Tigers of Bandhavgarh & Panna

Days 1 & 2. Depart London [B (Day 2 only)]

Depart the UK on the overnight flight to Delhi. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Claridges Hotel for the night. Enjoy a city tour.

Delhi is actually two fascinating cities - old and new. Old Delhi pulses with energy and colour, providing a fascinating insight into the sights, sounds and aromas of the Indian sub-continent; and here you will see the enormous Red Fort (please note that this is closed on Mondays), the Jama Masjid Mosque with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes and the bustling bazaar of Chandni Chowk. New Delhi is a complete contrast; it is a landscaped city of wide boulevards, colonial monuments, stately palaces and formal parks. Here you find the Parliament Building - once the aweinspiring residence of the British Viceroys and now the Presidential Palace, the Raj Ghat - cremation site of Mahatama Gandhi, India Gate - a majestic memorial to the Indian Soldiers killed in World War I, the ancient and fascinating Qutab Minar tower, Humanyun's Tomb - graceful Mughal fore-runner of the Taj Mahal and finally the Birla Mandir (a large Hindu Temple built in 1938). To see the major sites of Delhi you should allow at least a day (longer if you want to see things at a more relaxed pace).

Day 3. Khajuraho [B]

Fly to Khajuraho and spend the night at Jass Radisson.

Today Khajuraho is a small village in a remote part of central India, but 1000 years ago it was the magnificent seat of the Chandela Kings who built 85 temples, of which 22 remain in eloquent testimony to the glory of their reign. The world-famous Chandela Dynasty Temples built between 950 and 1050 AD are famous for their sensuous and erotic sculptures which so shocked their Victorian 'discoverers'. However, the temples also offer a fascinating insight into a more liberal pre-Islamic and pre-Christian life in India, portraying every minutia of daily human life and emotions. We recommend an overnight stay here as the temples are best viewed at dawn or dusk. For the wildlife enthusiast visiting Bandhavgarh or Panna, Khajuraho's excellent hotels make a convenient, refreshing and interesting stop, and the village is easily worked into a circuit of the central Indian parks. It is just 26 kilometres from Panna National Park and roughly six hours drive from Bandhavgarh National Park. Regular express trains to and from Delhi and Agra depart from Jhansi Station.

The Jas Radisson is a five-star deluxe hotel in the village of Khajaraho. Accommodation is in 90 airconditioned rooms and suites, set amidst verdant, landscaped lawns.

Days 4 & 5. Panna [B, L, D]

After visiting the famous Chandela Dynasty temples you take the short drive to Panna National Park and Ken River Lodge for a 2-night stay. It is a pretty reserve with twisting rivers and spectacular scenery. The lodge consists of eight deluxe safari tents amongst fifteen hectares of private jungle.

Panna National Park is one of India's least explored parks, and is located in central India in the state of Madyha Pradesh, 28 kilometres from Khajuraho. The park is home to Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Jungle Cat, Rusty-Spotted Cat, Desert Cat, Civet, Spotted Deer, Nilgai, Four-Horned Antelope, and both Marsh Mugger and Gharial Crocodiles. For bird lovers over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the park. Panna is prime Tiger country with an estimated 35 tigers, and the big cats have made a big comeback in the last seven years due to the efforts of Project Tiger. Game-viewing is by jeep, Elephant back safari and boat. Panna is easily visited en-route between nearby Khajuraho and Bandhavgarh National Park (five or six hours drive to the south).

Day 6 to 9. Bandhavgarh [B, L, D]

After morning game-viewing you drive for four and a half hours to Bandhavgarh and Kings Lodge, where you spend four nights.

Bandhavgarh was formerly a royal hunting reserve of the princely state of Rewe. The Park is situated in 450 square kilometres of mixed forest in a remote part of Madhya Pradesh in central India. It is famous for its Tiger population but many other mammals are found here including Chital, Sambar, Muntjac, Nilgai, Chinkara, Four-horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Leopard and Dhole. Birdlife also abounds with over 275 species of bird including hornbills, orioles, parakeets, peacocks, and eagles. Wildlife-viewing is on Elephant back and by jeep. Bandhavgarh is reached by private road transfer from Kanha (six hours) or Khajaraho (six hours). There are also overnight trains from Delhi and Agra to Umaria Station, plus a road transfer of one hour. (Transfer times are dependent on road conditions which are variable.)

Kings Lodge is set in five hectares and is surrounded by forested hills. There are four cottage rooms and eight rooms on stilts each with a lofted balcony and beautiful views. The lodge is newly constructed lodge with an eco-friendly design.

Day 10. En-route to Agra

Game-viewing this morning is followed by an overnight train journey to Agra.

The northern Indian city of Agra is home to one of the world's most iconic monuments - the Taj Mahal, a monument built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. For 22 years, 20,000 men laboured day and night to build this masterpiece in white marble which has held the world awe-struck ever since. A visit to northern India would be incomplete without a visit to this amazing building and the nearby Agra Fort, where Shah Jehan was imprisoned by his son. A short drive from the city you will find the wonderful palaces of the 'ghost city' of Fatehpur Sikri. Agra has good rail and road connections from Delhi some 253 kilometres to the north. (Please note that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.)

Days 11 & 12. Agra

Arriving into Agra first thing, you spend the day sightseeing, taking in the magnificent Taj Mahal. Early evening you travel by train to Delhi for dinner before returning to the the UK in the early hours, arrive day 12.