Through its sights and sounds, India is always compelling on the senses. The country’s wild places support charismatic species that are just as exciting to see and photograph, none more so than the country's big cats.
Bori Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best-kept secrets in Madhya Pradesh, offering excellent tiger sightings and memorable experiences for all the right reasons. However, in India, it's all too easy to become preoccupied with a single animal (the tiger) and judge the success of a tour on seeing it alone. Whereas, the wild corners of the subcontinent have so much more to offer.
Leopards are by far the most numerous large predators in India. However, they're also the most elusive. There are healthy populations in and around all major tiger reserves, including Bori, but because of the threat posed by their larger, more powerful cousins, leopards are always extremely secretive and conceal themselves in the heart of the most challenging terrain.
No tigers are present in Rajasthan’s Jawai Hills, so here the leopard is the apex predator, and the area is known for its thriving population. What's more, they're far more visible and less secretive than their counterparts elsewhere. Nestled in the Aravalli Hills between Jodhpur and Udaipur, Jawai is a rocky wilderness, where Rabari herdsmen clad in crimson turbans share their rugged surroundings with wildlife.
The arid environment is home to natural prey species such as nilgai and wild boar, as well as langurs, wolves and sloth bears, plus a wealth of birdlife that includes flamingos and sarus cranes at the nearby Jawai Bandh, one of western Rajasthan’s largest reservoirs.
By concentrating on two such very different areas that in combination present such diversity, this Indian wildlife photography tour offers an opportunity to see and photograph two of the subcontinent’s most iconic predators, in addition to a broad spectrum of India’s other fabulous wildlife. It also allows you to experience India in a way that avoids the crowds as much as possible and provides an enthralling and evocative wildlife experience that will linger long in the memory.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Fly to Mumbai
Today, we depart the UK on an overnight flight to Mumbai.
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Day 2:
Fly to Udaipur & transfer to Jawai
On arrival in Mumbai, we connect with a domestic flight to Udaipur. From Udaipur, we're met and transferred to Jawai, which is a journey of approximately three hours. By late afternoon, we arrive at our accommodation and have time to settle in before dinner in the evening.
Accommodation: Bera Safari Lodge, 5-nights
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Days 3-6
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Safaris in Jawai
We have four days to explore this visually stunning area. Morning and afternoon jeep safaris form the focus of our efforts to track down leopards and other wildlife. There are also opportunities to explore the area’s fascinating cultural aspects as we pass by villages and traditional farming communities, in addition to night drives.
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Day 7:
Return to Udaipur & fly to Bhopal
This morning we have one last jeep safari in Jawai and return to the lodge for breakfast. Afterwards, it's time to depart and make the return journey to Udaipur, where we catch our next domestic flight to Bhopal.
On arrival in Bhopal, we're met and transferred to our accommodation nearby.
Accommodation: Jehan Numa Palace, 1-night
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Day 8:
Transfer to Bori Wildlife Sanctuary
After breakfast, we leave Bhopal and transfer to Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a drive of approximately three hours. On arrival at Bori, we can settle into our rooms, then enjoy a more leisurely afternoon (as all park and reserves in Central India are closed on Wednesday afternoons). However, there's sure to be plenty of birdlife to look for and potentially photograph in the grounds of our lodge.
Accommodation: Bori Safari Lodge, 5-nights
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Days 9-12
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Explore Bori Wildlife Sanctuary
For the next four days, we explore Bori Wildlife Sanctuary on early morning and late afternoon game drives. Exploring primarily by Maruti jeep, which gives us the best chance of covering the most ground to maximise our chances of seeing and photographing tigers, in addition to the park’s numerous other species.
Bori's beauty and diversity provides the potential for some wonderful wildlife experiences, including realistic chances of photographing tiger, leopard, sloth bear, dhole and a variety of other smaller mammals and bird species.
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Day 13:
Return to Mumbai
This morning we depart Bori and return to Bhopal in time to catch a domestic flight to Mumbai.
On arrival in Mumbai, we're met and transferred to a nearby hotel where we have use of day rooms to freshen up and relax before returning to the airport for our return flights to the UK and any other onward travel arrangements.
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Day 14:
Departure
Early in the morning, we depart Mumbai and fly back to the UK arriving the same day.
Please note: If you would like to arrive in India a night earlier and make use of an airport hotel or plan an extension to other destinations in this incredible country, please do not hesitate to contact your travel consultants to discuss this in more detail and find out which option will suit your requirements.
