Duration: 11 nights/10 days photographic safari

Spaces: 6 Spaces (Minimum of 4 required)

Your tour will be hosted by Tracey

You will also be joined by an experienced local Indian guide/naturalist. Both hosts will be on hand to provide any tuition both in the field and during down time at the lodge. This trip is ideal for all photography levels.

Pench National Park is located in Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh in India. It derives its name from the Pench River that flows through the park from north to south dividing the park into almost equal western and eastern halves,. It was declared a sanctuary in 1965 but raised to the status of national park in 1975. In 1992, it was established as a Tiger reserve. Pench National Park is one of the topmost destinations for wildlife tourism in Madhya Pradesh. The park is known for master predator - The royal Bengal Tiger which is the main cat species of the park present in good numbers. The landscape varies between undulating terrain with small hills, open grassy meadows and dense forests. The protected area is covered with small hills and well-stocked teak mixed forest. Besides Tiger and other wildlife it’s a perfect place to admire birding. not one

Tadoba National Park is situated in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state and has been given the status of jewel in the state’s crown. The name Tadoba is derived by the God ‘Tadoba’ or ‘Taru’ who as per legends, used to be the village chief of the local tribes. The park spreads over an area of 1700 square kilometers. Dense jungles and heavily forested hills ranging 200 m to 350m make up its scenic northern and western boundaries. Wetland areas in the reserve include the Tadoba Lake, Kolsa Lake & Andhari River.

In December days are warm and pleasant (around 22°C to 25°C), but nights get genuinely cold with temperatures dropping to 8°C or lower.

Guests should be advised that the game drives can get very dusty and also be a tad bumpy at times but this is all part of the adventure. As with any wildlife adventure tiger sightings can never be guaranteed.

Hotel Pride Plaza, Aerocity, Delhi (Nr International Airport) - (2 Nights)

This 5-star hotel near Delhi Airport provides the finest accommodation and state-of-the-art amenities and serves as a delightful haven for business and leisure travellers. The palatial rooms are decorated with the magnificent monumental images of India. The most striking aspect of the lovely images highlighting the beauty of the country is that they are absolutely authentic. Being a quintessential traditional hotel, the Pride Plaza offers it’s guests a host of opportunities to feel at home and relish the true Indian treat in the form of home-made jams, pickles, conventional chaats in the buffet, the relaxing welcome drink, tamarind candies, hot water bottles among many others.

Pench Jungle Camp (3 Nights)

Pench Jungle Camp is set in fifty acres of lush foliage, sprawling lawns and untouched landscaping only 1 km from the Turia Gate of Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

Recently re-built, Pench Jungle Camp has upgraded its level of accommodation to that of complete comfort and luxury whilst still maintaining its focus on the guiding and hosting of guests to ensure the ultimate guest experience. Our team of naturalists possesses a wealth of knowledge, expertise and first-hand experience (along with bucket loads of passion for what they do!)

Tadoba Jungle Camp - (5 Nights)

The camp is low-key and rustic, perfect for an authentic adventure in India’s verdant hinterland. Our twelve Luxury Safari Cottages offer a real sense of safari escapade built with indigenous materials and decked out with native prints, wooden beds, organic toiletries and insect repellent. The traditional dining room has you feasting on signature buffets and set menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bonfires and special evening meals can be arranged under the stars in the bush or by candlelight at the poolside.

Pre-trip advice

2-3 months prior to travel you will receive a comprehensive document that provides packing advice so you are prepared for your trip

Tour language

This tour is an English-speaking tour. Please note: that not all lodge staff/forest guides will have a good understanding/ use of understanding the English language. However, we do have a local Indian guide who is able to assist if required.

Visas

Foreign nationals visiting India must obtain a visa prior to their arrival in India. The new e-via system can be accessed here:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Visas are usually granted quite fast (2-3 days). Please be wary of other visa providers who may charge extra for the visa service. It is best to use the government’s own website to avoid extra visa service fees

It is your responsibility to also ensure that your passport is valid for a minimum of six months and has several clear pages for visas prior to departure. It is also suggested that you check your status as regards visas prior to travel as they can change on a regular basis.

Vaccinations

We are not qualified or legally allowed to provide vaccination or medical advise. Therefore, you should consult your travel nurse or doctors for specific medical advise and up to date advise on vaccinations required. We suggest doing this at least 2-3months prior to travel or sooner if this allows

Diarrhea / giardia etc. – good personal hygiene and control over the quality of your drinking water should avoid this. Bottled water is readily available throughout the country. Please take along some diarrhea and rehydration medicine just in case, particularly if you are planning to spend some time travelling alone and not with a tour. We recommend that guests buy only bottled water with the seal intact. Bottled water is usually provided free of charge as standard at most safari lodges and tented caps. Please ensure bottled water is used when brushing one’s teeth, even in well-established camps and city lodges

Fitness Level Required

This tour does not require a high level of fitness. However, guests should be able to get in/out of a game vehicle (a step up/down of around 2 feet) with little or no assistance and should be capable of walking up to 200 metres to and from their room at the lodges/hotels. Guests should also be aware of the temperatures below that can be experienced at this time of year.

Weather & Environmental Conditions

During May in India, it is their summer. Late mornings and afternoons will be very hot, and the temperatures may go to 39-45 C at the hottest part of the day. Usually on average, temperatures will be around 36-41 C. Rain at this time of the year is generally not experienced, although occasionally there can be the odd thunderstorm

You may require a lightweight fleece or a light sweater for a short while during morning safaris. The moment the sun starts coming up, it starts getting very hot. The heat can start from early/mid-morning.

It is very important to avoid dehydration in these temperatures by wearing a hat and drinking plenty of water. In the evening it can be warm. On our group safaris, we use air-conditioned hotels/lodges

Camera Equipment

For game viewing we would recommend bringing a camera/lenses that can cater for a range of distances. A good starting point is to have a camera/lens that can accommodate focal lengths of between 100-400 mm. In general, you will be using longer lenses/focal length for the majority of the time. However, some tiger sightings may be experienced at much closer focal lengths, or you may want to take a more wider-angle lens for environment images. Therefore, we would recommend cameras/lenses that provides a minimum of around 70-100 mm focal length, with the opportunity of a zoom lens or an alternative lens that can cater for sightings at a further distance (e.g., 400mm – 600mm)

Often on safari you will be photographing in the early morning and early evening and therefore sometime in low light. So, for those more serious photographers, we therefore recommend faster lenses, for example F4 or below. Further information on photography equipment will be supplied as part of your pre-trip advice.

Gratuities

Gratuities are not included in the cost of your safari. What you provide as a gratuity is very much up to the individual traveller. However, below is a guideline of what is generally recommended to budget for:

Tipping is very much part of the culture in India and is usually expected and it is advisable to have local currency for this purpose. Wages for most nationals of India in the national parks are very low and as we like to ensure we are tipping for the good service we receive from local staff.

Your hosts will advise on this nearer the time and will collect this amount from you all at the beginning of the tour or on the first night at the hotel. Which will then be used during your trip to avoid you having to worry about paying gratuities daily or at the end of the trip.

Wi-Fi/Phone Network Access

At most of the lodges or hotels in India there is Wi-Fi access. However, please be aware that the speed of these networks may be much slower than normal broadband speeds. There is generally good access to cellular networks in Delhi, but this can be very sporadic in the more rural areas of India.

Dietary

Most dietary requests can be catered for with advance notice provided to us at least two months prior to departure.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend purchasing your own travel insurance at the time of booking to cover any eventualities should you need to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances as both the deposit and final balances are non-refundable. Guests travelling without their own travel insurance do so at their own risk.

Group Photo Safari Cost: £5095 pp

Single Occupancy Supplement: £750 pp

£5845 for 1 x traveller in a single occupancy room

Secure your place with 25% non-refundable deposit of £1273.75 / £1461.25 (single occupancy) per person

Payments accepted by Bank Transfer

*Please see Terms & Conditions for payment details

Cost Includes :-

2 nights accommodation at Hotel Pride Plaza Aerocity (Breakfast included)

3 nights at Pench Jungle Camp (including Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

5 nights at Tadoba Jungle Camp(including Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Internal Flights as stated

Road transfers as stated in air-conditioned comfortable vehicle for all transfers included in the tour program

All park entrance fees, jeep charges, permit fees, services of forest guide and driver

Assistance/meet & greet at airports on arrivals / departures

Services of 2 photographic hosts

Services of local tour guide and naturalist

Service tax levied by the government

NOT Included:-

International flights to/from Delhi

Any personal expense such as laundry bills, beverages / drinks bill at all hotels, snacks whilst travelling, telephone bills, airport tax etc

Dinner & Lunch costs whilst at hotel in Delhi (2 nights)

Tips & gratuities (E.g. for local drivers, forest guides, local tour leaders & hotel staff). Please budget for around £180 per person

Travel Insurance, Visas & Vaccinations