Wildlife and Adventure in Rudyard Kipling's India
Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

Follow the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling and embark on an extraordinary journey across Madyha Pradesh. Visit the wildlife park that inspired The Jungle Book, Pench National Park; spot a living Shere Khan tiger and see cheeky monkeys in their natural environment. With cycling, trekking and camping adventures to boot, this is a holiday of a lifetime.

This suggested itienrary is a homage to Rudyard Kipling's wildlife experiences in India. It involves explorating some of the country's most renowned parks, Pench being the setting for his iconic Jungle Book. Visitor numbers are heavily restricted at the parks included  so you'll have an authentic experience throughout your journey. From cycling at Kanha, to boat, kayak and night safaris in Satpura, there's plenty of fun outdoor activties included. 

Highlights:

• Tiger spotting in the Pench Tiger Reserve: give yourself the best change to observe the king of the Indian jungle in his natural habitat. 
• Boating safaris in Satpura National Park – with only 6 jeeps for the park, you’ll be guaranteed an exclusive experience.
• An extraordinary trekking adventure into the heart of the countryside – a magical experience you’ll remember for a very long time.

As with all of our itineraries, this can be adapted to suit or we can tailor-make your holiday from scratch. If you have more time, we’d thoroughly recommend stopping for a few days in Bhopal, a fascinating and historical city, often overlooked by visitors.

There is a little scope for looking at alternative accommodation options too, though in some locations, such as Satpura there are almost no alternatives. 

• International flights (which can be ommitted from your quotation if you prefer)
• Accomodation as described
• Privately guided tours and transfers
• Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences
• Full financial protection (ABTA/ ATOL bonding)
• Meals as described
• Domestic flights
• 24 hour in-country backup whilst away
• Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Depart and fly to Delhi.

DAY 2 Delhi

Arrive in Delhi and transfer to your hotel in the heart of New Delhi.
That afternoon you'll enjoy part of our ‘signature’ Delhi experience, it will show you a side of Delhi that even second time visitors are unlikely to have experienced.

DAY 3 Delhi

In order to get a sense of this sometimes chaotic, sprawling and disorientating city, we suggest an exploration of both Old and New Delhi, taking in the main sites, but also building up a sense of where you are: taking in the sights and smells. You’ll travel by vehicle and rickshaw so you can get as close as possible to the incredible action.

Note that for second time visitors we can arrange alternative Delhi experiences today.

DAY 4 Delhi to Kanha National Park

An early morning flight will take you to Jabalpur where you will meet your private chauffeur for the next couple of weeks. Transfer from there through remote Madhya Pradesh to Kanha National Park.
After checking in at your relaxed and informal glamping retreat, there is time for an afternoon safari and your first glimpse of the legendary wildlife of Madhya Pradesh.

Day 5 Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park is one of the larger parks, made up of a combination of forest and open grasslands. It is particularly beautiful and scenic so a visit here is highly recommended. It is also the only park in India to have Barasingha, or swamp deer, which have been brought back from near extinction. There is also a healthy tiger population and, harder to see, leopards and sloth bears.

Time for both an early morning and late afternoon safari with plenty of relaxing in between at the lovely camp.

Day 6 Cycling around Kanha

A real adventure today as you cycle along the country lanes that wind through charming Gond and Baiga villages. See first-hand, rural life in the Indian heartlands, whether at a traditional market, harvest or local celebration. Each village has its own distinct charm; there are enchanting forest settlements and more prosperous family villages with impressive gatehouses and open courtyards. Of course, village life changes daily depending on the season, so no two trips will be the same.

Day 7 Pench Tiger Reserve

Today you depart Kanha after breakfast, driving through Madhya Pradesh to Pench Tiger Reserve, the region of jungle that inspired Kipling’s Jungle Book. Although relatively small, it’s a different visual experience from the neighbouring Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks, with its lush teak forests and many areas of water. It has the highest concentration of herbivores of any of the parks. There is a healthy tiger population here and the beautiful Indian wild dogs are often sighted, too. There is time for an afternoon safari.

Day 8 Pench Tiger Reserve

After a morning safari and time to relax back at your luxury safari lodge, there is an afternoon walk locally, exploring the region and the villages neighbouring the park.

Days 9 &10 Pench to Satpura

A long drive today to Satpura National Park. Until fairly recently, Satpura was virtually unknown, and even now it has very few visitors. The main park is surrounded on three sides by water which has protected its forest and ensured that its woodland, and therefore the wildlife of the area, has remained pristine. Wild dog, leopard and bear sightings are plentiful and now that naturalists are getting to know the park and the animal territories a lot better, tiger sightings are increasing. Here you'll check in to Reni Pani Lodge for 2 nights.

Satpura is the only park in India where a variety of safari options are available to you. In addition to the usual jeep safari, canoeing and boating safaris are possible, as are walking safaris through the core area of the park. Or, try a night drive through the buffer zone to search for nocturnal animals.

Day 11 -13 Trek to Jhela Camp-dehelia camp and pachmarHi

Day 11 begins with a drive to Matkuli, a village at the foothills of the Satpuras from here you will begin your trekking and two night camping adventure. There is an 8km trek towards Jhela, the site of your night's camp. En route to Jhela you will walk through open woodland towards the Denwa River, which you will then follow all the way to the camp. All these areas lie within the reserve and you are likely to encounter all kinds of birdlife.

As Day 12 begins you'll wake up in the forest camp to the sound of the flowing Denwa River and the chatter of birds and after a leisurely breakfast, you'll begin a 7km walk along the banks of the river towards Dehelia Camp. The walk is quite adventurous and includes high sand banks and narrow waterways. It may also be necessary to wade through knee-deep water at times. The endangered Indian vulture can be seen on a steep cliff they use as a nesting site. Dehelia Camp is located on a picturesque sandy beach on the banks of the river and this is where you will spend the afternoon.

On Day 13 you will walk the 10km to Pachmarhi. The first half of the journey is mainly on light hilly terrain. Kanchighat marks the halfway point, where you will stop for snacks. There is a beautiful stream here where you can take a dip and enjoy the birdlife. From Kanchighat you will begin the 6km ascent to Pachmarhi, moving from teak forests into thick sal forests until you reach Pachmarhi Hill Station for lunch.

This afternoon you'll drive back to Reni Pani Lodge for an afternoon and evening of relaxation and reflection.

Day 14 Depart via Bhopal

Transfer from Satpura to Bhopal for your connecting flight to Delhi and beyond.