Tigers of India
Overview
Just 100 years ago, 100,000 wild tigers roamed across Asia from the Black Sea to the Pacific coast of Russia, and all the way south to Bali. Today, tigers are endangered globally, though while just a few years ago it was estimated that a maximum of 3,900 tigers were left in the wild (fewer than live in captivity in the United States alone), a new tiger assessment from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature released in 2022 increased that estimate to as many as 5,578 cats. Despite this encouraging 40% increase, based primarily on improved monitoring of tiger populations, these big cats still occupy little more than four percent of their former range. Of the nine subspecies, three — the Caspian, Javan, and Bali — went extinct between the 1950s and the 1970s, and the Malayan and Sumatran populations are currently listed as Critically Endangered. India’s Bengal tigers — Panthera tigris tigris — represent 70% of the wild tigers remaining in the world, and India should be applauded for their Project Tiger conservation campaign, initiated in 1973, to establish a system of tiger preserves around the country. Today, India has designated fifty tiger preserves, with several added in the last decade alone.
It goes without saying that this most striking of big cats is a compelling subject for any avid wildlife photographer. Join Justin Black as he leads a small group of just five participants to visit two of the best national parks in India (our favorites) to capture the elusive Bengal tiger, and the other wildlife with which they share their native habitat. Along the way, our group will travel in comfort and style, with a private charter flight between the parks, and enjoying accommodations in award-winning hotels and lodges.
The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve has been unnoticed by tourism until recently. The park is dominated by teak forest and bamboo and a rugged landscape comprising cliffs, caves, marshes, perennial lakes and boulder strewn streambeds that host impressive biodiversity. Tadoba’s tiger population has more than doubled over the last decade to perhaps 100 tigers, and the park’s abundant wildlife includes leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, nilgais (a.k.a. blue bull, the largest antelope in Asia), gaurs (Indian bison) and sambar deer.
Bandhavgarh, located in the Vindhya Mountains and set around an ancient fort and temple complex, features the highest concentration of wild tigers in a vehicle-accessible area anywhere on Earth. Its beautifully scenic landscape of woodlands, rocky hills and grassland valleys provides superb backdrops for wildlife action.
Each park has its own distinct character. Visiting two different reserves provides diversity of landscape, flora, and fauna, and increases our chances for meaningful tiger photography.
Following the safari, participants have the option to add an extension to visit Agra (at additional cost – please contact us for more information if interested), best known as the home to the Taj Mahal. The city’s art, culture, architecture and royal cuisine are exceptional, and well worth a visit. The return charter flight from Bandhavgarh will stop in Agra for those opting to stay on, thereby avoiding the 4-hour drive from Delhi to Agra. You will have the opportunity to visit a local market, photograph the Taj Mahal at sunset from the Mehtab Bhag garden directly across the river, and visit and photograph the Taj Mahal again at sunrise the following day. You will also explore the Red Fort and the elegant Itimad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb before returning to Delhi by car and boarding your flights home. English-speaking guides who we know and trust will accompany participants on the Agra extension, but please note that there will not be a photography leader present in Agra.
Itinerary
February 26: Arrival Day
Fly into New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). You will be cheerfully greeted by a local guide who will assist you with your luggage and transfer you to our group hotel. We will have a group dinner for those who arrive by early evening. Overnight in a Superior Garden View Room at the superb Trident Gurgaon hotel. (D)
February 27 – Mar 1 (note that 2024 is a leap year): Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
In the morning on February 27 we will return to the airport and fly to Nagpur, then drive to our lodge near Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (150kms, approx 2.5 hours). After lunch we will go on our first game drive in our exclusive open-top 4WD vehicles.
On February 28, 29, and March 1, we will gather early in the morning for tea and coffee and embark on our morning game drive. We will then return to the lodge, and after lunch we will embark on our afternoon game drive. Four nights at Wagoba Eco Lodge (B,L,D).
March 2: Morning at Tadoba, and private charter flight to Bandhavgarh National Park
We will assemble early in the morning for tea and coffee and a light breakfast, and our final game drive in Tadoba National Park. After a chance to shower and change, we will drive back to Nagpur to board our comfortable Pilatus PC-12 executive aircraft for our private charter flight to Umaria. From the airstrip at Umaria, we will drive 25km (50 minutes) to Kings Lodge. After lunch, we will set out in our private open-top 4WD safari vehicles with our English-speaking naturalist guide for our first game drive at Bandhavgarh National Park. Overnight at Kings Lodge (B,L,D).
March 3-5: Bandhavgarh National Park
Each day we will gather early in the morning for tea and coffee and embark on our morning game drive. We will then return to the lodge, and after lunch we will embark on our afternoon game drive. Overnight at Kings Lodge (B,L,D)
March 6: Return to Delhi, Departure Day / Optional Agra Extension
After a leisurely breakfast we will drive to Umaria airport and board our private charter flight to Delhi International Airport, stopping for lunch in Agra, and dropping off those who are staying on for the Agra and Taj Mahal extension. After arriving at the airport in Delhi, you can proceed to the international terminal to board your flight home. International flights should depart no earlier than 9:00pm. If you prefer to spend an additional night in Delhi, we would be happy to assist in making arrangements (costs not included in the package). (B,L)
Those who have opted to stay on for the Agra extension will check-in to your hotel, and will have the rest of the afternoon at your leisure. There will be an optional visit to a local market, and the opportunity to photograph the Taj Mahal at sunset from across the river, in the beautiful Mehtab Bhag gardens. Return to the hotel for a relaxing group dinner. Overnight ITC Mughal
March 7 – Agra and the Taj Mahal (optional extension)
Gather early in the morning for a private guided tour to experience and photograph the surreal effects caused by the reflections of the sun rising from behind the white marble clad Taj Mahal. With its shimmering white marble domes and exquisite craftsmanship, the Taj Mahal is Agra’s pride and one of the world’s greatest monuments. Built in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, the Taj is inlaid with black marble and semi-precious stones on its inside and outside, while the entire Quran is inscribed on the exterior of its main dome.
Return to the hotel for breakfast, then embark on a guided tour of Agra, visiting the impressive Red Fort, built by Emperor Akbar in between 1567 and 1573. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it encompasses an enormous complex of courtly buildings. Also, visit small but elegant Itimad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb (1622) lyrically described as a “jewel box in marble”. The tomb is a combination of white marble, coloured mosaic, stone inlay and lattice work. Stylistically, it is the most innovative 17th century Mughal building.
After visiting the sites in Agra, return to the hotel for lunch. Following lunch you will be driven to Delhi International Airport (210 kms, approx. 4 hours) to catch your flights home. Flights should not depart prior to 10:00pm. If you prefer to spend an additional night in Delhi, we would be happy to assist in making arrangements (costs not included in the package). (B,L)
Instructors
Justin Black
- JUSTIN BLACK is a photographer (www.justinblackphoto.com), writer, editor, expedition leader, photo workshops instructor, a Fellow ...
Gallery
Pricing
All prices are per person.
Please note: The Agra extension requires a minimum of 2 participants. Please contact us for details if interested.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
- 30% deposit is required upon registration
- A further 30% payment will be due June 1, 2023
- Remaining 40% balance due by October 29, 2023
Click here to review our payment, cancellation and refund policies; as well as terms and conditions for participation.
INCLUDED
- 15 game drives in two different parks, optimizing opportunities for photography of bengal tigers and numbers other species of mammals and exotic birds.
- Attentive and personalized photographic instruction by Justin Black throughout the safari
- All accommodations from arrival in New Delhi on February 26 to departure on March 6, or March 7 for those participating in the Agra extension. Additional nights can be booked upon request, at your expense.
- Two private charter flights aboard a Swiss Pilatus PC-12 executive aircraft, and one scheduled commercial flight as noted in the itinerary.
- All meals from dinner on February 26 to lunch on March 6, or lunch on March 7 for those participating in the Agra extension (including wine/beer with dinners where available).
- All necessary ground transfers, including airport transfers and transfers between lodges.
NOT INCLUDED
- R/T airfare to and from our starting and ending point in Delhi, India.
- Additional hotel nights, meals or other costs for arrivals prior to the start date or departures after the end date.
- Cost of passports, entry visas or reciprocity fees, vaccinations, or other personal travel expenses. All foreign nationals are required to obtain either an e-Tourist Visa (easy) or a proper Indian visa valid for ten years, prior to arrival.
- Travel insurance, emergency medical insurance and evacuation insurance/ coverage. Emergency medical and evacuation coverage are required for this expedition.
- Alcoholic beverages other than those offered at dinner
- Telephone or internet charges
- Any private excursions or services not included in the itinerary
- Personal purchases, souvenirs, additional activities, and anything else not listed as included
Highlights
- Photograph Royal Bengal Tigers and other native species in their natural habitat on 15 games drives in private open-top 4WD vehicles
- Experienced English-speaking naturalist drivers on all game drives
- Private charter flights between the parks and back to Delhi
- Transportation between airports in comfortable vehicles
- Accommodations in award-winning ecolodges
- Small group size and low ratio of participants to instructor (5:1)
- Constructive critiques of participants photographs along the way
- Optional tour to the Taj Mahal and Agra at the end of the trip
Accommodations
We will stay at comfortable, award-winning hotels and ecolodges throughout the itinerary, including:
- Trident Gurgaon (1 night)
- Wagoba Eco Lodge (4 nights)
- Kings Lodge (4 nights)
- ITC Mughal (1 night – Taj/Agra extension only)
Travel
