India
PhotographyPhotography, wildlife, culture
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This exciting new photo tour visits the gorgeous Himalayan region of Sattal near the mountain town of Nainital, north of Delhi. Here, jaw-dropping scenery goes hand in hand with some wonderful Indian birds. Among the birds on offer are a wonderful array of pheasants, including the “bird of nine colors”, the flamboyant Himalayan Monal, as well as Kalij, Koklass and Cheer Pheasants. In addition to these star residents, we will also be targeting daytime owls, beautiful leafbirds, amazing redstarts, strikingly colored minivets, stunning Asian woodpecker species, boisterous groups of laughingthrushes and babblers, spectacular blue magpies and even a local dipper. We will be using a series of famous blinds in the area to get photos of many of these species, as well as photographing birds on the fly, while “birding” other areas. We will be accompanied by accomplished photographers who run the blinds and know the birds of the area intimately and so know how best to try and photograph the local birdlife. India offers some of the best photo opportunities in all of Asia, as the birds there have not been persecuted and are often famously tolerant of humans, living side by side with them, and regularly allowing many shots on the go too. More than 200 species are found in the Sattal area, and as many as 70 species are regularly photographed between the various locations.
As if that were not enough, an extension into Central India will give us a really good chance to photograph one of the world’s most dramatic animals, the “Bengal” Tiger. We will visit one of the best tiger reserves in the country for a very good shot at this, other wildlife that are the prey of the tiger, and a swathe of new birds. As this will be in the lowlands, the birdlife will be totally different from the main tour, and so we will be able to shoot plenty of species we have not yet encountered. If you come to India only once on a photo tour, this is the ultimate combination of great birds, blinds and also one of the most dramatic cats on the planet, for a safari like experience on the extension. Other highlights of this trip are multiple night stays at single locations, so there is not much moving around, and, of course, the famously delicious Indian food.
Price
To Be Announced
Length
10 Days
Physical Difficulty
Moderate
Pace
Moderate
Focus
Photography, wildlife, culture
Group size
6 + 1 leader
TBA
New Dates and Prices coming soon
Starting City
Delhi
Ending City
Delhi
After your arrival in India’s bustling capital you will be transferred to a hotel for the night.
This varied tour first begins within the vast wetlands of Bharatpur. A former hunting reserve of the Maharajas (Indian royalty), this park is littered with pools and swamps that are interspersed with dry scrub and woodland. After a good monsoon, it is home to immense numbers of waterbirds, making for a wonderful wildlife spectacle. Photographers rarely visit just once, as memory cards come back jam-packed with images of storks, herons, ducks, jacanas, and geese, as well as the many photogenic passerines and day-roosting night birds within this reserve. We will have the entire afternoon to begin exploring the area, traveling from our lodge just outside the reserve to gate within a vehicle, although once in the reserve we will take a series of rickshaws, as these are the only permitted vehicles within the core zone of the park. We will be cycled around, allowing us quiet approach to the many animals and birds that call this park home. Three nights will be spent in a hotel just outside the park.
We will have two full days to explore areas both within and around the reserve In wet years it is likely we may not need to travel much beyond the borders of the reserve, as a myriad of pools will bring literally thousands of birds and their attendant predators (such as a high number of raptors) into the reserve. While in dryer years there are plenty of other close areas where we can target the same species. While in Bharatpur we will have chances to photograph such species as Gray Francolin, Bronze-winged Jacana, Greater Painted-Snipe, Sarus Crane, Spotted Owlet, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Painted Stork, Indian Roller, Black-rumped Flameback, and plenty more. Other targets include India’s national bird, the extravagant Indian Peafowl, the massive Nilgai or Blue Bull, and Asia’s largest deer, the Sambar. It is common for local guides, who will assist us in the park, to have stake-outs for roosting nightbirds, such as Indian Scops-Owl, Large-tailed Nightjar, and Dusky Eagle-Owl. We will not struggle for avian targets during our time there, whether it be in the open scrubland, the wooded areas, or in the wetlands that have made this sanctuary famous.
No visit to northern India would be complete without the considerable cultural diversion of the Taj Mahal. This pristine white marble mausoleum stands prominently on the banks of the Yamuna River and is a wonder of exquisite architectural design. After shooting the Taj, we will return to nature and travel to a lodge close to the Chambal River, a vital sanctuary for waterbirds, which we will explore with cameras, and by boat, the following day. A single night will be spent at Chambal Lodge.
The Chambal River is a globally important sanctuary for a number of species, which gather there due to the clean, crystal-clear waters, compared with a number of other large rivers in the country which have suffered serious pollution. The main bird for which the site is famous is the endangered Indian Skimmer, which can often be found perched along its banks, and often allow close approach by boat. Other birds we might find along the banks include some other large impressive species like Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-naped Ibis, and Great Thick-knee. The river is also home to other spectacular animals that are sure to keep our cameras active, like the menacing-looking Mugger Crocodile and the bizzare-yet-elegant Gharial. After a morning and lunch in the Chambal area, we will drive back to Agra and catch an overnight sleeper train bound for Central India, and the tigers of Bandhavgarh… the night will be spent on board the train, where we will have comfortable berths for sleeping.
After arrival in the early morning of day 7, we will have the remainder of that day, and the next five full days to explore this fascinating tiger park. Located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, we will enjoy African-style adventures in Bandhavgarh, the world’s premier tiger reserve, boasting some of the highest density of Bengal Tigers on Earth. With plenty of time in the park we hope to have multiple chances to photograph this magnificent and fierce beast from open-top jeeps. Aside from India’s flagship animal, plenty of other Asian animals roam the park, from “holy” Hanuman Langurs to spritely Chital Deer and Golden Jackals. The myriad animals on site are also accompanied by a healthy bird population, which includes such species as Crested Hawk-Eagle, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Jungle Owlet, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Rufous Treepie. Two jeep rides will be undertaken within the park each day, and other times we can spend relaxing and photographing around our lodge grounds just outside the park. On the night of day 12 we shall take an overnight sleeper train back to Delhi, arriving during the day of day 13.
Our overnight train will bring us into Delhi during the afternoon on this day. The night will be spent in Delhi, to recuperate after our long train journey and ready us for the next exciting leg of the trip.
The most prominent animal in the park, and the principal reason for including it on this photo tour, is the robust Asian One-horned Rhinoceros, which will be a major target for our lenses, along with Eastern Swamp Deer and the rare Asiatic Water Buffalo. Vast herds of Asian Elephant also wander around this remote park. This game park is good for birds too, offering large, spectacular storks like both Greater and Lesser adjutants, the regal Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, and even the chance of capturing the beautiful Bengal Florican as it dances above the grasslands.
We will drive back to Guwahati, then take an internal flight back to the capital Delhi, to connect with international departures.
Day 1: Arrival in Dehli.
After your arrival in India’s bustling capital, you will be transferred to a good hotel in the city. The tour officially starts with a meeting with your guide for dinner at our hotel, when we will get our first taste of some of India’s amazing culinary delights.
Day 2: Delhi to Sattal.
This will be largely a driving day (up to 7 hours) as we head north out of Delhi and up into the Himalayas. In the afternoon, we will arrive at our base in Sattal, where we spend the next four nights. Depending on our arrival time, we may begin photographing some of India’s Himalayan birds in the late afternoon.
Days 3-5: Sattal area.
On these three days, we will split our time between multiple sessions in birding blinds and also some trail birding and birding around our base which is right where many of the birds are. A water feature on the grounds is excellent for attracting a variety of birds and mammals, including monkeys. This will also include a visit to the famous “Sattal Studio Birdwatching Point” and blinds in Kathgoam too. The blinds can yield more than 20 different species to photograph alone. Some of the exciting possibilities here include, Rufous-throated Partridge, Kalij Pheasant, Great Barbet, Lesser Yellownape (a stunning woodpecker), Plum-headed Parakeet, the bright scarlet-and-black Long-tailed Minivet, Black-headed Jay, Red-billed Blue-Magpie, Himalayan Black-lored Tit, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, White-crested Laughingthrush, and Blue Whistling-Thrush! There are also five owl species around the property where we will be based, so sometimes species like Brown Wood-Owl can be photographed during the day. All of this will be while based at a forest site within the outstanding scenery of the Himalayas.
Day 6: Ranikhet to Chopta.
On this day we will begin with a visit to Cheer Point in Ranikhet, perched on a Himalayan hilltop that is the home to the rare Cheer Pheasant, and Koklass Pheasant too. Other species in the area include the handsome Black Francolin, Asian Tit, Himalayan Bulbul, and Indian White-eye. By the end of the day we will arrive at our next base in Chopta, for a four-night stay.
Day 7: Chopta.
Chopta has been dubbed “mini-Switzerland”, due to the combination of gorgeous views of snow-capped peaks, lush alpine meadows and verdant Himalayan forests comprised of pines and rhododendrons that are full of birds. This day will involve a walk up to Monal Point in Tungnath to photograph the stunning nine-colored pheasant, Himalayan Monal that forage in the open meadows. We will also have the chance here for Snow Partridge, the massive-winged Himalayan Griffon, Bearded Vulture, Rufous Sibia, White-capped Redstart, and Rufous-bellied and Himalayan Woodpeckers.
Day 8-9: Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (Chopta).
We will have two more days in the Chopta area within Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, with a world of bird species possible, including Yellow-billed Blue-Magpie, Green-backed and Gray-crested Tits, boisterous groups of White-throated Laughingthrushes, and the striking Long-billed Thrush.
Day 10: Chopta to Delhi – Nighttime departures or start TIGER EXTENSION.
Today, we drive back to Delhi in time for nighttime departures. If you are joining the Tiger Extension, this night will be spent in Delhi once more.
No trip to India would feel complete without setting eyes on its most famous animal, the “Bengal” Tiger. No other country offers as good a chance at photographing this epic cat, and we will be visiting the country’s premier tiger reserve, Bandhavgarh. Tigers will, of course, dominate our plans, but the area is also teeming with lowland bird species, almost all of which will be new after a main tour in the mountains. This will likely include Indian classics, like Indian Peafowl that are as tame in the wild as they are in captivity and the Red Junglefowl, the species where chickens originated from. We will be in park vehicles for this safari like experience and will be shooting a host of birds and other animals from these, as we are the hunt for their most famous feline. India is a very birdy place, with many species being showy and tame, and this extension will showcase this firsthand.
Day 1: Delhi to Bandhavgarh.
We will fly from Delhi to Jabalpur airport, then drive around 4 hours to our lodge near Bandhavgarh National Park, one of the best tiger reserves in the World.
Days 2-4: Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
This diverse park boasts 110,000 acres (44,000 ha.) of sal forest, woodland, bamboo, and grassland. The chances of seeing a Tiger are better here than anywhere else in the world, though spotting one still takes some luck. The sal woodland habitat harbors some great birds like White-naped Woodpecker, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Indian Scimitar-Babbler, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Malabar Pied-Hornbill, and Jungle Bush-Quail. Bandhavgarh is also endowed with several pans and waterholes, which are magnets for mammals in the dry season. Chital, Sambar, Barking Deer, Golden Jackal, Wild Boar, Rhesus Macaque, and Hanuman Langur are all regular, although we’d need more luck to see Leopard, Indian Wild Dog, Striped Hyena, or Sloth Bear that also occur in the park.
Day 5: Bandhavgarh to Delhi
On this day, we will return to Delhi via a domestic flight from Jabalpur and spend our final night in Delhi.
Day 6: Departure
The tour ends this morning in Delhi’s international airport.
PACE: Relaxed to moderate. Early starts are necessary on most days since we need to be out at first light (around 6:30 am), and we also will be using the late evening light where possible (6 pm). Because it is winter, days are reasonably short. On some days, like at Bandhavgahr and Kaziranga, there will likely be a couple of hours of downtime after lunch. However, in places like Bharatpur, the cooler climate and often-overcast conditions can allow us to shoot longer and there may be less downtime. There is quite a bit of travel on this itinerary, but the scenes and soundscapes of a passage through India are part of the experience of traveling this incredible country. There will be drives of 3-5 hours on at least five days, and we will take overnight sleeping trains on two days (to and from Bandhavgarh). Most meals will be sit-down affairs, but there will be a few packed breakfasts and lunches.
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. Most walks are short and flat. At Bharatpur we hire rickshaws to get to the key photo sites. In Bandhavgahr and Kaziranga, we will be strictly confined to open-topped safari vehicles when we are inside the parks, and we will do some opportunistic photography on foot near our accommodation.
CLIMATE: This tour is best in winter, when it is pleasantly warm and dry (mostly 71°-90°F, 21°-32°C). Rain is usually not a big problem, but may sometimes occur in the afternoons in the form of thunderstorms; occasionally tropical systems create rain for longer periods.
ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, with private facilities throughout. All accommodations have private en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, 24-hour electricity and internet (although it can be a little intermittent). Two nights are spent on overnight trains (to get to and from Bandhavgarh); on these nights there are no en-suite bathrooms, only public ones shared by the entire train carriage.
WHEN TO GO: This tour can only be run between November and April, when all the parks are open. The parks close during the monsoon season, when it is unpleasantly hot and humid.
PHOTO PHILOSOPHY: This trip has a roughly even split between vehicle-based photography and photography on foot. There are excellent chances to photograph birds, mammals, and landscapes. We may walk a bit outside the parks for opportunistic pictures of birds and small mammals. However, when inside the national parks we will be mostly restricted to the vehicle, which is open-topped but quite small.
GEAR: Long lenses (500 or 600 mm) are useful in the wide-open spaces of India, where subjects like birds are often quite far away. On the other hand, the tame nature of “Incredible India” means we will be close to many subjects, particularly large mammals. So a flexible combination of lenses and bodies is best. Light is abundant, and we don’t do a lot of night photography, so a flash is not essential, and low f-stop lenses are not essential. A tripod will be occasionally useful, but far from essential unless you like to carry around very heavy gear. There is not enough room inside of the vehicles to set up a tripod. Beanbags and other ways of stabilizing lenses inside of a vehicle are recommended.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay and have TWO BLANK PAGES. A VISA IS REQUIRED. It can be applied for online by citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia and many other countries. This eVisa, can be applied for 120 days before your trip HERE. This should be done well before the tour, and at the latest can be done 7 days before your departure, though we suggest doing it much, much earlier than this. It is also possible to apply for a visa through an Indian consulate or embassy. Travel requirements are subject to change.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to local guides, drivers, and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 16; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 17; reasonable non-alcoholic beverages during meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the afternoon of day 17; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle(s) with local driver(s); 2 overnight train journeys (Agra-Bandhavgarh on night of day 6; and Bandhavgarh-Delhi on night of day 12); return domestic flight (Delhi-Guwahati-Delhi); entrance fees and local guide fees for all the birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance).
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters (if you require their services); snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.
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