel in Delhi and that their exchange rates are very good and that a receipt should be produced. Krishna mentioned the scheme 'pack with a purpose' whereby excess clothes could be brought by trip members and given to local guides. This is a great idea. Could this info be added to the trip notes?

Reply from Exodus

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us and we were thrilled to learn that you had such an enjoyable time in India overall, with plentiful wildlife sightings. We are also grateful for your suggestions, as we rely on our customers’ feedback to improve our tours for future groups. Addressing some of your specific points, we, regrettably, had to make a last-minute change to one of your hotels as we discovered that our usual property was hosting a wedding that coincided with your dates, with late night celebrations planned. We always endeavour to replace hotels with others of a similar standard, so we are sorry that the Bloom fell below your expectations in several areas. Though we don’t anticipate using it often, we have raised your concerns with the management team and hope this will prevent similar issues for future guests. Next, we appreciate that our customers enjoy rotating between the jeeps during the game drives, so we were sorry to hear that this did not happen particularly often on your tour. We secure the vehicles four months before a departure, to ensure availability, and our local team decides who to place together. Though there is some scope to move these people around on each drive, as they are all on the same booking, anyone who books after this process has been done cannot switch as they are treated as a separate booking and strict park rules prevent bookings from mixing. We take our commitments to responsible travel extremely seriously, so we were concerned to learn that you felt there were too many vehicles tracking tigers and that the noise and nature of the driving disturbed the animals. In recent years, Indian authorities have significantly reduced the number of available permits, thus limiting traffic within national parks, and closely monitor their activity using trackers and speed recorders. Though drivers will occasionally speed to a possible sighting, our leaders always inform them in advance to be respectful to the national park and are careful to ensure they do not exceed any speed limits or take unnecessary risks with our customers on board. Finally, we hugely appreciate your comments about our trip notes, as we like to keep our literature as up-to-date as possible, and we have made amendments regarding face coverings, the bird identification app, clothing required for cooler temperatures and money exchange. We will also be adding information about the ‘pack with a purpose’ scheme as this is something we are rolling out on all our trips. We hope this shows you that we have listened to your feedback, and we very much look forward to, hopefully, welcoming you back on another adventure soon! Sarah Puttnam, Product Manager

Ali Sainsbury

Added January 2024

If I had boxes this trip would tick all of them

Exceptionally well organised trip with a good standard of accomodation throughout. The focus on maximising the chance of seeing tigers in three different parks meant there was a good balance between spending time wildlife viewing, seeing a variety of habitats and having a cultural experience of India. There was a...

Most Inspirational Moment

Being stared at by a giant orange cat!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was everything you could wish for in a guide; experienced, knowlegable, approachable, patient, honest and good fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, the tigers are absolutely amazing but there is far more to experience and enjoy on this trip; the sounds and smells of the jungle and the villages, amazing food, friendly welcoming prople and a whole lots of wildlife besides tigers. Be prepared for a lot of dust and some cold mornings (travelling in Nov) India has a large population and there is now a huge amount of domestic tourism - The experience of being on a jeep with dozens of other other jeeps all jostling to get a glimpse of a tiger or two can be a culture shock and very different to an ideal of trundling quietly through an ecosystem hoping to see a tiger undisturbed in its natural environment. However, these apex preditors seem undetered by daily views of diesel stinking humans and the balance between tourism and protection is more careful balanced than it can superficially appear.

Suggestions

This trip could turn you into a cat lady (or man) if you're not already!

Tristan Cossey

Added August 2023

Tiger Heaven

I've seen lots of wildlife all over the world but the buzz you get seeing a Tiger is up there with the best. Traveling in what many see as the peak Tiger viewing period of April, I was lucky enough to come across 20 individuals, some fleeting, some ridiculously close....

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger suddenly appear out of the Jungle and then melt back into it. Early on in the trip we had one Tiger road crossing where we were the only Jeep there, will remember the Tigress stopping for a few seconds to look at us. Seeing Tigers is something different, you hear the alarm calls of the deer so you know there is a Tiger or Leopard somewhere nearby, but it's only by the skill of the guides second-guessing the Tiger's possible movement and a slice of luck which will result in a sighting. Sometimes you will join a large group of jeeps at a spot, sometimes you will find your own hopefully.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krisha is the best, he has been doing this for several years now but still has the same excitement we had and knew his stuff.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most has been covered in the other reviews, Jeep Envy (I didn't see a Sloth bear, the other Jeep did!) but I'm sure it all pans out. Yes, it can be pot luck on the guides you get and one left me very frustrated. Just try to accept it is what it is and help them find the wildlife. Be prepared for very early starts so you catch the golden hour. We were getting up at around 0430 and getting back around 11 am in the morning slots but soon learned to have a siesta before the meet-up again at 1530. It's not like Africa where you tend to see lots of animals, you have to seek them out so patience is needed. You may go a while and not see a lot, then a roosting Owl lifts the spirits as an example.

Suggestions

If like me, you haven't been to India before, maybe go out a day early and do a full Delhi city tour. On the way back on the trip, you will probably only have a few hours in the afternoon in Delhi so barely scratch the surface. I had a full day at the start of the trip and did most of the major sites and was well worth it.

Louise Sampson

Added April 2023

A Fabulous Trip - Tigers and more

Angela was on our trip - I do not really feel that I need to add anything to her post. Just that it is a FABULOUS TRIP. Go with the flow and enjoy. Experience the anticipation of spotting the animals, birds etc. See everything as a bonus- you are travelling...

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the tigers and leopards - it can get quite emotional when you seeing them walking towards and past your vehicles. The trip to the Taj Mahal - was very busy but worth it. We dressed up for it as had spent so long in dusty safari clothes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna - was a fabulous - a very knowledge and informative guide. he helped make the trip

Advice for Potential Travellers

We took plugs for India and a USB charging block which served us well. As Angela mentioned the card machines sometimes didn't work so take plenty of cash. Most hotels and lodges exchanged GB pounds but the rates could be variable. Take dust covers for your cameras - and lens cleaning stuff. Plenty of batteries and SD cards! you can get carried away on the Tiger and leopard sightings. Plus phones/ Small video recorders to record the moments when the tiger walks towards you. Travel in the safari jeeps can be very dusty and also very bumpy. Take plenty of tissues and hand sanitizer. Swimming costumes - most of the lodges have a small pool you can cool off in.

Suggestions

Try and experience some of the sightings through your eyes and not through the lens! Hard I know as always trying to get the perfect shot but it is well worth it. Especially if you get to experience the animals behaviour and their interactions with each other. Just go for it - you will not be disappointed.

Angela Beckwith

Added April 2023

Tigers, Leopards and So Much More

What an amazing holiday! We were incredibly lucky with our sightings, not only of tigers but also of leopards (I think our group had 6 individual leopard sighting by the end), wild elephants, Indian Wild Dogs, jackals and the most fabulous array of colourful birds (peacocks, rollers, eagles, vultures -...

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the five tigers (mum, three cubs and a young male) in the waterhole at Banghavgarh was truly something special. Watching them interact and relax in the water, before coming out and walking right past our jeep was an experience I will never forget. Driving around the corner in Kanha NP and finding a leopard casually wandering down the side of the road, before crossing right in front of us and disappearing into the trees. We were the only jeep around lucky enough to witness the beautiful big cat just going about his business, thoroughly unconcerned by us. Our guide was so excited by the sighting, as leopards are very rarely seen in Kanha, which really added to the experience. Watching the pack of Indian Wild Dogs with puppies in Kahna NP, playing in the water and on the road in front of us, before heading into the trees to jump around on some fallen logs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was absolutely fabulous. His knowledge and passion for the country and wildlife was obvious and he went out of his way to ensure that we all had an amazing time on the trip and all got to experience that magical moment of the first tiger sighting. He was always in good humour and was ready to answer our questions and provide plenty of additional information on the areas and conservation activities going on around the national parks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1) Take buffs for your face and your camera equipment - the roads, especially in Bandhavgarh, are very dusty. 2) Go with the right attitude - there is more to see than just tigers and you will get out of the drives what you put in. 3) Take lots of bug spray and put it on under your clothes in the afternoon - the insects bit through clothing, especially in Pench NP. Non-DEET sprays like Incognito work well on the insects there. 4) European plug adapters worked everywhere we went. 5) Card machines did not work in all the resorts, so ensure you have cash available as well. ATMs stops can be made on the travel days between the parks. 6) Even in April, a light fleece and rain jacket were beneficial. It can be chilly in the mornings, and two of our drives were pretty much a wash-out from the rain. The jeeps are open-top, so if it rains you will be getting wet. 7) There are a lot of early mornings (4.30am early) and bumpy rides (really not suitable for anyone with a bad back). Although the trip is rated leisurely, it is not really relaxing.

Suggestions

The train trip was absolutely fine and really nothing to worry about. I probably got the most sleep I had on the whole holiday on that train (a solid eight hours!).

Hilary Droy

Added November 2019

Tigers WOW!

We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly...

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.

Suggestions

Don't expect to see tigers so that when you do it's a bonus. Tigers can melt into the bush surprisingly easily for big animals. Remember to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the jungle and the other animals rather than focussing just on wanting a tiger/leopard (the leopards are more elusive than the tigers!) and have a good time.

Hilary Droy

Added November 2019

Tigers WOW!

We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly...

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.

Suggestions

Don't expect to see tigers so that when you do it's a bonus. Tigers can melt into the bush surprisingly easily for big animals. Remember to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the jungle and the other animals rather than focussing just on wanting a tiger/leopard (the leopards are more elusive than the tigers!) and have a good time.

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India Tiger Safari

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Embark on a comprehensive wildlife tour of the best tiger parks in India

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Reviews

Amazing Tiger sightings

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Appropriate

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Indian tiger safari

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Wonderful variety of wildlife in stunning scenery

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Reply from Exodus

If I had boxes this trip would tick all of them

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Tiger Heaven

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

A Fabulous Trip - Tigers and more

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Tigers, Leopards and So Much More

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Tigers WOW!

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

Tigers WOW!

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suggestions

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