The Ultimate Tiger Photo Safari

Forget the chaos, yelling, and general mayhem of Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh national parks. They might be easy to get to and have decent tiger populations, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a good view of a cat (let alone a great image), especially if you aren’t the first vehicle to get into position. Most tourists end up at the back of a line of Gypsies (safari vehicles) completely frustrated as the tiger they traveled thousands of miles to see disappears into the bushes or is scarcely visible without getting people’s heads or arms in the frame. That, and photographers may drive several hours without any other animals or birds to photograph in between tiger sightings. Other parks we vetted are dense with brush, tall grass, and trees, meaning a clean shot for a photographer remains as elusive as the cat itself or the only shot they get in the clear is if the cat happens to cross the road while they’re in position. On top of that, certain areas ban photographers from taking a second camera body / lens or even using their iPhone to capture activity in a different way.

THE ANSWER: Travel with Wild Departures on our 11-day exclusive Tiger Photo Tour, where you’ll get tigers, but also birds, monkeys, sloth bears, peacocks, and leopards, while staying at high-end, award-winning accommodations, not “resorts” with a bathroom down the hall (or outside), with a bucket shower, surrounded by cows, refuse, and stray dogs. We’ve done the homework for you, so you can travel in comfort and safety without stress or worry. The food is exceptional, water is triple-purified, and the camps are quiet, serene, and filled with wildlife to enjoy even when you aren’t in the park searching for tigers. One even has a photo blind at a watering hole for eye-level images of its furry and feathered visitors. BONUS: Instead of getting kicked out of the parks after a couple of hours because of timed-entry permits (sometimes even while shooting a tiger doing something amazing), we’ve secured an all-day permit for one outing in Pench and one in Kahna to maximize our chances of sightings and image opportunities.

WHERE WE GO

We focus our time and energy exclusively on two of the most photogenic national parks in Central India, Pench and Kahna, spending 4 nights and 5 days at each one. Pench and Kahna are legendary for their beauty and served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. There are less than 3,000 royal Bengal wild tigers left on the planet, and around 400 of them reside in Kahna (noted as having numerous photo-friendly cats) and Pench. Beyond tigers, both parks offer the opportunity to shoot other animals and birds, essential for getting the most out of your trip if the tigers are being shy.

WHERE WE STAY

In Pench, we stay in spectacularly appointed treehouses (each 750-square feet), where the birds and monkeys play on the rooftops. We have 40 acres to explore on site, along with a photo blind for intimate wildlife imagery, and a pool for cooling off after hot game drives. In Kahna, we enjoy luxury, with butterfly gardens and local flora and fauna, as well as a pool for cooling down. The lodge is on 16 acres, making it a private haven, truly isolated from the rest of the tourist noise and traffic near the Kahna park entrance. Drinks, food, and hospitality are 5-star, as are the staff, naturalists, and guides. We will have one afternoon off at each park to enjoy the lodge or to go on optional cultural photo excursions for portrait and market photography.

PHOTO INSTRUCTION AND SPECIALIZATION

If you’ve come on this trip for photography, our aim is for you to return home with gallery-worthy images. To that end, our trips are ideally timed in April. Intense heat provides the best chances to see tigers, because they are more mobile and active, moving frequently to find shade and also stopping to cool off at watering holes (perfect for splashing, drinking, and reflection images).

We also secure one all-day, all-zone photo permit in each park to maximize opportunities and to be able to stay with a sighting without rushing. We utilize two jeeps for 5 guests, insuring everyone has a comfortable, unimpeded view with room to jostle gear around! We’ll make sure you are in the right position at the right time and that you receive hands-on guidance in the field to get the shot! Beyond that, we’ll spend extensive time on editing, because image editing is an art unto itself. Our photo guides are professionals with expertise in wildlife behavior, composition, camera settings, lighting, and editing. Regardless of your skill level, our clients return home with great photos.

ITINERARY

April 8: Welcome to Delhi
-Arrive in Delhi. After you exit customs, you’ll be greeted with your name on a sign to be assisted to your transfer to our 5-star hotel. We stay in luxury. Optional tours of Delhi can be arranged upon request for early arrivals. Rest up or enjoy the spa or rooftop pool.

-Group dinner at 6pm.

April 9: Pench National Park
-Early morning transfer to the airport with breakfast in hand. We’ll board our 1.5-hour flight to Nagpur, arriving at 8:40am.
-After arriving in Nagpur, we’ll take private vehicles to drive to our spectacularly spacious treehouses, enjoying views of local life along the way.

-We arrive around noon, in time for lunch, after which we can explore and photograph all that this glorious eco-lodge has to offer on its expansive 40-acre grounds, including viewing and photographing 100 species of birds, monkeys, and numerous butterfly species. A photo blind at a watering hole on property gives us the opportunity for eye-level images with wildlife.
-That evening, we enjoy an organic farm-to-table cooking demonstration followed by dinner.

April 10-13: Pench National Park
-Over the next four days, we’ll explore the original “Kipling Land,” lush with the forest of Seoni and part of Project Tiger. In open-air “gypsy” jeeps we’ll wend our way through the dense jungle in search of tigers, leopards, sloth bears, wolves, wild dogs, langur monkeys, and more than 210 species of birds, including the Indian roller, peacock, and owlet.
-Our game drives will be broken up into morning and late afternoon safaris, with the exception of one all-day excursion. During the afternoon breaks, we’ll have instruction, editing, and image review for photographers.

April 13: Kahna National Park
-After an early breakfast at the lodge, we’ll say goodbye to our treetop homes with the monkeys, and drive to Kanha National Park, enjoying and photographing village life along the way.
-After lunch, we’ll depart for our first game drive in the park. Kahna’s topography includes lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows. The Park’s landmark achievement is the preservation of the rare hard ground Swamp Deer, saving it from near extinction. Tigers numbers are greater here, and leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, jackals, and more than 300 bird species can be found here. The park is picturesque and story-book in landscape, providing an ideal background for images.

April 14-17: Kahna National Park
-Over the next four days we’ll explore different zones of the park in our open-air safari gypsy vehicles, bouncing up dirt roads and through jungle forests and capturing spectacular images along the way. On one of our days, we’ll enjoy a full-day permit, allowing us to stay with any sightings and follow them for as long as we like. The days begin and end with drives through the villages, where we take photos of daily life. During the afternoon breaks on the other days, we’ll review photos and have workshops and tutorials for photographers.

April 17: Delhi
-After enjoying one last morning game drive in Kahna, we’ll drive to Jabalpur Airport to catch our flight to Delhi.
-We’ll check back into our luxury hotel near the airport to rest and relax until dinner. We’ll review images after dinner for those who would like to do so. Late night departures are available, if you choose to take a red-eye flight home that evening.

April 18: Delhi
After breakfast at the hotel, you may depart for home at any time or enjoy your extension tour to the Taj and Palaces.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

-Shared twin accommodations at hotels and lodges / double-occupancy.
-Meals starting with dinner (depending on your arrival) on 4/8 and continuing through breakfast on 4/18 (depending on departure).
-All charter flights between camps (excluding your arrival and departure to and from home to Delhi).
-Checked baggage allowance to 44 lbs. and carry-on allowance of 15 lbs.
-Arrival and departure transfers and transport between cities / camps in private chauffeur driven, air-conditioned vehicle.
-Two gypsies for 6 guests, plus guide and driver on all safaris.
-All drinks and beverages at meals and happy hour with group, including alcohol.
-Taxes and permits.

Prices are per person / shared twin room.

FINAL PAYMENTS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 15, 2024, along with paperwork for permits that are specifically assigned to guests based on passport information. No refunds will be given after November 15, so please purchase Travel Insurance at the time of booking.

OPTIONAL: TAJ MAHAL EXTENSION (4/18-4/21)

While we only offer wildlife-viewing tours, we are more than happy to book an architectural and cultural extension to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as well as a few other not-to-be-missed sites. You can continue your journey from 4/18 through 4/21, with an expertly arranged and vetted English-speaking guide and driver, taking you on a tour of Old Delhi markets, a drive to Agra with tours of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, a drive to Jaipur, tours of the Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantra, Hama Mahal, and morning markets. Prices are per person / shared twin room. Click here to find out more and to book the extension.