India Wildlife & Birding Safari

ITINERARY

Feb 15 - New Delhi & Okhla Bird Sanctuary

After meeting your guide at the Indira Ghandi International Airport in New Dehli, head to the hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. There is an optional tour to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary an hour away in the afternoon, where you can see many species of birds including ducks, spoonbills, jacanas, and more. (B,L,D)

Feb 16 - Agra & Chambal River

After breakfast, we will take a luxury train from Delhi to Agra, arriving in time for an authentic Indian lunch. We'll take a boat ride along the Chambal River, one of the country's most beautiful and diverse rivers.

Wildlife we may see on this ride includes Gangetic dolphins, crocodiles, gharials, and freshwater turtles. Among the many species of birds here are flamingoes, cormorants, plovers, and kingfishers. Overnight at the Chambal Safari Lodge. (B,L,D)

Feb 17 - Chambal River & Beteshwar Temples

This morning, we'll take a second ride on the Chambal to find any species we missed on our first trip. On the way back, we'll visit a local market to sample local foods and shop. 

After lunch, we'll visit river temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and learn about daily life in India. Dinner will be a campfire outside the lodge and after an optional short walk to look for nocturnal mammals on the property including the Indian civet cat. (B,L,D)

Feb 18 - Taj Mahal & Bharatpur

Get up early to head to the world's most famous building, the Taj Mahal. This incredible place took more than 20 years to build by 20,000 laborers. Early morning is best for photographs and to enjoy the immense power of the setting.

Later that morning, we head to Bharatpur, where we will spend the next three nights. We'll arrive in time for afternoon birding to look for sandpipers, herons, and more. Our home for the next three nights will be the Laxmi Vilas Palace, a lavish colonial era hotel with pool and more. (B,L,D)

Feb 19 - Birding by Rickshaw

Explore the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, one of the world's finest waterfowl reserves. This marsh is a former hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur and protects nearly 400 species of birds including storks, harriers, owls, lapwings, eagles, kestrels, and cranes.

We will explore the area by rickshaw, a unique way to go birding! In addition to birds, the sanctuary protects mammals like golden jackals, fishing cats, Indian pythons, and water monitors. (B,L,D)

Feb 20 - Bund Baretha

Today's birding adventure will be at Bund Baretha, a large reservoir about 40 km from Bharatpur. Along the way, we can scan open fields for birds such as Indian black robins, colorful Indian Rollers, wire-tailed swallows, and more. 

Once at the Bund, we'll search for cotton teal, great crested grebes, bronze-winged jacanas, and many more. After, we'll head back to relax for one more evening at Laxmi Vilas Palace. (B,L,D)

Feb 21 - Golden Temple Mail Train to Ranthambhore

After an early morning birding walk and breakfast, we head to catch the Golden Temple Mail train with a comfortable sleeper car. The ride to Ranthanmbhore will take approximately 3 hours.

After checking in at the Ranthambhore Bagh, our hotel for the next three nights, we will explore nearby areas and the hotel's estate grounds looking for robins, larks, and more. (B,L,D)

Feb 22 & 23 - Ranthambhore Tiger Sanctuary

Considered one of India's most beautiful national parks, Ranthambhore is a wonderful combination of natural habitat including forests, lakes, and dry scrub as well as historical buildings like old forts and temples. This park offers some of the best opportunities to see the elusive predator in the wild. 

We will explore the park each morning and afternoon with expert local guides using open 4WD vehicles. In addition to tigers, we hope to see langur monkeys, sambar deer, sloth bears, or chinkara antelope. Around the lakes, we'll look for crocodiles and monitor lizards. The park is also home to many species of birds including 4 species of owls. (B,L,D) 

Feb 24 - Ranthambhore & Return to New Delhi

After a final morning tour of the park and lunch, head to the train station for an 8 hour ride to Delhi. You can either head to the airport for your flight home or stay in a local hotel (not included). (B,L)

Or take the extension and head to the magical region of Goa!

Extension to Western India

Not ready to head home quite yet? Stay through the end of the month and explore Goa, a great mix of nature and culture. You'll fly the first day (2/24 to Goa), staying at the Backwoods Camp. 

Once there, we'll go birding looking for many endemic and rare species. The Western Ghats is a chain of small mountain ranges that is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The schedule will be flexible to allow for the group's interests and nature opportunities.

In addition, we'll also visit the highlights on Mumbai, including Ghandi's former residence, and the Elephanta Caves, a spectacular collection of rock art.