Spending seven nights at the unspoilt national park of Nagarhole, we focus our attention on the park's fabulous array of predators including tiger, leopard and Asiatic wild dogs.
Among India's tiger parks, Nagarhole, in the southern state of Karnataka, is a jewel. Unlike the parks on Central India's beaten track, Nagarhole has a very strict limit on the number of vehicles entering each day, meaning sightings of India’s iconic wildlife - tigers, leopards and wild dogs - are rarely crowded. Also, unlike Central India, Nagarhole, which lies in the foothills of the Western Ghats, has a healthy population of Asian elephants, adding another level of interest and excitement to every safari in this beautiful park.
Nagarhole is a peaceful park full of chital with jungle mynas perched on their rumps and antlers. Lustrous Indian giant squirrels chatter in the trees, handsome stripe-necked mongooses trot through the leaf litter, and elephant tuskers stand placidly at the forest's edge. Tigers, leopards and dhole (Asian wild dogs) are seen almost daily. Sloth bears are less commonly seen in such cat country, but are here nonetheless, and we hope to also see a variety of spectacular birdlife.
Unlike many safaris, our tour to Nagarhole spends a whole week in one comfortable lodge with good food, large bird-filled gardens, good vehicles, and excellent naturalist guides. In this way, we combine twice-daily drives into the park with plenty of leisure time, making a perfect - and relaxing - break in one of India's undiscovered wildlife treasures.
To discover more, read our blog about the inaugural departure of this exceptional trip.
We also have a dedicated photography departure led by Bret Charman - contact us to find out more. Should you wish to extend your time in India to see Asian rhino and experience a completely different habitat to Nagarhole, we offer an optional extension to Kaziranga National Park. Full details on request.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
We depart the UK on an overnight flight to Bengaluru (formerly know as Bangalore), arriving early the next morning.
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Day 2:
Arrive Bengaluru & transfer to Nagarhole National Park
On arrival at Bengaluru International Airport, we drive south-west to Nagarhole National Park via Mysuru (formerly known as Mysore). We should arrive in time for a late lunch and in the afternoon enjoy our first safari in the national park, returning after sunset.
Accommodation: Kabini River Lodge, 7-nights
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Days 3-8
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Nagarhole National Park
We have six full days to explore Nagarhole National Park, our days typically following a programme of morning and afternoon jeep safaris, with the principal aim of trying to see the park's big cats, Asiatic wild dogs and elephants. Our drives usually last around three to four hours, allowing time in the middle of the day to relax and unwind in the lodge grounds. Whilst we aim to have two drives a day, due to park management rules, on occasions it may be necessary to take a boat safari rather than a jeep safari, but we will try to limit these as much as possible.
During our daily forays into the park we are likely to encounter a fabulous array of other species including chital (spotted deer), sambar deer, grey langurs, chousingha (four-horned antelope) and guar (Indian bison). There are also over 200 bird species that have been recorded in the park, and Nagarhole is particularly noted for its large number of osprey.
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Day 9:
Transfer to Bengaluru
This morning we enjoy one final drive in Nagarhole before returning by road to Bengaluru where we overnight.
Accommodation: Taj Yeshwantpur, 1-night
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Day 10:
Fly back to the UK
Depart Bengaluru for our return flight to the UK, arriving later the same day.
Please note: A few years ago, Nagarhole burst onto the wildlife viewing scene when a black panther (a melanistic leopard) was seen regularly. This striking individual captured the imagination of many wildlife enthusiasts, and our groups were lucky enough to enjoy some incredible sightings. In recent months, with the increasing presence of tigers and encroaching younger male leopards, sightings have become much rarer, and it is not clear whether he is still alive. However, his legacy remains with a female leopard recently sighted with melanistic cubs. We can only hope these cubs survive adulthood and follow in their father’s footsteps.
We have an excellent and experienced team of naturalist tour leaders guiding our groups in India. The exact leader for each departure will be confirmed once the group has been guaranteed to travel.
