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Enjoy this Central India safari, exploring the iconic wildlife hotspots of Satpura, Pench and Kanha National Parks. Start in Satpura Tiger Reserve, where you can head out on in the jeeps to look for tigers and enjoy a walking safari, spotting smaller deer and birds close up. Explore Pench Tiger Reserve, where leopards hide in the cool teak forest before heading along the forest corridor that connects the reserve with Kanha National Park. You’ll cycle through forests and small villages, exploring the local communities as you go, camping in mobile camps and dining around the campfire under the stars each night. Finish your trip in Kanha National Park, where you’ll continue to search for tigers, sloth bears and other animals, soaking up your final magical few days on safari in India.
This itinerary can be tailored to suit your requirements; please contact one of our consultants to start planning your dream trip.
Depart the UK from your chosen airport.
On arrival in Delhi, you’ll be met at the airport and driven to your hotel, checking in for one night. You can spend the rest of your day in Delhi at your leisure, whether you’d like to simply relax at your hotel or head out to explore the city.
This morning, you’ll check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport early morning and fly to Bhopal in Central India. On arrival, you’ll be met by your driver who will take you to Satpura which will take 3.5 hours. You should arrive at your lodge in Satpura by lunchtime.
After you’ve checked in, you’ll meet your naturalist who will introduce the park to you and will brief you on the activities that have been planned. The activities here are flexible around animal movement in the park and you might end up doing everything included in a different order. This afternoon you’ll take a canoe safari, which is only possible between October and February when the water levels are high. Canoe safaris are an excellent way to get close to crocodiles and aquatic birds, also offering unique low angle view of land mammals coming to the edge of the river for a drink in the evening as the sun sets.
Today is an exciting day as you get to spend the whole day in the forest. We have planned a visit to Churna – one of the westernmost regions of the park. This area is an important part of the tiger habitat and is popular with wildlife photographers thanks to the relatively high chance of seeing tigers. The morning safari is used to get to Churna, and the afternoon safari gets you back. Look out for leopards, sloth bears, giant squirrels, sambar deer and wild boar as you explore, as well as a whole host of different birds and insects.
You’ll spend the time in between the safaris at Churna Forest Rest House but often guests prefer to spend this time by a small creek that runs past the camp and is home to a diversity of birds, butterflies and dragonflies to photograph.
This morning you’ll head out again to explore but at a different pace, as you enjoy a walking safari. Walking safari are excellent for letting you appreciate smaller animals and birds which often get missed while exploring on fast moving jeeps. It is also exciting to come across larger mammals and predators out amongst the forest.
In the afternoon, you can choose to explore the surrounding villages, enjoy some birding from the lodge or just unwind in the peaceful setting. At dusk, you’ll head out again to look for nocturnal animals in the forest – keep your eyes peeled for a rusty-spotted cat, the world’s smallest wildcat.
After a final jeep safari this morning in Satpura, you’ll enjoy an early lunch before travelling to Pench Tiger Reserve, around a 5 hour drive. The rest of your day is at leisure to relax after the long journey. You’ll be staying at Pench Tree Lodge, a small eco-lodge in the heart of 40 acres of land which has been rewilded, filled with local trees and plants to support conservation in the wider Karmajhiri area. With only 6 tree houses and 10 cottages, you can enjoy the relaxing swimming pool, photography hide and farm to table cuisine during your time here.
Pench Tiger Reserve gets its name from the Pench River which is the lifeline of the park. Unlike Kanha and Satpura this park is largely a teak forest. This means that it dries up sooner as the teak tree drops its leaves, which in turn leads to shrinking water bodies and better visibility. Consequently, Pench is a great park to see tigers, leopards, dhole and gaur. You’ll have morning and afternoon safari drives to look for wildlife and learn about life in the forest.
Pench National Park is one of the only parks in Central India which has a forest corridor connecting it to Kanha Tiger Reserve and today, you’ll be heading off on a three day cycling experience through the jungles, tribla villages and countryside. You’ll begin your cycle adventure after breakfast, starting the journey between central India’s famous “Two Project Tiger” national parks. The diverse wildlife, landscapes and communities make it a fascinating region to cycle through, along the forested corridor which serves as a refuge to dispersing wildlife across the parks. You’ll be cycling through the very jungles of Seoni mentioned in the Jungle book.
Apart from the wildlife, the tour provides distinctive opportunity to experience rural life in India and meet local people who live in harmony with wildlife. You will be accompanied by expert naturalist / guide, who will provide you with the very best travel experience with an emphasis on real exploration with a responsible tourism approach.
You’ll begin by cycling for about 3 hours (around 20 kms) to reach Sakata Forest Rest House enjoying birding and mammal viewing on the way. Arrive at around 12:00 p.m. for a hot lunch at Sakata Forest Rest House built in 1903 during English times inside the reserve.
Post lunch, you’ll cycle for about 3½ hours (around 25 kms) to reach Sonawani Rest House where you will take a break. In the final leg, you’ll cycle for about 40 minutes (around 5 kms) to reach the campsite at Chikhlabaddi. Enjoy your dinner under a starry sky and relax after a busy day. You’ll be staying in a mobile camp in cosy tents where you’ll fall asleep to the sounds of the forest.
This morning, you’ll enjoy breakfast by the campfire before heading out to cycle for around 3.5 hours through forests and villages. You’ll enjoy an al fresco lunch in Kanari next to the river, before heading off again in the afternoon. With 2.5 more hours of cycling, this afternoon will be a little more hilly. Arrive at your next mobile camp in Badgaon and enjoy another tasty meal under the stars.
Today is your last day of cycling – you’ll start the day around 3.5 hours through the forest to reach the Banjar River, where you’ll eat lunch by the water. Then you’ll hop back on the bikes for a short 5km journey to reach Kanha Earth Lodge. The rest of your day is yours to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of the lodge.
Kanha Tiger Reserve is the largest tiger reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It’s situated in the Central Indian Highlands, which are part of the extensive tableland that forms India’s main peninsula. The highlands once were continuous forests and accounted for a significant part of the country’s wilderness areas and wildlife habitats. Today, these forests have become fragmented and survive in parks such as Panna, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench and Sanjay Dubri.
We take two safaris into the park each day here, to explore the thriving wildlife and of course search for more opportunities to see the Bengal Tiger. Look for leopards hunting in the dense forest, spot sloth bears snuffling in their quest for termites and watch colourful birds flitting between the treetops. Kanha is also the only park currently in the country to have the hard ground Barasingha – a swamp deer named for its antlers with 12 tines.
Enjoy one last safari in Kanha this morning before heading back to the Jabalpur Airport for the short flight back to Delhi, where you’ll connect to your international flight home.
The best time to visit India is generally between November and April, when the cooler season takes hold and the monsoon rains have ended. However, in such a large country, there are different microclimates within the other regions and each one can be vastly different. Read our blog, ‘When is the best time to visit India?’ to find out more.
This itinerary is purely a suggestion and can be tailor-made to your requirements, so please contact us with your dates and requests, and we’ll put together a bespoke quotation for you.
International flights
Return airport transfers
Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary
Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
Excursions as mentioned in the itinerary
Any meals not mentioned
Personal expenses
Tips & gratuities